Today, my country is in mourning. I was going to just post the wonderful cartoon by New Zealand cartoonist Shaun Yeo, but then I listened to this wonderful video version of our national anthem and decided to add that, too.
The first verse is sung twice, in Maori and then in English. Watch for the words “Men of every creed and race gather here”. [Yes, I know, but it was written in the 19th century]
I remembered writing about our anthem years ago on another blog, so I went to look up the post, and here it is. Still relevant today, I think. Guard us from envy and hate. Good words.
I’ve often thought how peaceable our national anthem is – so many other anthems are military in origin and martial in flavour. But yesterday for the first time these words struck me: ‘from dissension, envy, hate and corruption guard our state’. How many other countries pray for freedom from corruption every time they sing their national anthem?
I looked it up this evening – there are websites that have collected over 400 national anthems from all over the world. It was intriguing.
Only a small percentage are prayers/hymns; most of those ask God to save or bless the country/the monarch, many ask Him for victory over enemies… “Send her victorious,” “God who made thee mighty, make thee mightier yet.” The national anthem of the Isle of Man celebrates the gifts of God, and in particular the seas that keep the Isle of Man safe.
The Japanese national anthem is a tanka: a five line, 31 syllable poem: “May the reign of the Emperor continue for a thousand, nay, eight thousand generations and for the eternity that it takes for small pebbles to grow into a great rock and become covered with moss.”
Some of the words of national anthems have been left behind by time. Perhaps the US Americans don’t sing anymore the verse that includes the words: “Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps’ pollution. No refuge could save the hireling and slave, From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave.” Australia has officially dropped the verses that refer to Mother Britain. Stirring though the music is – the words of Flower of Scotland don’t seem to me particularly encouraging: “when will we see your like again?” Ireland’s national anthem also recalls past battles: “In Erin’s cause, come woe or weal, ‘Mid cannons’ roar and rifles peal.”
As far as my researches reveal, a prayer for protection from corruption is unique among national anthems. Not a bad thing among nations, though! (Posted as Joyful Papist, April 2010)