Jehovah, Thou hast promised
The isles shall wait for Thee,
The joyous isles of ocean,
The jewels of the sea.
Lo! we, this island’s watchmen
Would give and take no rest;
For thus hast Thou commanded -
Till our dear land is blessed. //
Then bless her mighty Father,
With blessings needed most,
In every verdant village,
By every palmy coast.
On every soaring mountain,
O’er every spreading plain,
May all her sons and daughters -
Thy righteousness attain. //
Give peace within her borders
Twixt man and man goodwill,
The love all unsuspicious,
The love that works no ill.
In loyal lowly service,
Let each from other learn,
The guardian and the guarded, -
Till Christ Himself return. //
To Him our land shall listen,
To Him our peoples kneel;
All rule be on His shoulder,
All wrong beneath His heel;
O consummation glorious
Which now by faith we sing;
Come, cast we up the highway -
That brings us back our King! //
He was an English scholar, poet and member of the Church Missionary Society. Popularly known as the 'Bard of Lanka', his works are still widely read in the island nation. He was also Vice Principal of Trinity College, Kandy, Sri Lanka. Rev Senior Married Miss Ethel May Poole, daughter of Bishop Poole – the first Church of England Bishop in Japan – in 1907. He had two sons one of whom was a member of the African Civil Service, and two daughters.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._S._Senior
Some say tune and original misc was created by Richard Wagner of Leipzig Germany.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Wagner
[Danno Budunge] was written based on this tune.