Lofsöngur

"Template:Lang",Template:Efn also known by its incipit "Template:Lang",Template:Efn is the national anthem of Iceland. Sveinbjörn Sveinbjörnsson composed the music, while the lyrics were authored by Matthías Jochumsson. It was adopted as the national anthem in 1944, when the country declared independence by voting to end its "personal union" and become a republic.

History

The late 19th century saw music in Iceland develop and flourish. Though many of their initial composers had to study and apply their trade abroad due to insufficient opportunities on offer at home, they were able to bring what they had learned back to Iceland.<ref name=Rule>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name=Scotsman>Template:Cite news</ref> One of these musicians was Sveinbjörn Sveinbjörnsson, who was the first person from his homeland to pursue "an international career as a composer".<ref name=Rule/> He sojourned in Edinburgh during the early 1870s,<ref name=Scotsman/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and wrote the music for Lofsöngur inside a town house located in the city's New Town in 1874.<ref name=Scotsman/> By 1922, the song became so well known and loved throughout Iceland that, in recognition of this, the Althing endowed Sveinbjörnsson with a state pension.<ref name=Scotsman/> He was the first composer in the country to be conferred such an honour.<ref name=Rule/>

The lyrical portion of it was penned by Matthías Jochumsson, one of the "best loved poets" in the country<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> who was also a priest.<ref name=Silk>Template:Cite news</ref> Although the commemorative plaque in Edinburgh purports that both the music and lyrics were written there, it is nowadays believed that Jochumsson had in fact produced the latter back in his homeland.<ref name=Scotsman/> Much like Sveinbjörnsson, Jochumsson became the first Icelandic poet to be given a state pension. The Althing also bestowed on him the title of "National Poet".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

It was written to coincide with the 1874 festivities in honor of one millennium since the Norse first arrived on the island.<ref name=Silk/><ref name=Neijmann>Template:Cite book</ref> It is for this reason that the full translation of the anthem's title is "The Millennial Hymn of Iceland".<ref name=Neijmann/><ref name=Images>Template:Cite book</ref> The song was first played on August 2 of that year,<ref name=Images/> at a service celebrated at Reykjavík Cathedral to commemorate the milestone, with the King of Iceland, Christian IX, in attendance.<ref name=Silk/><ref name=Hauptmann>Template:Cite magazine</ref> However, the song was not officially adopted as the country's national anthem until 70 years later in 1944,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> when Icelanders voted in a referendum to end their state's personal union with Denmark and become a republic.<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>

Lyrics

Although the Icelandic national anthem consists of three stanzas, only the first one is sung on a regular basis.<ref name=Hauptmann/>

Icelandic original<ref>Ljóðmæli: úrval. Jochumsson, Matthías (1815). Bókaverzlun Sigf. Eymundssonar.</ref>	IPA transcriptionTemplate:Efn
<poem>Template:Lang</poem>	<poem>Template:IPA</poem>

Poetic translation<ref name="minahan">National Anthem. The Complete Guide to National Symbols and Emblems [2 volumes] (2009). Minahan, James B.</ref>

Literal translation

<poem>Our country's God! Our country's God! We worship Thy name in its wonder sublime. The suns of the heavens are set in Thy crown By Thy legions, the ages of time! With Thee is each day as a thousand years, Each thousand of years, but a day, Eternity's flow'r, with its homage of tears, That reverently passes away. Iceland's thousand years, Iceland's thousand years! Eternity's flow'r, with its homage of tears, That reverently passes away. Our God, our God, we bow to Thee, Our spirits most fervent we place in thy care. Lord, God of our fathers from age unto age, We are breathing our holiest prayer. We pray and we thank Thee a thousand years For safely protected we stand; We pray and we bring Thee our homage of tears Our destiny rest in Thy hand. Iceland’s thousand years, Iceland's thousand years! The hoarfrost of morning which tinted those years, Thy sun rising high, shall command! Our country’s God! Our country’s God! Our life is a feeble and quivering reed; We perish, deprived of Thy spirit and light To redeem and uphold in our need. Inspire us at morn with Thy courage and love, And lead through the days of our strife! At evening send peace from Thy heaven above, And safeguard our nation through life. Iceland’s thousand years, Iceland's thousand years! O, prosper our people, diminish our tears And guide, in Thy wisdom, through life!</poem>

<poem>O God of our land! O land of our God! We praise your holy, holy name! From solar systems of the heavens, tied to thee is a wreath By your armies, a collection of the times. For to you, one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years a day, not more: eternity's lone small flower with trembling tears, that worships its own god and dies. Iceland's thousand years, Iceland's thousand years, eternity's lone small flower with trembling tears, that worships its own god and dies. O God, O God! We fall forward and sacrifice to you burning, burning soul, God father, our Lord from kin to kin, and we pray our holiest speech. We pray and thank for a thousand years, since you are the only shelter. We pray and thank with trembling tears, since you offered our destiny. Iceland's thousand years, Iceland's thousand years! They were morning hoarfrost, collapsing tears, that warm with shining sun. O God of our land! O land of our God! We live as a fluttering, fluttering straw. We die if you are not that light and life that lifts us from the obscurity. O be every morning our sweetest life, our leader in the trial of the days and in evenings our heavenly rest and our protection and our commander on national life's path. Iceland's thousand years, Iceland's thousand years! May they become a growing national life with decreasing tears that develop on God's kingdom's path.</poem>

Criticism

The anthem is notorious for being challenging to sing, due to its large vocal range of high and low vocal registers—spanning a minor fourteenth.<ref name=Scotsman/><ref name=Hauptmann/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> "Lofsöngur" has been described as a Christian hymn to God with strong religious themes.<ref name=Silk/><ref name=Hauptmann/> Thus, its suitability as the national anthem in Iceland's increasingly secular society of the present-day has been challenged,<ref name=Scotsman/><ref name=Hauptmann/> notwithstanding the fact that the country still maintains an official religion in the form of the Church of Iceland.<ref name=Silk/> Some have suggested replacing it with a non-religious song that is more all-encompassing.<ref name=Silk/><ref name=Hauptmann/>

External links

• Upptökurnar eru af geisladisk sem forsætisráðuneytið gaf út árið 2003
• The Icelandic National Anthem
• Audio of the national anthem of Iceland, with information and lyrics (archive link)
• A simple but accurate MIDI transcription of the official version (Template:Webarchive)
• Video of choir singing 'Lofsöngur'