Finlandia Hymn
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For other uses, see Finlandia (disambiguation).
The Finlandia Hymn (in Finnish Finlandia-hymni) refers to a serene hymn-like section of the patriotic symphonic poem Finlandia, written in 1899 and 1900 by the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. It was later re-worked by the composer into a stand-alone piece
With words written in 1941 by Veikko Antero Koskenniemi, the Finlandia Hymn is one of the most important national songs of Finland (though Maamme is generally considered the national anthem).
Other words commonly sung to the same melody include Be Still, My Soul (a Christian hymn), Gweddi dros Gymru or A Prayer for Wales (a national song of Wales), Ambrosian Oaks (alma mater of St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa), and Land of the Rising Sun (national anthem of the short-lived African state of Biafra).
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[edit] Finnish national song
After the success of the full-length symphonic poem (most of which consists of rousing and turbulent passages, evoking the national struggle of the Finnish people), Sibelius published a stand-alone version of the hymn as the last of twelve numbers in his Masonic Ritual Music, Op. 113, with a text by opera singer Wäinö Sola. The version usually heard today has lyrics written by Veikko Antero Koskenniemi and was first performed in 1941. Sibelius himself arranged the hymn for choral performances.
The de facto national anthem of Finland is Maamme (Our Land), but it has never been officially recognised. There have been numerous suggestions that the Finlandia Hymn should become the national anthem. However, Maamme is already so widely recognised and used that it would be difficult to dislodge it. Furthermore, the Finlandia Hymn requires a lot more musical skill to sing properly.
[edit] Lyrics
- Oi, Suomi, katso, sinun päiväs' koittaa,
- Yön uhka karkoitettu on jo pois,
- Ja aamun kiuru kirkkaudessa soittaa,
- Kuin itse taivahan kansi sois'.
- Yön vallat aamun valkeus jo voittaa,
- Sun päiväs' koittaa, oi synnyinmaa.
- Oi, nouse, Suomi, nosta korkealle,
- Pääs' seppelöimä suurten muistojen.
- Oi, nouse, Suomi, näytit maailmalle,
- Sa että karkoitit orjuuden,
- Ja ettet taipunut sa sorron alle,
- On aamus' alkanut, synnyinmaa.
A literal translation of the words would be:
- O, Finland, behold, thy day is dawning,
- The threat of the night has been banished already,
- And the lark of morning sings in the brightness,
- as though the very firmament would sing.
- The powers of the night are already being vanquished by the whiteness of morning,
- Thy day is dawning, o land of birth.
- O, rise, Finland, rise up high
- Thy head, wreathed with great memories.
- O, rise, Finland, thou showedst to the world
- That thou drovest away the slavery,
- And that thou didst not bend under oppression,
- Thy day is dawning, land of birth.
Lloyd Stone wrote an international version of the lyrics in 1934
- This is my song, Oh God of all the nations,
- A song of peace for lands afar and mine.
- This is my home, the country where my heart is;
- Here are my hopes, my dreams, my sacred shrine.
- But other hearts in other lands are beating,
- With hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.
- My country's skies are bluer than the ocean,
- And sunlight beams on cloverleaf and pine.
- But other lands have sunlight too and clover,
- And skies are everywhere as blue as mine.
- Oh hear my song, oh God of all the nations,
- A song of peace for their land and for mine.
Another verse by Josh Mitteldorf, for difficult times
- When nations rage, and fears erupt coercive,
- The drumbeats sound, invoking pious cause.
- My neighbors rise, their stalwart hearts they offer,
- The gavels drop, suspending rights and laws.
- While others wield their swords with blind devotion;
- For peace I'll stand, my true and steadfast cause.
A verse by Georgia Harkness
- May truth and freedom come to every nation;
- May peace abound where strife has raged so long;
- That each may seek to love and build together,
- A world united, righting every wrong;
- A world united in its love for freedom,
- Proclaiming peace together in one song.
[edit] Other songs
In Wales the hymn is sometimes considered the "second national anthem" and is sung to the words of Lewis Valentine's poem Gweddi dros Gymru ("A Prayer for Wales"). The Welsh version is best known by its opening words, Dros Gymru'n Gwlad ("For Cymru, my Country").
The tune was adopted by Biafra for its national anthem "Land of the Rising Sun" during its attempted secession from Nigeria.
The Christian hymn Be Still, My Soul, with words written in 1752 by Katharina von Schlegel, translated into English in 1855 by Jane Borthwick (both pre-dating Sibelius' composition), is usually sung to this tune.
- Be still, my soul, the Lord is on your side;
- Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
- Leave to your God to order and provide;
- In every change He, faithful, will remain.
- Be still, my soul, your best, your heavenly friend
- Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Another slightly different version is worded:
- Be still, my soul, the Lord is on my side,
- Bear patiently the cross of grief and pain.
- Leave to thy God to order and provide,
- In every change He, faithful, will remain.
- Be still, my soul, thy best, thy heavenly Father,
- Through stormy ways leads to a joyful end.
The Unitarian Universalists sing this version:
- We would be one as now we join in singing,
- Our hymn of love, to pledge ourselves anew.
- To that high cause of greater understanding
- Of who we are, and what in us is true.
- We would be one in living for each other,
- to show to all a new community.
Cedar Grace, set to the tune of Finlandia:
- The pleasant trees and silver, ripling waters,
- the flow'rs and clouds, the un-dimmed, sunlit sky
- and bread by thee, our gracious Father, given,
- We thankful take of thy so rich supply.
- And bread by thee, our gracious Father, given,
- We thankful take from thy so rich supply.
