Ja, vi elsker dette landet

Template:Short description Template:Infobox anthem

"Template:Lang" (Template:IPA; Template:Lit) is the national anthem of Norway. Originally a patriotic song, it became commonly regarded as the de facto national anthem of Norway in the early 20th century after being used alongside "Template:Lang" since the 1860s. It was officially adopted in 2019.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The lyrics were written by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson between 1859 and 1868, and the melody was written by his cousin Rikard Nordraak sometime during the winter of 1863 to 1864. It was first performed publicly on 17 May 1864 in connection with the 50th anniversary of the constitution. Usually, only the first and the last two verses are sung, with the first being by far the most common.

History

Until the mid-1860s, the songs "Sønner av Norge" and "Norges Skaal" were commonly regarded as the Norwegian national anthems, with "Sønner av Norge" being most recognised. "Ja, vi elsker dette landet" gradually came to be recognised as a national anthem from the mid-1860s. Until the early 20th century, however, both "Sønner av Norge" and "Ja, vi elsker" were used, with "Sønner av Norge" preferred in official situations. In 2011, the song "Mitt lille land" featured prominently in the memorial ceremonies following the 2011 Norway attacks and was described by the media as "a new national anthem".<ref>Verdig tilstandsrapport fra nasjonalartistene Template:Webarchive, BT.no</ref> On Norwegian Constitution Day in 2012, NRK opened its broadcast with "Mitt lille land".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Background

Norway did not have an official national anthem until 11 December 2019, but over the last 200 years, several songs have been commonly regarded as de facto national anthems. At times, multiple songs have enjoyed this status simultaneously. "Ja, vi elsker dette landet" is now most often recognised as the anthem, but until the early 20th century, "Sønner av Norge" occupied this position.

In the early 19th century, the song "Norges Skaal" was regarded by many as a de facto national anthem. From 1820, the song "Norsk Nationalsang" (Template:Lit) became the most recognised national anthem. It came to be known as "Sønner av Norge" (originally "Sønner af Norge") after its first stanza. "Sønner av Norge" was written by Henrik Anker Bjerregaard (1792–1842) and the melody by Christian Blom (1782–1861) after the Royal Norwegian Society for Development had announced a competition to write a national anthem for Norway in 1819. "Norsk Nationalsang" ("Sønner af Norge") was announced as the winner.<ref>Sangen har lysning : studentersang i Norge på 1800-tallet, Anne Jorunn Kydland, 1995, Template:ISBN</ref><ref>Viktige trekk fra Norges vels historie 1809-1995, Kristian Kaus, 1996, Template:ISBN</ref><ref>Norsk litteraturkritikks historie 1770-1940, Bind 1, Edvard Beyer og Morten Moi, 1990, Template:ISBN</ref> Template:Ill (also called "Nordmandssang") by Ole Vig has also been used as a national anthem. Henrik Wergeland also wrote an anthem originally titled "Smaagutternes Nationalsang" (Template:Lit) and commonly known as "Vi ere en Nation, vi med".

"Ja, vi elsker dette landet" was written by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson and composed by Rikard Nordraak between 1859 and 1868, and gradually came to replace "Sønner av Norge" as the most recognised national anthem. Until the early 20th century, "Sønner av Norge" and "Ja, vi elsker dette landet" were used alongside each other, but "Sønner av Norge" was preferred in official settings. Since 2011, the anthem "Mitt lille land" by Ole Paus has also been called a "new national anthem" and notably featured in the memorial ceremonies following the 2011 Norway attacks.<ref>Verdig tilstandsrapport fra nasjonalartistene Template:Webarchive, BT.no</ref> On Norwegian Constitution Day in 2012, the NRK broadcast opened with "Mitt lille land."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In addition, Norway has an unofficial royal anthem, "Kongesangen", based on "God Save the King" and written in its modern form by Gustav Jensen. The psalm "Gud signe vårt dyre fedreland", written by Elias Blix and with a melody by Christoph Ernst Friedrich Weyse, is often called Norway's "national psalm".

Lyrics

Bjørnson wrote in a modified version of the Danish language used in Norway at the time. Written Bokmål has since been altered in a series of orthographic reforms intended to distinguish it from Danish and bring it closer to spoken Norwegian. The text below, commonly used today, is identical to Bjørnson's original in using the same words but with modernised spelling and punctuation. The most sung verses—1, 7 and 8 (which are highlighted and in bold)—have been modernised most and have several variations in existence. For example, Bjørnson originally wrote "drømme på vor jord", which some sources today write as "drømme på vår jord", while others write "drømmer på vår jord".

In each verse, the last two lines are sung twice, and one or two words are repeated an extra time when the lines are sung the second time (for example, "senker" in the first verse). These words are written in italics in the Norwegian lyrics below. The first verse is written down in full as an example.

Literal translation

Norwegian original<ref name="Hojskolesangbogen">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Student Choir">Template:Cite web</ref>	IPA transcriptionTemplate:Efn
<poem>Template:Lang</poem>	<poem>Template:IPA</poem>

<poem>Yes, we love this country

as it rises forth, rugged, weathered, over the water, with the thousands of homes, — love, love it and think of our father and mother 𝄆 and the saga-night that lays dreams upon our earth. 𝄇

This country Harald united with his army of heroes, this country Håkon protected whilst Øyvind sung; upon the country Olav painted with his blood the cross, 𝄆 from its heights Sverre spoke up against Rome. 𝄇

Farmers their axes sharpened wherever an army advanced, Tordenskjold along the coastline thundered so that we could see it back home. Even women stood up and fought as if they were men; 𝄆 others could only cry but that soon would end! 𝄇

Sure, we were not many but we were enough, when we were tested sometimes, and it was at stake; we would rather burn our land than to declare defeat; 𝄆 just remember what happened down at Fredrikshald! 𝄇

Hard times we have coped with, were at last disowned; but in the worst distress, blue-eyedTemplate:Efn freedom was to us born. It gave us father's strength to carry famine and war, 𝄆 it gave death itself its honour – and it gave reconciliation. 𝄇

The enemy threw away his weapon, up the visor went, we, in wonder, to him hastened, because he was our brother. Driven forth to a stand by shame we went to the south; 𝄆 now we three brothers stand united, and shall stand like that! 𝄇

Norwegian man in house and cabin, thank your great God! The country he wanted to protect, although things looked dark. All the fights fathers have fought, and the mothers have wept, 𝄆 the Lord has quietly eased so we won our rights. 𝄇

Yes, we love this country as it rises forth, rugged, weathered, above the sea, with those thousand homes. And as the fathers' struggle has raised it from need to victory, 𝄆 even we, when it is demanded, for its peace will encamp. 𝄇</poem>

Poetic translation and metric version

Two alternative metrical versions also exist. The second closely follows the original and was learned by heart by a Norwegian<ref>Torolv Hustad, born around 1930.</ref> who did not know the translator's name. It was published (without the translator's name) in a collection of Sange og digte paa dansk og engelsk<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> (Template:Translation). There are two minor changes in the text in this version, which are presented here. Verse 2, which is seldom sung, has been omitted, and the last two lines in each verse are repeated in the same way as sung in Norwegian.

<poem>I

Norway, thine is our devotion, Land of hearth and home, Rising storm-scarr'd from the ocean, Where the breakers foam. Oft to thee our thoughts are wending, Land that gave us birth, And to saga nights still sending Dreams upon our earth, And to saga nights still sending Dreams upon us on our earth

VII Men of Norway, be your dwelling Cottage, house or farm, Praise the Lord who all compelling Sav'd our land from harm. Not the valour of a father On the battlefield Nor a mother's tears, but rather God our vict'ry sealed, Nor a mother's tears, but rather God for us our vict'ry sealed.

VIII Norway, thine is our devotion, Land of hearth and home, Rising storm-scarr'd from the ocean, Where the breakers foam. As our fathers' vict'ry gave it Peace for one and all, We shall rally, too, to save it When we hear the call, We shall rally, too, to save it When we hear, we hear the call.</poem>

<poem>I

Yes, we love this land arising Stormbeat o'er the sea With its thousand homes, enticing, Rugged though it be. Love it, love it, not forgetting Those we owe our birth, Nor that night of saga letting Down its dreams to earth, Nor that night of saga letting Down its dreams, its dreams, to earth.

VII Norseman, where thou dwellest, render Praise and thanks to Him, Who has been this land's defender, When its hopes looked dim. Wars our fathers' aims unfolded, Tears our mothers shed, Roads of them for us He molded, To our rights they led. Roads of them for us He molded, To our rights, our rights, they led.

VIII Yes, we love this land arising Stormbeat o'er the sea With its thousand homes, enticing, Rugged though it be. Like our fathers who succeeded, Warring for release, So will we, whenever needed, Rally for its peace. So will we, whenever needed, Rally for its peace, its peace.</poem>

Deleted verse a tribute to King Charles IV

The original version of "Ja, vi elsker" included a verse hailing Charles IV, who succeeded his father as king of Norway in July 1859. However, after the divisive international events of the spring of 1864, including the Second Schleswig War, when the ideal of a unified Scandinavia became shattered, Bjørnson went from monarchist to republican, and the tribute to the reigning sovereign was stricken from the song.

The lyrics that were removed were:

Kongen selv står stærk og åpen

som vår Grænsevagt

og hans allerbedste Våpen

er vår Broderpagt.

In English, this reads:

The King himself stands strong and open

As our border guard

and his most powerful weapon

is our brethren pact.

The "brethren pact" the text refers to was a military treaty between Norway, Sweden and Denmark to assist one another should any of them come under military assault. But when German troops invaded South Jutland in February 1864, none of the alliance partners came to Denmark's rescue. This perceived treason of the "brethren pact" once and for all shattered dreams of unification of the three countries.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Controversies

File:Postcard-Norway-flag-1905.jpg

A postcard from around the time of the 1905 Norwegian union dissolution referendum.

Template:More citations needed

Norwegian independence

In 1905, the Union between Sweden and Norway was dissolved after many years of Norwegian struggle for equality between the two states, as stipulated in the 1815 Act of Union. The unilateral declaration by the Norwegian Storting of the union's dissolution on 7 June provoked strong Swedish reactions, bringing the two nations to the brink of war in the autumn. In Sweden, pro-war conservatives were opposed by the Social Democrats, whose leaders, Hjalmar Branting and Zeth Höglund, spoke out for reconciliation and a peaceful settlement with Norway. Swedish socialists sang "Ja, vi elsker dette landet" to support the Norwegian people's right to secede from the union.

Nazi occupation

During World War II, the anthem was used both by the Norwegian resistance and the Nazi collaborators, the latter mainly for propaganda reasons. Eventually, the German occupiers officially forbade any use of the anthem.

Urdu translation

In May 2006, the multicultural newspaper Utrop proposed that the national anthem be translated into Urdu, the native language of one of the most numerous groups of recent immigrants to Norway.<ref>Vil ha «Ja vi elsker» på urdu Template:Webarchive</ref> The editor's idea was that people from other ethnic groups should be able to honour their adopted country with devotion, even if they were not fluent in Norwegian. This proposal was referred to by other more widely read papers, and a member of the Storting called the proposal "integration in reverse".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> One proponent of translating the anthem received batches of hate mail calling her a traitor and threatening her with decapitation.<ref>Template:Cite web Template:Dead link Template:Cbignore</ref>