This Cosmic Chant from 1938 has completely disappeared. The lyrics are by Yogananda. The melody is by M.K. Serailian.
It is different from “Glory Hallelujah” (“His Love Is Marching On”) ,which is Yogananda’s adaption of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” You may listen to that marvellous song here.
The lyrics of “My Soul is Marching On” are also published in Songs of the Soul (1923). It is actually the very first poem of that book.
Yogananda mentions this special song in his original Autobiography of a Yogi:
“I turned again to the organ; this time my song was tinged with a martial valor:
The grinding wheel of Time doth mar
Full many a life of moon and star
And many a brightly smiling morn—
But still my soul is marching on!Darkness, death, and failures vied;
To block my path they fiercely tried;
My fight with jealous Nature’s strong—
But still my soul is marching on!”
So Yogananda wrote the lyrics, played this Cosmic Chant and obviously enjoyed it. He even published it in his Autobiography of a Yogi. So the question is, why was it altogether forgotten later on? Neither SRF, Durga Mata, or Swami Kriyananda present it in their recordings.
LYRICS:
The shining stars are sunk in darkness,
The weary sun is dead at night,
The moon’s soft smile doth fade anon—
But still my soul is marching on.
The grinding wheel of Time has crushed
Full many a life of moon and stars
And many a brightly smiling morn–
But still my soul is marching on.
The flowers bloomed, then hid in gloom,
The bounty of the trees did cease,
Colossal men have come and gone—
But still my soul is marching on.
The aeons one by one are flying—
The arrows one by one are gone,
Dimly, slowly life is fading—
But still my soul is marching on.
Darkness, death, and failures vied—
To block my path they fiercely tried;
My fight with jealous Nature’s strong—
But still my soul is marching on.
WHEN TO USE THIS SONG:
Use to banish fear, failure or discouragement.
SING ALONG:
For lack of any available recording of this original Cosmic Chant, here is one, unprofessionally recorded, in order simply to get a feel for this lost chant.