National Anthems.

[Sheeana]

Inspired by my irreverent sig

• [God of nations, Smell my Feet,
  In the bonds of Coronation Street.
  Hear our voices, "tweet! tweet! tweeeet!"
  God defend our Toilet Seat!]

I thought it would be interesting to post the lyrics of the National Anthem for our respective countries. It would also be good if you can explain what it means (both translation, and explanation.) Anyway, without further waffling, here's the New Zealand anthem:

• English Version
  
  God of nations at Thy feet,
  In the bonds of love we meet,
  Hear our voices, we entreat,
  God defend our free land.
  Guard Pacific's triple star,
  From the shafts of strife and war,
  Make her praises heard afar,
  God defend New Zealand.
  
  Men of ev'ry creed and race,
  Gather here before Thy face,
  Asking Thee to bless this place,
  God defend our free land.
  From dissension, envy, hate,
  And corruption guard our State,
  Make our country good and great,
  God defend New Zealand.
  
  Peace, not war, shall be our boast
  But, should foes assail our coast,
  Make us then a mighty host,
  God defend our free land.
  Lord of battles, in Thy might,
  Put our enemies to flight,
  Let our cause be just and right,
  God defend New Zealand.
  
  Let our love for Thee increase,
  May Thy blessings never cease,
  Give us plenty, give us peace,
  God defend our free land.
  From dishonour and from shame,
  Guard our country's spotless name,
  Crown her with immortal fame,
  God defend New Zealand.
  
  May our mountains ever be,
  Freedom's ramparts on the sea,
  Make us faithful unto thee,
  God defend our free land.
  Guide her in the nations' van,
  Preaching love and truth to man,
  Working out Thy Glorious plan,
  God defend New Zealand.
  
  
  Maori version
  
  E Ihowä Atua,
  O ngä iwi mätou rä
  Äta whakarongona;
  Me aroha noa
  Kia hua ko te pai;
  Kia tau tö atawhai;
  Manaakitia mai
  Aotearoa
  
  Öna mano tängata
  Kiri whero, kiri mä,
  Iwi Mäori Päkehä,
  Rüpeke katoa,
  Nei ka tono ko ngä hë
  Mäu e whakaahu kë,
  Kia ora märire
  Aotearoa
  
  Töna mana kia tü!
  Töna kaha kia ü;
  Töna rongo hei pakü
  Ki te ao katoa
  Aua rawa ngä whawhai
  Ngä tutü a tata mai;
  Kia tupu nui ai
  Aotearoa
  
  Waiho tona takiwä
  Ko te ao märama;
  Kia whiti töna rä
  Taiäwhio noa.
  Ko te hae me te ngangau
  Meinga kia kore kau;
  Waiho i te rongo mau
  Aotearoa
  
  Töna pai me toitü
  Tika rawa, pono pü;
  Töna noho, tana tü;
  Iwi nö Ihowä.
  Kaua möna whakamä;
  Kia hau te ingoa;
  Kia tü hei tauira;
  Aotearoa

You can apparently listen to it here, but I haven't tried, so I don't vouch for it.

Further information:
God Defend New Zealand is one of the national anthems of New Zealand, together with God Save the Queen. Although they both have equal status, only God Defend New Zealand is used, and most New Zealanders would be unaware that the country has two national anthems. The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage has responsibility for the national anthems.

History

The words for God Defend New Zealand were written as a poem in the 1870s by Thomas Bracken. A competition to compose music for the poem was held in 1876, with a prize of ten guineas. The winner of the competition was John Joseph Woods, who had composed the melody in a single sitting the evening after finding out about the competition.

The song became increasingly popular during the 19th century and early 20th century, and in 1940, the New Zealand government bought the copyright and made it New Zealand's national hymn in time for the centennial celebrations. In 1976, a petition was presented to parliament asking for it to be made the national anthem, and with the permission of Queen Elizabeth II, it became the country's second national anthem on November 21, 1977.

An alternative official arrangement for massed singing by Maxwell Fernie was announced by the Minister of Internal Affairs on June 1, 1978. ~ http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_Defend_New_Zealand

I should add that generally only the first couple of verses in English and Maori are sung, and if it's a male sport like rugby, then the Haka can sometimes replace/supplement the National Anthem.

Edit: if anyone's interested in a translation of the maori version, I'll post it at a later stage.

[Baby-K]

Nkosi sikelel' iAfrika
Maluphakanyisw' uphondo lwayo,
Yizwa imithandazo yethu,
Nkosi sikelela, thina lusapho lwayo.
Morena boloka setjhaba sa heso,
O fedise dintwa la matshwenyeho,
O se boloke, O se boloke setjhaba sa heso,
Setjhaba sa South Afrika - South Afrika.
Uit die blou van onse hemel,
Uit die diepte van ons see,
Oor ons ewige gebergtes,
Waar die kranse antwoord gee,
Sounds the call to come together,
And united we shall stand,
Let us live and strive for freedom,
In South Africa our land.

History
Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika was composed in 1897 by Enoch Sontonga , a teacher at a Methodist mission school in Johannesburg. It was one of many songs he composed, and he was apparently a keen singer who composed the songs for his pupils. The words of the first stanza were originally written in Xhosa as a hymn. In 1927 seven additional Xhosa stanzas were later added by Samuel Mqhayi, a poet. Most of Sontonga's songs were sad, witnessing the suffering of African people in JHB, but they were popular and after his death in 1905 choirs used to borrow them from his wife. Solomon Plaatje, one of South Africa's greatest writers and a founding member of the ANC, was the first to have the song recorded. This was in London in 1923. A Sesotho version was published in 1942 by Moses Mphahlele.
The Rev J L Dube's Ohlange Zulu Choir popularised Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika at concerts in Johannesburg, and it became a popular church hymn that was also adopted as the anthem at political meetings. For decades Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika was regarded as the national anthem of South Afrika by the oppressed and it was always sung as an act of defiance against the apartheid regime. A proclamation issued by the State President on 20 April 1994 stipulated that both Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika and Die Stem (the Call of South Africa) would be the national anthems of South Africa. In 1996 a shortened, combined version of the two anthems was released as the new National Anthem. There are no standard versions or translations of Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika so the words vary from place to place and from occasion to occasion. Generally the first stanza is sung in Xhosa or Zulu, followed by the Sesotho version

Current Xhosa Version
Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika
Maluphakanyisw' uphondo lwayo
Yiva imathandazo yethu
Nkosi Sikelela Nkosi Sikelela
Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika
Maluphakanyisw' uphondo lwayo
Yiva imathandazo yethu
Nkosi Sikelela
Thina lusapho lwayo.
Chorus
Yihla moya, yihla moya
Yihla moya oyingcwele
Nkosi Sikelela
Thina lusapho lwayo.

Sesotho Version
Morena boloka sechaba sa heso
O fedise dintwa le matshwenyeho,
Morena boloka sechaba sa heso,
O fedise dintwa le matshwenyeho.
O se boloke, o se boloke,
O se boloke, o se boloke.
Sechaba sa heso, Sechaba sa heso.
O se boloke morena se boloke,
O se boloke sechaba, se boloke.
Sechaba sa heso, sechaba sa heso.
Ma kube njalo! Ma kube njalo!
Kude kube ngunaphakade.
Kude kube ngunaphakade!

Zulu Version
Nkosi, sikelel' iAfrika,
Malupnakanyisw' udumo lwayo;
Yizwa imithandazo yethu
Nkosi sikelela,
Nkosi sikelela,
Nkosi, sikelel' iAfrika,
Malupnakanyisw' udumo lwayo;
Yizwa imithandazo yethu
Nkosi sikelela,
Nkosi sikelela,
Woza Moya (woza, woza),
Woza Moya (woza, woza),
Woza Moya, Oyingcwele.
Usisikelele,
Thina lusapho lwayo.

Current English Version/Translation
Lord, bless Africa
May her spirit rise high up
Hear thou our prayers
Lord bless us.
Lord, bless Africa
May her spirit rise high up
Hear thou our prayers
Lord bless us Your family.
Chorus
Descend, O Spirit
Descend, O Holy Spirit
Lord bless us
Your family.

(I will post the old anthem Die Stem / The call of South Africa aswell) with an audio clip if yer interested (Sheeana - I'd like to hear that Maori translation )

[Sheeana]

Dumb question time.... Wots ANC?

Okay, maori translation:

O Lord, God, Of all people
Listen to us, Cherish us
May good flourish, May your blessings flow
Defend Aotearoa*

Let all people, Red skin, white skin
Maori, Pakeha**, Gather before you
May all our wrongs, we pray, Be forgiven
So that we might say long live, Aotearoa

May it be forever prestigious, May it go from strength to strength
May its fame spread far and wide, Let not strife
Nor dissension ensue, May it ever be great
Aotearoa

Let its territory, Be ever enlightened
Throughout the land, Let envy and dissension
Be dispelled, Let peace reign
Over Aotearoa

Let its good features endure, Let righteousness and honesty
Prevail, Among the people of God
Let it never be ashamed, But rather let its name be known
Thereby becoming the model to emulate
Aotearoa.

*Aotearoa = lit. Land of the Long White Cloud. New Zealand.
**Pakeha = Whitey.

[Baby-K]

ANC = African National Congress (Nelson Mandela & Walter Sisulu were two of the founding members of the ANC Youth League. They both spent time in Robben Island maximum security prison for treason, sabotage & terrorism, but as you probably know Nelson Mandela became president of the 'New' SA after his release from prison in 1994). The ANC is still the governing party in SA today (they have a majority seat in parliament & have a coalition with the NNP [New National Party], who ironically has the grandson of one of the old Apartheid stalwarths at it's head).

This is the original anthem of SA (prior to 1994), which, along with the old flag (Oranje Blanje Blou) was seen by many as a representation / symbol of the apartheid regime. It was in fact written by CJ Langenhoven as a prayer / blessing & was adopted as the national anthem in 1961 when SA became a republic. Before becoming a republic the 4 provinces governed themselves as souvereign states in the SA Union & each had their own anthem (I only know the Transvaal & Orange Freestate anthems, they are still in Dutch as the boers spoke Dutch & composed their own anthems in rebellion against the oppression of the English. You will note the similarities between this & the reason for the existence of Nkosi Sikele' iAfrika - ironic that the boers / Afrikaners later became the opressors).

DIE STEM
Uit die blou van onse hemel, uit die diepte van ons see,
Oor ons ewige gebergtes waar die kranse antwoord gee.
Deur ons ver-verlate vlaktes met die kreun van ossewa -
Ruis die stem van ons geliefde, van ons land Suid-Afrika.

Ons sal antwoord op jou roepstem, ons sal offer wat jy vra:
Ons sal lewe, ons sal sterwe - ons vir jou, Suid-Afrika

In die merg van ons gebeente, in ons hart en siel en gees,
In ons roem op ons verlede, in ons hoop of wat sal wees,
In ons wil en werk en wandel, van ons wieg tot aan ons graf -
Deel geen ander land ons liefde, trek geen ander trou ons af.

Vaderland! ons sal die adel van jou naam met ere dra:
Waar en trou as Afrikaners - kinders van Suid-Afrika.

In die songloed van ons somer, in ons winternag se kou,
In die lente van ons liefde, in die lanfer van ons rou,
By die klink van huweliksklokkies, by die kluitklap op die kis -
Streel jou stem ons nooit verniet nie, weet jy waar jou kinders is.

Op jou roep sê ons nooit nee nie, sê ons altyd, altyd ja:
Om te lewe, om te sterwe - ja, ons kom Suid-Afrika.

Op U Almag vas vertrouend het ons vadere gebou:
Skenk ook ons die krag, o Here! om te handhaaf en te hou -
Dat die erwe van ons vad're vir ons kinders erwe bly:
Knegte van die Allerhoogste, teen die hele wêreld vry.

Soos ons vadere vertrou het, leer ook ons vertrou, o Heer -
Met ons land en met ons nasie sal dit wel wees, God regeer.

THE CALL OF SOUTH AFRICA
Ringing out from our blue heavens, from our deep seas breaking round;
Over everlasting mountains where the echoing crags resound;
From our plains where creaking wagons cut their trails into the earth -
Calls the spirit of our Country, of the land that gave us birth.

At thy call we shall not falter, firm and steadfast we shall stand,
At thy will to live or perish, O South Africa, dear land.

In our body and our spirit, in our inmost heart held fast;
in the promise of our future and the glory of our past;
In our will, our work, our striving, from the cradle to the grave -
There's no land that shares our loving, and no bond that can enslave.

Thou hast borne us and we know thee. May our deeds to all proclaim
Our enduring love and service to thy honour and thy name.

In the golden warmth of summer, in the chill of winter's air,
in the surging life of springtime, in the autumn of despair;
When the wedding bells are chiming or when those we love do depart;
Thou dost know us for thy children and dost take us to thy heart.

Loudly peals the answering chorus; We are thine, and we shall stand,
Be it life or death, to answer to thy call, beloved land.

In thy power, Almighty, trusting, did our fathers build of old;
Strengthen then, O Lord, their children to defend, to love, to hold -
That the heritage they gave us for our children yet may be;
Bondsmen only of the Highest and before the whole world free.

As our fathers trusted humbly, teach us, Lord, to trust Thee still;
Guard our land and guide our people in Thy way to do Thy will.

[cassiopeia]

Wow, do you know this information and lyrics, or did you look it up?
I had to sing the Australian National Anthem every Monday morning for school assembley while I was at primary school. Ok, it's been years, but I'll try to remember:

Advance Australia Fair

Australians all let us rejoice
for we are young and free
With golden soil and wealth for toil
our home is girt by sea

Our land abounds in nature's gifts
of beauty rich and rare
In history's page let every stage
Advance Australia fair

In joyfuls strains let us sing
Advance Australia Fair

That's straight from memory; I hope it's correct. There's another verse, but I have no idea what it is. I don't know much about the history, though I think we used to sing God Save the Queen as well.

[Baby-K]

Wow, do you know this information and lyrics, or did you look it up?

I had to look up some of the history of Nkosi Sikele' iAfrika & the different versions (my spelling is atrocious when it comes to the African languages). The rest I knew - it's part of our recent past, besides, I find history, especially my own country's fascinating

I don't know if God save the Queen / King was ever sung as our anthem, maybe prior to the Anglo Boer wars, but after the boers trekked across the Drakensberg to free themselves of the English opression they pretty much sang their own tunes. There are many traditional Afrikaner songs that mark the 'passage to freedom' - most of which were composed during the wars & lament the fate of the soldiers.

Sheeana - I forgot to say, re the Haka mentioned in your post - in SA we have a 'anthem' called Shozaloza, which we also mostly sing at sports - if I can find the lyrics I'll post it (as far as I can remember it was composed by the migrant workers from Rhodesia / Zimbabwe who came to SA to work on the goldmines. It was a workers song that told the story of how much they missed their country - it served to bring the workers closer together & inspire them to work harder & do their best - , I would assume that is the reason why it was adopted by the entire nation as a sports anthem / chant. It's a typically South African song with a very poignant melody - any South African will recognise it anywhere in the world & it is usually accompanied by gumboot dancing.)

[Artanis]

The Norwegian National Anthem:

Ja, vi elsker dette landet
som det stiger frem
furet, værbitt, over vannet,
med de tusen hjem.
Elsker, elsker det og tenker
på vår far og mor
og den saganatt som senker
drømmer på vår jord.
og den saganatt som senker,
senker drømmer på vår jord.

Norske mann I hus og hytte,
takk din store Gud!
Landet ville han beskytte
skjønt det mørkt så ut.
Alt hva fedrene har kjempet,
mødrene har grett,
har den Herre stille lempet,
så vi vant vår rett.
har den Herre stille lempet,
så vi vant, vi vant vår rett.

Ja, vi elsker dette landet,
som det stiger frem,
furet, værbitt, over vannet,
med de tusen hjem.
og som fedres kamp har hevet
det av nød til seir,
også vi, nar det blir krevet,
for dets fred slår leir,
også vi, nar det blir krevet,
for dets fred, dets fred slår leir!

Lyrics by Bjørnstierne Bjørnson, 1859.
Music by Rikard Nordraak, 1863.
This has been our one and only National Anthem since 1864.

English translation:
Yes, we love with fond devotion
This our land that looms
Rugged, storm-scared o'er the ocean,
With her thousand homes.
Love her, in our love recalling
Those who gave us birth.
And old tales which night, in falling
Bring as dreams to earth.
And old tales which night, in falling
Bring as dreams, as dreams to earth.

Norse man, whatsoe'er thy station,
Thank thy God, Whose power
Willed and wrought the land's salvation
In her darkest hour.
All our mothers sought with weeping
And our sires in fight,
God has fashioned, in His keeping
Till we gained our right.
God has fashioned, in His keeping
Till we gained, we gained our right.

Yes, we love with fond devotion
This our land that looms
Rugged, storm-scared o'er the ocean,
With her thousand homes.
And, as warrior sires have made her
Wealth and fame increase,
At the call we too will aid her,
Armed to guard her peace.
At the call we too will aid her,
Armed to guard, to guard her peace.

I think you'll be able to hear the music here

[IronParrot]

Canada's national anthem (original)

O Canada, terre de nos aieux,
Ton front est ceint de fleurons glorieux.
Car ton bras sait porter l'épée,
Il sait porter la croix.
Ton histoire est une épopée
Des plus brillants exploits.
Et ta valeur, de foi trempée,
Protégera nos foyers et nos droits.
Protégera nos foyers et nos droits.

Canada's national anthem (English)

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
Our True North strong and free!
From far and wide, O Canada!
We stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

(This is actually abbreviated from the complete poem/song, but that's the part that's usually sung.)

Canada's unofficial national anthem

Da dum da da da DAAAAAAA
Da dum da da da DA-DAAAAAA!
Da da da dum, da-da-da
Dum, da-da-da DAAAAAA!

[Jonathan]

The Swedish National Anthem:

Du gamla, Du fria, Du fjällhöga nord,
Du tysta, Du glädjerika sköna!
Jag hälsar Dig, vänaste land uppå jord,
/: Din sol, Din himmel, Dina ängder gröna :/

Du tronar på minnen från fornstora dar,
då ärat Ditt namn flög över jorden.
Jag vet att Du är och Du blir vad Du var.
/: Ja, jag vill leva, jag vill dö i Norden :/

Jag städs vill dig tjäna mitt älskade land,
Din trohet till döden vill jag svära.
Din rätt, skall jag värna med håg och med hand,
/: Din fana, högt den bragderika bära :/

Med Gud skall jag kämpa, för hem och för härd,
för Sverige, den kära fosterjorden.
Jag byter Dig ej, mot allt i en värld.
/: Nej, jag vill leva, jag vill dö i Norden :/

Lyrics by Richard Dybeck, 1844.
The composer of the anthem is unknown.
This has been our National Anthem since 1866.

English translation:

Ye old, Ye free, Ye mountain high north,
Ye silent, Ye delightful beauty!
I thee salute, kindest country upon earth,
/: Your sun, Your sky, and Your meadows green :/

Ye be enthroned upon memories from grand and ancient days,
when in glory Your named soared over the eath.
I know that You are and You will be what You were.
/: Yes I want to live, I want to die in the North :/

I always want to serve Thee my beloved country,
Your allegience unto death I want to swear.
Your right, I shall protect with mind and with hand,
/: Your banner, high full of exploit carry :/

With God I shall fight, for home and for hearth,
for Sweden, beloved native soil.
I will Thee not trade for anything on earth.
/: No I want to live, I want to die in the North :/

Listen to the Swedish National Anthem here.

[Arien the Maia]

The United States' National anthem:
(only the first verse is usually sung)

The Star Spangled Banner

Oh, say can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, now conceals, now discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines on the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! O long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wiped out their foul footstep's pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heaven-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

[sun-star]

The National Anthem of the UK (the politically incorrect version):

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 the Queen

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.

Listen to it here This site has a lot of national anthems and their music.

According the Downing Street website:
'God Save The King' became known as the National Anthem from the beginning of the nineteenth century. The words and tune are anonymous, and may date back to the seventeenth century. The song was first publicly performed in London in 1745.

In September 1745 the 'Young Pretender' to the British Throne, Prince Charles Edward Stuart, defeated the army of King George II at Prestonpans, near Edinburgh. After news of the victory had reached London, the leader of the band at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, arranged 'God Save The King' to be played after the performance. It was a tremendous success and was repeated nightly thereafter.

This practice soon spread to other theatres, and the custom of greeting the Monarch with the song as he or she entered a place of public entertainment was established.

[jerseydevil]

Star Spangled Banner

Everyone pretty much seems to know ours - but they don't know what it means or where it came from though. It was written on Semptember 14 1884 by Francis Scott Key and is inspired by the attack by the British against Fort McHenry in Baltimore. He went to discuss the release of a prisoner of war they were holding and held him aboard their ship while they bombarded Ft McHenry troughout the night. When dawn appeared - the Star Spangled, as it is now known and can be seen at the Smithsonian - was standing and proudly waving. Ft McHenry had not surrendered to the British.

It is NOT a war song as many people erroneously think, except for the last stanza. It is a song that we are strong and that no matter what befalls us - our flag and our country will always be standing proud and tall. We as Americans will be standing tall and proud and will never surrender. It had a lot of meaning during 9/11 - even though some people seem to think we should change it to America the Beautiful.

Oh, say can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?


On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines on the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! O long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wiped out their foul footstep's pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heaven-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Star Spangled Banner
Sheet Music and Words

After the American Revolution ended in victory at Yorktown in 1781, a second war with Great Britain broke out in 1812 over impressment, trade issues, and territorial expansion. The United States won early victories in the Atlantic and on Lake Erie, but by 1814 the British blockade of the American coast kept American merchant vessels and warships confined in their home ports.

With the defeat of the French emperor Napoleon's armies in Europe, Great Britain turned its full attention to ending U.S. forays into Canada. Admiral Alexander Cochrane, a British naval commander, was ordered to attack U.S. coastal areas, and Gen. Robert Ross prepared to capture towns along the East Coast to create diversions while British army forces attacked along the northern boundaries of the United States.

Ross and Cochrane knew that an attack on Washington, D.C., would deal a severe blow to American pride. Late in the summer of 1814, British soldiers and sailors landed at Benedict, Maryland. They marched towards Washington, defeated an American force at the Battle of Bladensburg, and occupied the nation's capital on August 24.

The British invaders burned the President's House and other public buildings before marching back to their ships. During their departure they arrested Dr. William Beanes of Upper Marlboro, said to be responsible for the arrest of British stragglers and deserters during the campaign, and imprisoned him on a British warship in the Chesapeake Bay near the mouth of the Potomac.

Friends of Dr. Beanes asked Francis Scott Key, a Georgetown lawyer, and John S. Skinner of Baltimore to go to the British commander and secure the release of the physician. They agreed to try. Reaching the British squadron on Sept. 7, they conferred with General Ross, who promised to release Dr. Beanes. The attack on Baltimore was about to begin. more....

[Radagast The Brown]

The National Anthem of Israel: (it's pretty short, but the original song was longer....) by Naftaly Hertz Imbar.

Kol od ba'levav penima
Nefesh yehudi homia
Wu'lfa'atey mizrach kadima
Ain le'zion tzofia

Od lo avda tikvateinu
Hatikva bat shnot alpaim
Lihiot am chofshi be'artzenu
Eretz Zion vi'Yerushalaim



The music is classic - I can't remember by who, but he wasn't Israeli or jew.

kol = the whole, all. od = more, yet, still, again or also. balevav = in a heart; in the heart. Penima = inside. I don't know what all the esentence mean.
Nefesh = soul. yehudi = jewish. homia = ..... I don't know. It wasn't in a dictionary. Probably because it's in present. I guessed it's Homa - make noise, bustling.
Wu'lfa'atey = and outskirts. mizrach = east. (it's more like 'in the east'. In hebrew, you can say 'a man walked in the park' and 'in the park a man walked' and walked the man in the park') kadima - forwards, ahead.
Ain - eye. Lezion = to zion. Zion is Jerusalem, or Israel. Tzofia = see, literary.

Od lo avda tikvateinu = there is still hope.
Hatikva bat shnot alpaim = 2000 years old hope
Lehiot am chofshi be'artzeinu = to be a free nation in our land
Eretz zion vi'Yerushalaim = the land of Zion and Jerusalem.

[Earniel]

Wow, most of those anthems are actually quite pretty and poetic! (At least they are so textwise, I haven't listened to any of them yet) I particulary like this part:

Uit die blou van onse hemel,
Uit die diepte van ons see,
Oor ons ewige gebergtes,
Waar die kranse antwoord gee,
Sounds the call to come together,
And united we shall stand,
Let us live and strive for freedom,
In South Africa our land.

I suppose the fact that South African sounds a lot like Dutch has something to do with it.

[durin's bane]

Originally posted by IronParrot:
Canada's unofficial national anthem

Da dum da da da DAAAAAAA
Da dum da da da DA-DAAAAAA!
Da da da dum, da-da-da
Dum, da-da-da DAAAAAA!

*salutes*

[markedel]

Props to the HNC theme IP.

I find the Israeli anthem more inspiring than the Canadian-better music I suppose, especially when you get the army band going on in the background.

[Hasty Ent]

I was born in the US, but my parents were Ukrainians, and I consider myself Ukrainian as well.

In 1992 the Ukrainian Parliament chose as the national anthem music composed in 1863 by Mykhailo Verbytsky, a western Ukrainian composer and Catholic priest. Verbytsky originally wrote the score as a solo song and later for orchestra to accompany a patriotic poem written in 1862 by Pavlo Chubynsky, a prominent ethnographer in the Kyiv region. In his poem Shche Ne Vmerla Ukrayina (which means "Ukraine is not yet dead"), Chubynsky expressed the mixture of hope and desperation felt by Ukrainians over their continuous struggle to rule their own land. In 1917 it became the anthem of the short-lived Ukrainian National Republic, but during the Soviet era it was replaced.

Over time there were various changes and additions to Chubynsky's original words, resulting in several slightly differing versions of the Hymn to Ukraine. Following independence in 1991, many Ukrainians were dissatisfied with the pessimistic tone, so the Ukrainian government made the Verbytsky score official but hesitated to approve Chubynsky's lyrics. A commission sponsored contests for replacement lyrics, but none were decided on. Agreement finally came in 2003, when the Parliament passed and the President signed an act recognizing a slight change to the version of Chubynsky's lyrics that were usually sung. Only the first stanza and the refrain (which is sung twice) were approved in President Kuchma's official proclamation.


Ukrainian National Anthem (Transliteration from the Cyrillic)
Shche ne vmerla Ukraina, i slava, i vola,
Shche nam brattia molodii Usmikhnet dola:
Zkhynut'nashi vorozhen'ky, Yak rossa na sonci,
Zapanuyem i my, brattia, U svoii storonci.

(Chorus, repeated twice)
Dushu, tilo my polozhym
Za nashu svobodu
I pokazhem, shcho my, brattia,
Kozackoho rodu.


English translation:
Ukraine's glory hasn't perished, nor her freedom
Upon us, fellow compatriots, fate shall smile once more.
Our enemies will vanish, like dew in the morning sun,
And we too shall rule, brothers, in a free land of our own.

(Chorus, repeated twice)
We'll lay down our souls and bodies to attain our freedom,
And we'll show that we, brothers, are of the Kozak nation.

....translated by Ihor W. Slabicky (Copyright 2003 by Ihor Slabicky)

[gimli7410]

Originally posted by IronParrot
[B]Canada's national anthem (original)

O Canada, terre de nos aieux,
Ton front est ceint de fleurons glorieux.
Car ton bras sait porter l'épée,
Il sait porter la croix.
Ton histoire est une épopée
Des plus brillants exploits.
Et ta valeur, de foi trempée,
Protégera nos foyers et nos droits.
Protégera nos foyers et nos droits.

Canada's national anthem (English)

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
Our True North strong and free!
From far and wide, O Canada!
We stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

(This is actually abbreviated from the complete poem/song, but that's the part that's usually sung.)

Canada's unofficial national anthem

Da dum da da da DAAAAAAA
Da dum da da da DA-DAAAAAA!
Da da da dum, da-da-da
Dum, da-da-da DAAAAAA!

*puts hand on chest*

BTW anyone know the australian national anthem. i have heard it before and i thought it was interesting

[cassiopeia]

Originally posted by gimli7410
BTW anyone know the australian national anthem. i have heard it before and i thought it was interesting

Check my post above! I found the lyrics; I think I got the first verse right. This is the first and second verses:

Advance Australia Fair:

Australians all let us rejoice
For we are young and free
We've golden soil and wealth for toil,
Our home is girt by sea:
Our land abounds in nature's gifts
Of beauty rich and rare,
In history's page let every stage
Advance Australia fair,
In joyful strains then let us sing
Advance Australia fair.

Beneath our radiant Southern Cross,
We'll toil with hearts and hands,
To make this Commonwealth of ours
Renowned of all the lands,
For those who've come across the seas
We've boundless plains to share,
With courage let us all combine
To advance Australia fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing,
Advance Australia fair.

Wow, I just found out that it was proclaimed Australia's national anthem by the Governer-general in 1984. I thought it was older than that. And I'm very proud it doesn't mention God in the lyrics. It was a choice of Advance Australia Fair, God Save the Queen and Waltzing Matilda. Well, Waltzing Matilda is about a guy who takes a sheep and then commits suicide. Great national anthem. I think we chose the right one.

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by cassiopeia
It was a choice of Advance Australia Fair, God Save the Queen and Waltzing Matilda. Well, Waltzing Matilda is about a guy who takes a sheep and then commits suicide. Great national anthem. I think we chose the right one.

Okay - why would you even consider a song about a guy who takes a sheep and then commits suicide as a national anthem? And what does that have to do with Australia?

I love our national anthem because it's powerful. It's really great with fireworks and everything - "The rockets red glare..."