It is Waitangi Weekend in New Zealand — the day we commemorate the treaty on which our nation is founded. New Zealand is a country with three languages: English, Maori and New Zealand sign. It is also a multicultural land, with many threads interwoven to form a rich tapestry of life in the South Pacific. Waitangi Weekend reminds us that, in a sense, it has only two peoples: tangata whenua (the people of the land, who were here before the whalers, the sealers, the missionaries and the settlers) and tangata tiriti (all the rest of us, who are here by right of the Treaty of Waitangi, a treaty signed between a representative of Queen Victoria and the Maori chiefs of New Zealand 181 years ago). As our national anthem, God defend New Zealand, says: “Men of every creed and race gathered here before Thy Face”.
At Mass today, we sang the national anthem – it is, after all, a hymn. We sang the first verse in Maori, and then in English.
I’ve often thought how peaceable our national anthem is – so many other anthems are military in origin and martial in flavour. Every time I hear it, these words strike 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, suggesting, as they do, that Scots are no longer as brave or as powerful: “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. Today, in the light of the events of 2020, I was particularly struck by the line in the first verse that asks “Make her praises heard afar.” Well, that happens.
As well as some amazing images of my lovely country, the video above has all the verses of God Defend New Zealand, including this one – we may be peaceful, but we’re not pushovers:
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.