Dievs, svētī Latviju!

Dievs, svētī Latviju!
English: God Bless Latvia
National Anthem of Flag of Latvia.svg Latvia
Lyrics Kārlis Baumanis, 1873
Music Kārlis Baumanis, 1873
Adopted 1920

Dievs, svētī Latviju! (God Bless Latvia) is the national anthem of Latvia. Words and music by Kārlis Baumanis (Baumaņu Kārlis, 1834-1904).

Contents

Music and Lyrics

Music and Lyrics were written in 1873 by Kārlis Baumanis, a teacher, who particpiated in Young Latvian nationalist movement.[1] It is speculated that Baumanis borrowed and modified part of lyrics from popular song, which was sung in tune of God Save the Queen, and composed his own music for the song. Baumanis lyrics were different from modern lyrics - he used term "Baltics" synonymously and interchangeably with "Latvia" and "Latvians", thus "Latvia" was actually mentioned only in the beginning of the first verse. Later the term "Latvia" was abolished and replaced by "Baltics" to avoid ban of the song by Censorship, this had led to belief that term "Latvia" first appeared only in 1920 when national anthem was chosen and "Baltics" were in turn replaced with "Latvia" in the official lyrics.[2][3]

Official lyrics[4] English translation
Dievs, svētī Latviju,
Mūs' dārgo tēviju,
Svētī jel Latviju,
Ak, svētī jel to!

Kur latvju meitas zied,
Kur latvju dēli dzied,
Laid mums tur laimē diet,
Mūs' Latvijā!
God, bless Latvia,
Our dearest fatherland,
Do bless Latvia,
Oh, do bless it!

Where Latvian daughters bloom,
Where Latvian sons sing,
Let us dance in happiness there,
In our Latvia!

Recordings

See also

References

  1. "Darba apraksts" (in Latvian). LIIS mūzikas lapas. Latvijas Izglītības informatizācijas sistēma. Retrieved on 2007-05-27.
  2. Dr. art. Arnolds Klotiņš (1998-13-11). "Latvijas svētās skaņas (Part I)" (in Latvian). Latvijas Vēstnesis. Retrieved on 2007-07-28.
  3. Dr. art. Arnolds Klotiņš (1998-17-11). "Latvijas svētās skaņas (Part II)" (in Latvian). Latvijas Vēstnesis. Retrieved on 2007-07-28.
  4. "Par Latvijas valsts himnu" (in Latvian). Latvijas Vēstnesis (1998-03-05). Retrieved on 2007-05-27.

External links