Larian Studios Forums General Chat Chat (Anything) National hymns

I'm curious to know about each country's own national hymn. Most of us know the title but only a few knows the whole song. Since I am a musicfan (I play synthesyzer, piano, flute, want to learn to play the clarinet and the saxophone also), I was wondering how other country's hymn would go like. Please insert the title of the hymn, the lyrics (you don't have to put in the whole lyric, most tend to be very long)and if you can a link so you can listen to it also, if someone's interested.
I'll start with the Belgian Hymn. All rise!

De Brabançonne

"O dierbaar België
O heilig land der vaad'ren
Onze ziel en ons hart zijn u gewijd.
Aanvaard ons hart en het bloed van onze adren,
Wees ons doel in arbeid en in strijd.
Bloei, o land, in eendracht niet te breken;
Wees immer u zelf en ongeknecht,
Het woord getrouw, dat ge onbevreesd moogt spreken:
Voor Vorst, voor Vrijheid en voor Recht. (x3)"

De Brabançonne melodie

Well, okay....ours can be found here. (Click on "Melodie als Midi-File, I hope it works). Composed by W.A. Mozart, by the way, so it is actually quite nice.

Land der Berge

Land der Berge, Land am Strome,
Land der Äcker, Land der Dome,
Land der Hämmer, zukunftsreich!
Heimat bist du großer Söhne,
Volk begnadet für das Schöne,
Viel gerühmtes Österreich.

Heiß umfehdet, wild umstritten,
liegst den Erdteilen du inmitten,
einem starken Herzen gleich.
Hast seit frühen Ahnentagen,
hoher Sendung Last getragen.
Viel gerühmtes Österreich.

...I didn't know the last verse by heart, so I guess that it would be cheating to put it here (are you bored already?)

Well, I am bored so I'll even give you a (vague) translation:

Land of Mountains

Land of Mountains, land of streams,
Land of acres, land of cathedrals,
Land of gavels, rich of future!
You are th home of great sons,
your people are gifted for the beautiful (things),
much vaunted Austria.

Hotly fought for, wildly contended,
you lie in the middle of the contnents,
like a strong heart.
Since the early ancestor's days you have
carried the burden of high (important) sending.
Much vaunted Austria.

...Still not asleep? No worries, I'll leave you now!
<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" />

A link specially for Gal'
And we sometimes refer to Nkosi sekelele I-africa as "Oom Kosie sukkel in Afrika" <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />


the official link for the rest of you <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

Nkosi Sekelele

Negaraku
Tanah tumpahnya darahku
Rakyat hidup bersatu dan maju
Rahmat bahagia Tuhan kurniakan
Raja kita selamat bertakhta
Rahmat bahagia Tuhan kurniakan
Raja kita selamat bertakhta

rough translation:

My country, my native land

The people living united and progressive

May God bestow blessing and happiness

May our Ruler have a successful reign

bit of history on the anthem

God save our gracious Queen,
Long live our noble Queen,
God save the Queen:
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us:
God save the Queen.

O Lord our God arise,
Scatter her enemies,
And make them fall:
Confound their politics,
Frustrate their knavish tricks,
On Thee our hopes we fix:
God save us all.

Thy choicest gifts in store
On her be pleased to pour;
Long may she reign:
May she defend our laws,
And ever give us cause
To sing with heart and voice
God save the Queen.

I think I feel a stirring within me...... Hang on, no that was a fart. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

"Das Lied der Deutschen" (The song of the Germans)

Lyrics from Hoffmann von Fallersleben (1841)
Music by Joseph Haydn

{Only the 3rd verse is the national anthem, the other two (especially the 1st) may not be sung any more!}

Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit
für das deutsche Vaterland!
Danach lasst uns alle streben
bruederlich mit Herz und Hand!
Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit
sind des Glueckes Unterpfand;
*Blueh' im Glanze diesen Glueckes,
bluehe deutsches Vaterland.*

* = repeated

or in rough English:

Unity and justice and freedom
for the German fatherland!
This let us all pursue,
fraternally with heart and hand!
Unity and justice and freedom
are the pledge of happiness.
*Flourish in this blessing's glory,
flourish, German fatherland*

Anecdote: Haydn's music was originally intended as Austrian national anthem (in the 19th century) with the lyrics "Gott erhalte Franz, den Kaiser..." (God save Franz, the emperor...), therefore the original composition Quartett for violines in C-Dur (is it C-major in English??), opus 76, No 3 is called the "Kaiserquartett".

Edit:

I will not quote the 1st verse, which is forbidden since WW 2, for obvious reasons - and quite rightfully so.

But the second verse is hardly known, and gives an insight as to how Germans saw Germans in the 19th century <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

Deutsche Frauen, deutsche Treue,
deutscher Wein und deutscher Sang
sollen in der Welt behalten
ihren schoenen alten Klang,
uns zu edler Tat begeistern
unser ganzes Leben lang.
*Deutsche Frauen, deutsche Treue,
deutscher Wein und deutscher Sang.*

German women, German faithfulness,
German wine and German songs
should keep all over the world
their beautiful old "sound" (in the sense of "reputation")
and inspire us to noble deeds
for all our life long.
*German women, German faithfulnesss,
German wine and German songs.*

Note that it says "wine", not "beer"!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

[color:"orange"] French Hymn : La Marseillaise [/color]

Sorry it's a very long hymn !
I added the english translation.
If you want to listen to the french hymn, you can visit this site : La marseillaise

[color:"orange"]La Marseillaise - paroles en français
Rouget de Lisle[/color]

Allons enfants de la Patrie
Le jour de gloire est arrivé !
Contre nous de la tyrannie
L'étendard sanglant est levé
Entendez-vous dans nos campagnes
Mugir ces féroces soldats?
Ils viennent jusque dans vos bras.
Égorger vos fils, vos compagnes!

Aux armes citoyens
Formez vos bataillons
Marchons, marchons
Qu'un sang impur
Abreuve nos sillons

Que veut cette horde d'esclaves
De traîtres, de rois conjurés?
Pour qui ces ignobles entraves
Ces fers dès longtemps préparés?
Français, pour nous, ah! quel outrage
Quels transports il doit exciter?
C'est nous qu'on ose méditer
De rendre à l'antique esclavage!

Quoi ces cohortes étrangères!
Feraient la loi dans nos foyers!
Quoi! ces phalanges mercenaires
Terrasseraient nos fils guerriers!
Grand Dieu! par des mains enchaînées
Nos fronts sous le joug se ploieraient
De vils despotes deviendraient
Les maîtres des destinées.

Tremblez, tyrans et vous perfides
L'opprobre de tous les partis
Tremblez! vos projets parricides
Vont enfin recevoir leurs prix!
Tout est soldat pour vous combattre
S'ils tombent, nos jeunes héros
La France en produit de nouveaux,
Contre vous tout prêts à se battre.

Français, en guerriers magnanimes
Portez ou retenez vos coups!
Épargnez ces tristes victimes
À regret s'armant contre nous
Mais ces despotes sanguinaires
Mais ces complices de Bouillé
Tous ces tigres qui, sans pitié
Déchirent le sein de leur mère!

Nous entrerons dans la carrière
Quand nos aînés n'y seront plus
Nous y trouverons leur poussière
Et la trace de leurs vertus
Bien moins jaloux de leur survivre
Que de partager leur cercueil
Nous aurons le sublime orgueil
De les venger ou de les suivre!

Amour sacré de la Patrie
Conduis, soutiens nos bras vengeurs
Liberté, Liberté chérie
Combats avec tes défenseurs!
Sous nos drapeaux, que la victoire
Accoure à tes mâles accents
Que tes ennemis expirants
Voient ton triomphe et notre gloire!


[color:"orange"]English translation

La Marseillaise - lyrics in English[/color]

Arise children of the fatherland
The day of glory has arrived
Against us tyranny's
Bloody standard is raised
Listen to the sound in the fields
The howling of these fearsome soldiers
They are coming into our midst
To cut the throats of your sons and consorts

To arms citizens
Form your battalions
March, march
Let impure blood
Water our furrows

What do they want this horde of slaves
Of traitors and conspiratorial kings?
For whom these vile chains
These long-prepared irons?
Frenchmen, for us, ah! What outrage
What methods must be taken?
It is us they dare plan
To return to the old slavery!

What! These foreign cohorts!
They would make laws in our courts!
What! These mercenary phalanxes
Would cut down our warrior sons
Good Lord! By chained hands
Our brow would yield under the yoke
The vile despots would have themselves be
The masters of destiny

Tremble, tyrants and traitors
The shame of all good men
Tremble! Your parricidal schemes
Will receive their just reward
Against you we are all soldiers
If they fall, our young heros
France will bear new ones
Ready to join the fight against you

Frenchmen, as magnanimous warriors
Bear or hold back your blows
Spare these sad victims
That they regret taking up arms against us
But not these bloody despots
These accomplices of Bouillé
All these tigers who pitilessly
Ripped out their mothers' wombs

We shall enter into the pit
When our elders will no longer be there
There we shall find their ashes
And the mark of their virtues
We are much less jealous of surviving them
Than of sharing their coffins
We shall have the sublime pride
Of avenging or joining them

Drive on sacred patriotism
Support our avenging arms
Liberty, cherished liberty
Join the struggle with your defenders
Under our flags, let victory
Hurry to your manly tone
So that in death your enemies
See your triumph and our glory!

Glance, you are making an error that is quite common in Germany. But it is not true, that the first two verses of the national anthem may no longer be sung, or are forbidden.
And I think it is somewhat sad that you think it would be rightfully forbidden. Yes, it has been greatly misused, but that does not change the fact that it was written in abolutely no evil intention, and there are many other anthems that are much bloodier or offensive than this.
I also often wonder why not even Germans can see the grammatical difference between "über alle" und "über alles".
And in the letter that Heuss wrote to Adenauer, he said (that is even less known) that the Song is in it's entirety the national anthem, but that only the third stanza should be sung at official events.

That said, I wouldn't sing the first stanza myself - but still I think it is treated somewhat incorrectly.

@ Flash
No Glance did not make any error. He had an excellent idea. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/party.gif" alt="" />
By writing something you desagree, he pushed you to be back in the english section of the forum. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shhh.gif" alt="" />
It's a shame for not coming more often in this section.
Your english is very good. (Even your french is good but it is another story).
Welcome back. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/XmasJump.gif" alt="" />

Barta

Thanks for replying so fast with those beautiful lyrics. But sadly enough, I can only listen to "La marseillaise". I love that version of Mireille Mathieu. (My mother used to cut my hair like hers <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/silly.gif" alt="" /> )
But I really want to listen to the other songs to. Maybe I don't find it? Or can't download the music, but I can only learn to play it, if I hearde it first. I have an ear for music, and I can read the notes, but don't read the melody. So guys, please help me out with a link to the melody too? Thx

Gal, be happy, I CAN'T read the notes, and since I learn the songs so quicklly by just listen to them I can't seem to learn how to read notes...

Übereil

The only link i could find for the tunes

Barta: Thanks for the welcome back. Perhaps you're right, and I should try to come here more often.

galadriel: You could try www.national-anthems.net or www.national-anthems.de.

OK, I have two other anthems:

First the one of the GDR. Even if the GDR was a communist dictatorship, I like the anthem, both the tune and the text:

Auferstanden aus Ruinen und der Zukunft zugewandt,
laß uns Dir zum Guten dienen, Deutschland, einig Vaterland.
Alte Not gilt es zu zwingen, und wir zwingen sie vereint,
denn es muß uns doch gelingen, daß die Sonne schön wie nie
über Deutschland scheint.

Glück und Friede sei beschieden Deutschland, unserm Vaterland.
Alle Welt sehnt sich nach Frieden, reicht den Völkern eure Hand.
Wenn wir brüderlich uns einen, schlagen wir des Volkes Feind!
Laßt das Licht des Friedens scheinen, daß nie eine Mutter mehr
ihren Sohn beweint.

Laßt uns pflügen, laßt uns bauen, lernt und schafft wie nie zuvor,
und der eignen Kraft vertrauend, steigt ein frei Geschlecht empor.
Deutsche Jugend, bestes Streben unsres Volks in dir vereint,
wirst du Deutschlands neues Leben. Und die Sonne schön wie nie
über Deutschland scheint.

Translation:

Risen from the ruins and turned toward the future,
Let us serve you for the greater good, Germany, united Fatherland.
Our task is to defeat old woes, and we shall defeat them together,
Because we must succeed so that the sun, more beautifully than ever before,
Shall shine over Germany, Shall shine over Germany.

May fortune and peace be granted to Germany, our Fatherland.
The whole world longs for peace, extend your hand to all nations.
If we unite fraternally, we will defeat the enemy of the people.
Let the light of peace shine, so that never again shall a mother
Mourn her son, mourn her son.

Let us plough, let us build, learn and work as never before,
And, trusting in its own strength, a free generation shall arise.
German youth, if the best endeavor of our people is united in you,
You will be Germany's new life. And the sun, more beautifully than ever before
Will shines over Germany, will shine over Germany.


The other one is the anthem of Württemberg, the area of Germany I'm from. As before the first world war Germany was divided into many Kingdoms and principalities, each of them had its own anthem. And think this one is absolutely atypical for a national anthem. It just doesn't sound like an anthem to me. And possibly that's a reason why I like it.

OK, I'm too lazy to translate it now, and the text isn't that interesting, but if someone is interested, let me know, and I'll translate it.

@ Flash
Yep it would be nice if you could come back from time to time.
We had some good discussions in the past.

About our french hymn.
It is a war song writen during the revolution.
Nowadays some people (politic people) would like to change the words to make it more "Political Correct".
They would like to delete all the hard words about war.
I hope it would not happen and that some stupid people who are shocked by anything would not change the beautiful and strong lyrics of our french hymn.

Barta

@ Flash -

OK, I concede that I have overstated it - the 1st verse may not be sung AS NATIONAL ANTHEM, however it is not so that it is forbidden to publish the lyrics. However I iunderstood the topic to be lyrics of current national anthems.

And it is also correct, that historically there was no evil intention in the geographic insinuations. And that other national anthems are much more "aggressive" (the French for one, that historically is a revolutionary battle song), and yes nobody would think to take its words literally (I sincerely hope!).

But with the current climate of sensitivity here in the English forum - and in view of our actual "right wing" problem in Saxonia, I believe it to be sensible to be cautious, and not pour any oil in any fire.

As to the Grammar - "über Alle" = over all; "über Alles = over everything - granted, a fine difference. But is that difference really significant? Taken at face value, and in the impression on the listener, one formulation is as good or bad as the other.

for La Marseillaise i will add that the debate about changing the words or removing it is not really new as it has begun in the late XIXth (IIRC) and has been periodical since that time. that it is not new doesn't mean it is not ridiculous, there i'm agreeing with barta.

for german national anthem i'm a bit more... well i have no doubt it had no been "evil-intented" original meaning but unfortunately (like a certain hegel's phrase was well intented but used in most tragical circumstances)it was used with a very heavy meaning. I understand that germany needed to remove the more arguable in it. The main difference with La Marseillaise is that this one has not been used with these connotations.

No offenses intented.