This is Part One in a series of articles providing the fascinating and rich back stories on National Anthems from around the world. Despite this writer being an American and one who respects his own National Anthem–the anthems of other countries have always fascinated me and can help give people (in these wrongly American isolationist times) a better understanding of the political and sociological aspects of countries who are part of our allied axis (or not) in the war on terror. Out of 21 countries starting with the letter ‘A’ with National Anthems, I picked three that are interesting to me (and hopefully for you)–but also because they’re important to America in more than one way. All of their anthems, too, show high emotion, love of country and sacrifice. It’s worth noting that only one of the three makes a conscious effort toward mentioning their version of God (the other two more about emphasizing the people)…with some controversy and racial divisions in the case of Afghanistan’s newest anthem…
Afghanistan‘s National Anthem: “Surud Milli”
The Persian title of “Surud Milli” means “National Anthem”–even though Afghanistan has had to rewrite the lyrics to their anthem since Hamed Karzai was elected President in 2004 after America’s ’03 liberation of the country from Taliban rule. The music for the anthem has been used since the early 90’s and the original lyrics expressed the deaths and sacrifices during the war and occupation by the Soviet Union from 1979-92. But when a new constitution was created following Karzai’s election to the new Afghan Presidency, every word was carefully crafted to provide a sense of union…or as close as possible. That was by decree of Karzai himself who insisted that every ethnic group living in the region (14 at the time of this writing) be mentioned in the lyrics–as well as God (or Allah) being placed as the center of importance. And because the Pashtun are the dominant ethnic group in the region, Karzai wanted the lyrics in the Pashtun language: Pashtu (which is actually the second-most spoken language in Afghanistan next to Persian). The controversy in that comes from harsh critics who still say that Pashtuns only know the original Pashtu language off-handedly today.
Enter an initially eager–and then later bewildered–Pashtun lyricist/poet by the name of Abdul Bari Jahani who lived part of the time in America. Jahani lived in Washington, D.C. and worked for Voice of America there and apparently still does now. Being an expert in the Pashtun language (he’s written some well-known poems in the language)–the newly-formed Afghan government picked Jahani to write the lyrics. After several drafts, he’s said in interviews that he initially had nine ethnic groups referenced in the lyrics and then was told to add five more as a recurring sense of ethnic balance. But this kicked off a whole set of problems and criticisms that are tantamount to ethnic favoritism in some Afghan minds. Jahani also became critical over his own lyrics. This wasn’t over the attempted ethnic balance or that it was written in Pashtu that he represents. Instead, it was over the line he was forced to put in the lyrics in Pashtu: “Allahu Akbar” (or “God is Great”).
You can imagine the frustration of a poet trying to make his words appear poetic in his home country’s anthem. America couldn’t even fathom having Francis Scott Key’s words watered down as a rundown list of cultures rather than showing the country’s past struggles and bloodshed. In the last couple of years, Jahani has been quoted as saying he feels his lyrics are nothing but a litany of ethnic titles rather than saying anything that truly represents his country. In Jahani’s mind–he also thinks being forced to place God into the lyrics cheapens the sanctity of God and should stay in the mosques instead of a national anthem. That might show the differences in philosophy between Middle-Eastern and American thought. Nevertheless, this thought might be in the minority with most of the Afghan people. The more recent controversy is over the Pashtuns representing all of the diverse ethnic groups in the country–along with a few other controversial statements made in the lyrics that don’t fairly represent (by many) Afghanistan’s complex history.
Many in Afghanistan are saying that having the lyrics in Pashtu is an attempt to forward an obscure language and culture there that doesn’t represent the majority. Those who think this say it’s a subtle ploy to make the Pashtun culture become the dominant ethnicity in the region within the next few years against the other ethnicities’ will. And they also take notice that the lyrics don’t represent Afghanistan’s past very well. In the lyrics, it names the country strictly as it is today and doesn’t represent the thousands of years of history the region has under different names. One line that says “all Afghanis are heroes and champions” bothers some when some Afghani-born terrorists came from there during Taliban rule.
While those con sides probably are nitpicking to a degree–it’s all understandable frustration in a country with so much different history and mixes of cultures. How it’ll work out at the time of this writing is up in the air. The reality is, Afghanistan isn’t perfectly stable internally and one can only hope it doesn’t lead to civil war someday over a national anthem. As the anthem stands, though, it’s at least a testament to freedom winning over what ruled there for over seven years before. Hopefully that lone vision will help keep a tolerance there for many years and through other Presidents.
Lyrics (English translation):
This land is Afghanistan
It is the pride of every Afghan
The land of peace, the land of sword
Its sons are all brave.
This is the country of every tribe
Land of Baluch and Uzbeks
Pashtuns and Hazaras
Turkmen and Tajiks.
With them, Arabs and Gujjars
Pamirian, Nuristanian,
Brahawi and Qizilbash.
Also Aimaq and Pashai.
This land will shine forever
Like the sun in the blue sky.
In the chest of Asia
It will remain in our hearts forever
We will follow the one God
We all say, “Allah is great!” We all say, “Allah is great!”
Argentina‘s National Anthem: “Himno Nacional Argentino”
Argentina’s national anthem has been around for almost 200 years (with stanza eliminations at one point)–but it has just as much drama in its history as Afghanistan has more recently. It’s hard to believe that other countries have histories of internal fighting over who the anthem is supposed to represent…or leave out…at the chagrin of their ethnically relational countries.
So the story goes, future Argentine President Vicente López y Planes went to see a play one May night of 1812 in Buenos Aries. This play was about the revolution from Spain that had happened two years earlier and called “El 25 de Mayo.” At the end of the play, the cast members sang a fictional anthem to represent the new independence of Argentina. What followed next was a strange situation of life imitating art…while also a case of authority taking control of someone else’s art. It was also a case of coercion against someone’s will to do nationalistic creative work (shades of the Soviet composers in the 20th century such as Shostakovich).
López went home that night and wrote his own lyrics to the music used in the play (which was written by Blas Parera–who would suffer having to create against his own political beliefs). When the government accepted López’s version as the country’s new anthem (titled “Marcha Patriotica” or “Patriotic March”)–they felt the music didn’t quite match. They then tapped Parera to write new music that he initially agreed to do…until seeing the lyrics deliberately bashing Spain. It was only logical that a country that just liberated itself from another country would find some patriotic stance to solidify their independence by denouncing the customs of their previous home. The problem was, Parera was from Spain and objected to writing music with those lyrics because it would upset the King there. With Parera’s protest, he was jailed and ordered to write new music for the anthem or face execution. As a further protest and commitment to his homeland of Spain…he merely copied the original score he wrote in the “El 25 de Mayo” play and handed it over.
That action didn’t seem to matter. His life was spared and he later moved back to Spain after the treatment he received in the newly-formed Argentina. As in America, the Argentines likely aren’t proud about all negative aspects of their past. That evolving thinking gave the anthem new title changes (it went from “Patriotic March” to “National Patriotic Song” to just “National Anthem of Argentina” later) and even some musical re-harmonizing by later arrangers. Apparently Argentina essentially kept the same music Parera wrote while in prison. What irony in using the music of someone who left their heart in Pamplona.
To amend things in 1900, the Argentine President at the time ordered the lyrics that denounced Spain be taken out and for the first and last stanzas to be kept. That’s because relations with Spain had become normalized by the 20th century in Argentina. And that’s the version heard to this day and with the lyrics printed below.
In an interesting twist in relation to America: A recent Argentine rock artist (Charley Garcia) received flak for doing a rock-themed version of the anthem on his album. After all the vocal histrionics and oddball arrangements given our own anthem over the years from every artist from A to Z…Garcia should be forgiven. That is, unless he managed to extend one word into a five-minute melisma as some artists give to the opening strains of “Star Spangled Banner.”
Lyrics (English):
Mortals! Hear the sacred cry:
“Freedom, freedom, freedom!”
Hear the noise of broken chains,
see the noble Equality enthroned.
The United Provinces of the South
have now opened their very honorable throne.
And the free people of the world reply:
“We salute the great people of Argentina!”
“We salute the great people of Argentina!”
And the free people of the world reply:
“We salute the great people of Argentina!”
May the laurels be eternal
that we knew how to win,
that we knew how to win.
Let us live crowned with glory…
or swear to die gloriously!
Or swear to die gloriously!
Or swear to die gloriously!
Australia‘s National Anthem: “Advance Australia Fair” (with “God Save the Queen” as the Royal Anthem). And don’t forget all the other more apropos contenders…
Australia has, in recent decades, had a bit of a public debate over what they think their National Anthem should be. Even though “Advance Australia Fair” has been the official anthem there for close to 25 years (by decree of a popular vote)–a more popular song that represents the true history, character and spirit of Australia still has loads of followers who insist it should be the anthem. That song is an old-fashioned folk ditty called “Waltzing Matilda”–written around the turn of the 20th century.
Apparently there has to be an international decree that national anthems have to have been written before the 20th century, because “Advance Australia Fair” was written in 1878 by a Scottish composer named Peter Dodds McCormick. It was just considered a patriotic song in those days, despite a lot of those living in the region (in the days before the official designation of Australia as a Commonwealth) thinking that Australia should have an official song. That was already underway long before “Advance Australia Fair” was written. In 1826, a popular patriotic song called “Australian Hymn” was written in an attempt to wash away the slowly-diminishing British penal colony aura and give a sense of a unique national identity. It also was written less than ten years before the name “Australia” was given to the country–and any sense of independent identity was fresh in a lot of people’s minds.
Once most of the Australian colonies were established in 1860, another patriotic song had become popular (“The Song of Australia”) that later became another song under consideration to be an “anthem” through competitions being held already as early as 1840. Despite the consideration, “God Save the Queen” was still the official anthem…and would remain that way until 1974. But that restless spirit of the Australian people to find just the right thing to represent their own identity kept all the competitions going to find something different through the 20th century. That didn’t stop “Advance Australia Fair” from being played during the inauguration of Australia becoming a Commonwealth on New Year’s Day of 1901. Hearing 10,000 people singing it during the ceremony must have created more than enough high-powered emotion to make it a strong contender for the official anthem…someday.
Around that same time was when “Waltzing Matilda” became a huge hit as a folk song. Many people already then gravitated to the song because of its lyrics conveying just about everything that makes up the true soul of an Australian. It celebrates the outdoors, gives a sense of an underdog winning and it’s also loaded with catchphrases that are only endemic to the region that true-born Australians only know. While you’d think that this song would eventually become the anthem for the country…some people are apparently still into thinking the old-school bombast of a long-ago time works better. When Australia finally started thinking seriously of creating a new anthem outside of “God Save the Queen” in 1972, a poll showed that “Advance Australia Fair” was still popular over “Waltzing Matilda.” And so “AAA” became the new anthem for Australia…with some adjustments to that through the 1970’s until it became officially official in 1984. “God Save the Queen” is still used–but only when the British Royals visit.
Incidentally, “Waltzing Matilda” doesn’t mean a woman named Matilda doing a waltz with someone (or by herself). It means to travel as a swagman (which is a wanderer who travels around looking for work) and carries his bag (or swag) of tools and living supplies on his back. Some legends say the swagmen danced (or waltzed) with their swags when they were lonely…while pretending the swag was a woman that sometimes took the name of Matilda.
Now you can see the down-to-earth nature of the song that resonates so strongly with a majority population who are also so down-to-earth.
Because of apparent copyright issues with the lyrics being printed elsewhere–below are links for the lyrics of both “Advance Australia Fair” (that’s gone through lyrical changes over the years) and “Waltzing Matilda”…
For “AAA”:
http://www.hamilton.net.au/advance.html
http://www.imagesaustralia.com/australiannationalanthem.htm
For “Waltzing Matilda”:
http://www.imagesaustralia.com/waltzingmatilda.htm
