2008/01/16 New York
Democracy and peace
Let us all sing together
The world is full of surprises. I never knew that Spain had a national anthem without words.
To me an anthem without can be as good as an anthem with words, as long as the music is decent. But I understand people who long for text.
So Spain organized a context to write the text for the national anthem. The winner is a 52-year old man, unemployed, who wrote, in an translation by the NY Times:
“Long live Spain!
Let us all sing together
With different voices
And a single heart.
Long live Spain!
From the green valleys
To the vast sea,
A hymn of brotherhood.
Love the Fatherland
As it knows how to embrace,
Beneath its blue sky
Peoples in freedom.
Glory to the children
Who give to history
Justice and greatness,
Democracy and peace.”
This might not be a very good poem, but for an anthem it’s decent enough.
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29 comments 
New text for anthem
Maybe The Netherlands can organize a contest for a new text of our anthem. Then we can get rid of the king of Spain thing and the German blood. We use Spain mostly for holidays and the project to incorporate the German blood was rejected by most people some decades ago.Yes, Spain is well known for it’s green valleys.
Nationalism can be cute.
Richard, there is a contest in NL , i´m not sure if you would be satisfied with the number 1: song by Frans Bauer ...
well, check this out, than you will know it :
http://www.wijzijndebaas.nl/eturn/lib/liederen/index.php
well, check this out, than you will know it :
http://www.wijzijndebaas.nl/eturn/lib/liederen/index.php
New dutch athem
How about the following text for a new dutch anthem?:“Long live The Netherlands!
Let us all sing together
With different voices
And a single heart.
Long live The Netherlands!
From the green valleys
To the vast sea,
A hymn of brotherhood.
Love the Fatherland
As it knows how to embrace,
Beneath its blue sky
Peoples in freedom.
Glory to the children
Who give to history
Justice and greatness,
Democracy and peace.”
If I try hard I might be able to find a fitting text for anthems for some other countries too...
Ron
Don't you need to have mountains in order to have the valleys?!@Ron Lander
Excellent idea. Maybe we can propose the same anthem for all countries and start within Europe introducing kind of Euro-Anthem.
Excellent idea. Maybe we can propose the same anthem for all countries and start within Europe introducing kind of Euro-Anthem.
@Neria
True. But "valleys" seemed synonymous enough with "Netherlands" to leave it as it was. The appropriateness of "blue sky" is also disputable. Of course for countries like Austria the "seas" are a much bigger problem in the text and more fundamental adjustements would be necessary.@Neria,
There are mountains in Dutchland or Holland, see
http://www.muzikum.eu/artist.php?artist_id=893&mode=lyric&lyric_id=13140
There are mountains in Dutchland or Holland, see
http://www.muzikum.eu/artist.php?artist_id=893&mode=lyric&lyric_id=13140
Ron and Jan
;) !Margot
The more i think about it, unless it was said sarcastically, i can't see how nationalism can be cute.@ Neria
I come from a family with a nationalist background. I can assure you that the best way to deal with that kind of upbringing is to regard it in distant , humoristic approach. In that regard consider nationalism as cute, otherwise you might find yourself consumed by it.Neria
You should know me better by now.I'm trying to be silent aswell. It's hard.
Margot
You're right, but you overestimate me. It really takes me a long time before i learn each and everyone's sense of humor (and apart from my mother and best girlfriend, almost nobody laughs at my jokes...).Give me time :)
Mieke
i now think that nationalism is a taboo in my family. We don't discuss it at all, for the sake of some true dear sense of love.Margot
It's hard indeed, it feels like someone is holding me from talking with my friends. The worse is that i feel a parasite cause this is of course not my blog. i don't think i'm ready to start my own blog (where i'll be free to write as much as i want). What about you? (if you'll need me i'll do my best to share the burden).Vaals
There are some valleys in the Netherlands, not far from the village of Vaals -- an interesting region.The problem for landlocked countries can be easily solved. Just change the word “sea” into “lake” or “stream.”
Neria
How about we try to be silent together for about two days?I envy you because of all the free time you have. If I had all this free time I would invest it in a novel. PS. men tend to value women more when they are gone.
Let him miss you for a while.
This is theatrical nationalism. And it is misplaced.
Catalunya triomfant,
tornarà a ser rica i plena.
Endarrera aquesta gent
tan ufana i tan superba.
Catalunya triomfant,
tornarà a ser rica i plena.
Endarrera aquesta gent
tan ufana i tan superba.
as for the basks
Gora ta Gora Euskadiaintza ta aintza
bere goiko Jaun Onari.
Dear Margot,
i spent 11 hours at work today. The job i do is so horrifying (i can't give details cause i need to eat) but this is absolutely not alot of free time. These are my sanity moments.As to men, never in my life did i manipulate them (consciously). i do not diet and i do not manipulate men. If i try to i get more obssessed with both than i initially wanted to. i'm more free when i eat and talk as much as i want. In this blog there are more than one person and the feelings and thoughts of many here intrigue me. With my ex though, you're absolutely right. i never managed to hide my need in him and in return, i suspect, he never loved me. But i love myself the way i am. i'm more important.
Ok, ik zal met je zwijgen. But only because i'm a Homo ludens and you're my playmate :)
And... the Alliances of Civilizations
Spain also hosted the first meeting of the Alliances of Civilizations yesterday. Its goal is "to reduce tensions between the western world and islamic countries" and "dialogue and exchange should support mutual understanding". Feel there is a link here, with Spain rising as new missionary of Universal Brotherhood .I did feel embarrased by reading about it first. But reflecting a bit on it, I must say they seem to be among the few in the world responding to violence (Madrid bombs) the way they did: offering forgiveness and dialogue instead. Think I only saw Mandela and Gusmao doing the same. Wonder if it works, but it is at least refreshing. Or just very embarrassing...why don't we succeed in making the love-and-peace message as sexy as the fight-and-war one...s i g h
@ Neria
How can I contact you?@Zirilla
Thanks for pointing me to that site. My idea is already put into practice. I didn' t read all texts but the names and pictures makes me think it's better to keep the old text.I like Spain for holidays and Germany is my favourite country .
Monica, Johannes? (and Margot)
Ususally i'm not a paranoid, but after having in my past a hacker for a boyfriend (i didn't know it in advance) i prefer not to show my email in public forums. i promise to email you if you are less paranoid and willing to leave here your email address (or, if Johannes would not be annoyed from emailing you my email - i'll owe you one, Johannes).Margot , i hope this is not considered as breaking the silence (i'll count 48 full hours starting from now...(i'm looking for the Greek name of a play where the women influenced politics by forcing no-sex-diet).
Neria/Monica
No problem.Sometimes I wonder if this blog only contains freaks or that humanity only contains freaks. Either way: Hooray!
The problem for landlocked countries can be easily solved. Just change the word “sea” into “lake” or “stream.”
Then you can be consequent and change the word "Train" in "Metro" and "Prime Minister" in "'Mayor". -pick up Greater Peking and place it on the NL and nothing is left. Btw India has as many blind people as inhabitants of Finland.
Then you can be consequent and change the word "Train" in "Metro" and "Prime Minister" in "'Mayor". -pick up Greater Peking and place it on the NL and nothing is left. Btw India has as many blind people as inhabitants of Finland.
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