{"id":5475,"date":"2012-06-05T11:58:43","date_gmt":"2012-06-05T11:58:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/swedish\/?p=5475"},"modified":"2012-06-05T11:58:43","modified_gmt":"2012-06-05T11:58:43","slug":"du-gamla-du-fria-swedens-national-anthem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/swedish\/du-gamla-du-fria-swedens-national-anthem\/","title":{"rendered":"Du gamla du fria – Sweden’s national anthem"},"content":{"rendered":"

So – are you all geared up for a big Swedish celebration tomorrow?\u00a0 Sweden is preparing for the national day (Marcus gave us all the details here<\/a>!) and apart from a day off work for everyone, there will be celebrations held all over the county – and outside! Flags will be waved, speeches will be held…and of course, our national anthem will be sung across the country.\u00a0 With the Eurovision success fresh in mind and Euro 2012 and the Olympics waiting around the corner, this might be a good time to brush up on your “Du gamla, Du fria”<\/strong>-knowledge! Confident, me? You bet, this is Sweden’s year! Euphoria!<\/p>\n

Anyway. Some facts for you:<\/p>\n

The text of the Swedish National Anthem, “Du gamla, Du fria”<\/strong> was written by folklorist and ballad writer Richard Dybeck (1811-77) and set to a folk tune from the province of V\u00e4stmanland in the middle of the 19th century.\u00a0 The song was\u00a0 originally named “S\u00e5ng till Norden<\/strong>” (“Song to the North”) and in 1938, the Swedish public service radio started playing it at the end of transmitting in the evenings. This actually gave the song its status as a national anthem and we have sung it ever since.\u00a0 But \u201cDu gamla, du fria\u201d is not Sweden\u2019s official national anthem. We sing it purely because of tradition and if we all of a sudden felt like changing it,\u00a0 I suppose we could.<\/p>\n

I’m quite happy with it, though. I think it’s a strong and powerful anthem, not to difficult to sing and although the lyrics aren’t completely straight forward, it sounds grand…and Swedish!<\/p>\n

What do you make of it?<\/p>\n

Du gamla, du fria, du fj\u00e4llh\u00f6ga Nord,
\ndu tysta, du gl\u00e4djerika sk\u00f6na!
\nJag h\u00e4lsar dig, v\u00e4naste land upp\u00e5 jord,
\ndin sol, din himmel, dina \u00e4ngder gr\u00f6na,
\ndin sol, din himmel, dina \u00e4ngder gr\u00f6na.<\/p>\n

Du tronar p\u00e5 minnen fr\u00e5n fornstora dar,
\nd\u00e5 \u00e4rat ditt namn fl\u00f6g \u00f6ver jorden.
\nJag vet, att du \u00e4r och du blir vad du var.
\nJa, jag vill leva, jag vill d\u00f6 i Norden!
\nJa, jag vill leva, jag vill d\u00f6 i Norden!<\/p>\n

Translation. Hrm, not completely straight forward, right?<\/p>\n

Thou ancient, thou freeborn, thou mountainous North,
\nIn beauty and peace our hearts beguiling,
\nI greet thee, thou loveliest land on the earth,
\nThy sun, thy skies, thy verdant meadows smiling.
\nThy sun, thy skies, thy verdant meadows smiling.<\/p>\n

Thy throne rests on mem\u2019ries from great days of yore,
\nWhen worldwide renown was valour\u2019s guerdon.
\nI know to thy name thou art true as before.
\nIn thee I’ll live, in thee I’ll die, thou North Land,
\nIn thee I’ll live, in thee I’ll die, thou North Land.<\/p>\n

This is a clip from Sweden’s national day two years ago, at Skansen in Stockholm. Can you spot the royals? As an addition, you get some lovely view of Stockholm as well!<\/p>\n