Icelandic National Anthem - Lofsöngur - subtitled and translated

[Kaaxe]

It's beautiful, but I do respect them more when they don't favor one religion and instead don't mention any gods all together.

[Jackice]

@Kaaxe just remember this is a old song when it was considerd as a christian nation,

[billypap1993]

The lyrics are really profound, and  poetic..

Gave me goose-bumps..

[beaglerocks2]

BEAUTIFUL ANTHEM AND GREAT VOICE ALSO GREAT TRANSLATION It sounds like the peoples on the video are singing inside the church

[hirokojones122]

Beautiful anthem! Love from Indonesia, Iceland~!!

[Maelstrom000]

The text is incorrect in the Icelandic version, although the english translation seems to get it right. The second line is "Ó, lands vors guð". It is not "land of our god".

The english translation gets it right, though

[nissinsupertrain11]

very very very beautiful!!! I love and want to visit this nothern great country! thank you from Japan!

[BirgirZ]

The funny part is that the nation is never mentioned just the land, god and crying flowers, i want a new anthem.

[Billymaysfan6837]

Nice anthem! Greetings and goodwill from America!

[queerpriestess]

I want to learn this beautiful language.

[Lilim27]

@queerpriestess hahah... good luck.

[queerpriestess]

@Lilim27

Takk fyrir! [Thank you!]

[Ferrariman601]

I've heard a lot of national anthems, but I think Iceland's is probably the most beautiful I've heard yet. I'm an American and I don't speak Icelandic, but this song really commands my respect.

[skrivbok]

@Ferrariman601 Yeah, I know what you mean, my friend... I am Swedish and I don't speak Icelandic either, but I can understand some words, spoken or written due to... Scandinavic linguistic heritage??

Once we all spoke similar languages in the North, but in time they developed their own ways. But some parts are left mostly unaltered. :)

[Ferrariman601]

@skrivbok Yes, I can also understand a few words here and there. I speak English and Spanish, but English is all I've got in terms of a Germanic/Nordic vocabulary. If I can understand a bit of Icelandic as an English speaker, I'm sure you as a Swede can understand a great deal more.

[skrivbok]

@Ferrariman601 Yeah, maybe. But I can't really understand much of a conversation in Icelandic though... but some spoken and written words here and there :P

[TheOneCalledSloth]

@Ferrariman601 Really all the Icelanders i ever hate this song including myself.

[BirgirZ]

Its kinda of silly that our national anthem has no mention of the nation, only the land, god and a crying flower.

[HimmiJoe]

@meinkunkoneko ég er íslendingur. Þetta er ekta Íslenska vinur. Enska hefur lítið að segja hér.

In your language, I think your sounds should be more proper. The "R" should not be made in the throat but on the tongue!

Do you know Icelandic? If so, start a conversation please.

[shiwadaay07]

@HimmiJoe Sæll, ég má vera ekki Íslendingur en ennþá að læra tungumál þitt og íslenska er líka mjög áhugaverð mál víkingana. Hvar get ég lært frá Íslendingum til að tala hana vel eins og þú?

[RagnhildurH]

@ThomasJames7184

Amazing work.Thank you Thomas.

Greetings....Ragnhildur. :)

[RagnhildurH]

Wonderful.I just belive that the last lines would be better translated, in stead of :(that PRAYS to its God and dies).I believe the correct translation is:That WORSHIPS its God and dies.

I really enjoyed this video.Thank you. :)

Greetings from Iceland....Ragnhildur.

[ThomasJames7184]

@RagnhildurH

Thanks for the suggestion. I admit that would be better to have those lines read like this:

That worships its God and then dies.

The word "then" or some other weak syllable needs to be there to follow the original metrical pattern. Thanks again.

[ThomasJames7184]

@RagnhildurH

A friend wanted my translation to show a national character on the first line, like the original. "O God our Lord, O Lord our God" would follow the poet's idea of reversing word order but not solve the problem my friend noticed, and I still want to sacrifice repetition to embrace a concept consistent with Isaiah (Jesaja) 54:5 and the poet's message that God rules even the solar system (sólkerfi). What do you think of "O Iceland's God, O God of all"? Your thoughts?

[schirrau]

Wonderful and impressive ! Greetings to you all from Copenhagen.

[adda9898]

Love it :)

[sabinal17]

it's good :)

[sabinal17]

I tried to sing the english and icelandic lyrics. Beat wise it's not to far off

[ThomasJames7184]

@sabinal17

It may seem strange to some that anyone would want to sing a foreign national hymn in ones own language, too, but frankly, I have had the same urge. It may help to imagine that Icelanders would be happy to share the thoughts in their hymn with a more global audience by singing it in English, too. The concepts are wonderful in any language, and so is the music, as this choir demonstrated so beautifully.

[ThomasJames7184]

@sabinal17

Any translation of rhyming or metrical poetry requires a trade-off. Stay faithful either to its meaning or else to its poetic patterns. The patterns usually hold nicely while meaning wanders. I suppose it is an art, not a science.

[ThomasJames7184]

@sabinal17

The translation here conveys the Icelandic meaning really well but totally sacrifices both rhyme and meter, and the line about the solar system needs some work to make it right. The translation in Wikipedia rhymes and matches the original in its metrical pattern, too, except for the first line, where the last three iambs were replaced by three anapests, probably to follow a pattern in other lines. What do you think of my stab at this?

[ThomasJames7184]

@sabinal17 O God of all lands, even ours, We praise now Your holy and wonderful name! From heavenly orbits You fashion Your wreath, From the legions of ages Your fame. And for You is a day like a thousand years-- Our thousand, a day in the skies, One bloom everlasting with glistening tears, That prays to its God and then dies. Icelands thousand years, Icelands thousand years! One bloom everlasting with glistening tears, That prays to its God and then dies.

[ThomasJames7184]

The first comma on the first line of my poetic translation is one syllable late. This is probably a better alternative for the line:

O Lord our God, O God of all,

...

[ThomasJames7184]

According to Wikipedia (History of Iceland, plus footnote 16 under Christianization of Scandinavia), there is no good reason to blame the Irish for anything about Iceland that may disappoint you, and besides, a thousand years without any offence to you ought to be plenty of time to erase your modern resentment.

[ThomasJames7184]

You may want to consider what Iceland would be like today if Þorgeir Ljósvetningagoði had decided the other way. Would you still love Iceland and hear beautiful music like what is posted here? Can you find a better place where Christianity is unpopular or against the law? If not, there may be a good reason for this.

[sgnewa]

@ThomasJames7184 I do not think Þorgeir ever became a Cristian trowing statues of the Gods in the waterfall was a Heathen blessing for Iceland, its name became Goðafoss (waterfall of the Gods). it was a political move... look up Þórir Jökull and see how he faced death as a Heathen man... and notice he died in the 13th century..

[ThomasJames7184]

@sgnewa

What you say may be true, but what is your point? Arent we completely off the topic of the Icelandic national anthem and this beautiful performance of it? I was responding to the reactions posted by Anonie324.

[Anonie324]

I love Icelandic, I love Icelanders, and I love Iceland, but I am still disappointed that Christianity made its way over. Probably from when the Danes came in... bah...

[Anonie324]

I looked it up, they had been converted mostly before the Danes conquered the damn place, Irish monks got there... This might be the only time I've resented the Irish...

[ThomasJames7184]

@Anonie324

Two of my earlier comments were supposed to be replies to yours like this one. I still have a lot to learn. Anyway, whenever you find it in your heart to love Christian lands or people, or you enjoy lovely Christian music like the Icelandic national anthem, I hope you will reconsider whether this faith may be lovelier and more wholesome and rational than whatever alternative faith you somehow accepted as your own.

[Anonie324]

@ThomasJames7184

Would it surprise you to know that I'm actually an atheist? I just happen to hold a deep respect for the traditions and mythologies of the Norse. It would also seem that you didn't read my first comment. I LOVE ICELAND, I love the Icelandic people, and I love the language. Part of the reason I resent Christianity is that it assumes that those not in the faith are incomplete inside. Thus the drive to convert and I feel like a lot of cultural diversity is missing because of that.

[ThomasJames7184]

@Anonie324

1. No, your statement of faith did not surprise me. I suppose it takes greater faith than mine to be an atheist. Negative claims are notoriously difficult to prove, and much is at stake. I certainly did read your comment about loving Iceland and even alluded to it in my previous reply to you.

[ThomasJames7184]

@Anonie324

2. Your partial rationale for resenting Christianity did surprise me. Do you assume that Christians are incomplete inside? If atheists tend to do this, would it be a good reason for Christians to resent atheism?

[ThomasJames7184]

@Anonie324

3. How diverse was Norse culture before Christianity arrived? You can find cultures today where conversion is illegal and yet a lot of cultural diversity is missing. If you had to undergo surgery, would you rather have surgeons who are right--or diverse? I know that cultural diversity can be wonderful, but can one really promote this by resenting people who disagree or feel free to win converts? Best regards.

[Anonie324]

@ThomasJames7184

1. Atheists don't do the faith thing. You are right, negative claims are usually pointless. That's why I don't say, "There is no god." I say "I don't think there is a god after studying the matter".

2. I don't think Christians are incomplete. Too many of them, however, have assumed that I AM though, and the experience is virtually identical for people of other religions.

[ThomasJames7184]

@Anonie324

The term atheist comes from Greek that literally means No God, so you accepted a misleading label. Your clarification suggests that you are doing the faith thing without realizing it. You studied and found faith in your ability to reach the right conclusion. You have a bold faith that you will never have to give an account to your Creator (God? Time & Chance?). Most of us put faith in a car that it will start when we turn the key, but it may or may not be a reasonable faith.

[Anonie324]

@ThomasJames7184

3. I wasn't referring to Norse diversity, I mean all the cultures that Christianity (Not necessarily Christians in general) has homogenized and, to an extent, marginalized. You make a sound point in your diversity argument though. I don't resent Christianity (again, not necessarily Christians) because of the disagreement. I resent the relatively common notion shared by many Christians that being different from them means being unhappy (I have experienced this firsthand).

[ThomasJames7184]

@Anonie324

Thanks for this clarification, too. If happiness is your goal, you may want to consider how helpful it is to harbor resentment, especially if it is over something that happened many centuries ago. The common notion that you resent is a deplorable repudiation of the testimony in Job 21, Psalm 73, and Acts 14:14-17.

[Anonie324]

@ThomasJames7184

Also, THANK YOU SINCERELY for being civilized about our disagreement. I really appreciate it when people actually debate instead of name-call.

[ThomasJames7184]

@Anonie324

The feeling is mutual. Best regards.

[david1181101]

@Anonie324 Christianity has been in Iceland as long as humans ;)

[Anonie324]

@david1181101 You mean to suggest that Ingólfr Arnarson and his family were Christians?

[icestrakt]

@david1181101 If you're referring to the monks that died, then yes. But after they died it was Norse Paganism until the year 1000.

[ThomasJames7184]

Icelandic letters evidently take twice as much space as English. Lets see.

"Því að vér vitum, að þótt vor jarðneska tjaldbúð verði rifin niður, þá höfum vér hús frá Guði ... eilíft á himnum." (2Kor. 5:1)

"Og hann mun þerra hvert tár af augum þeirra, og dauðinn mun ekki framar til vera, ..." (Opb. 21:4).

[ThomasJames7184]

I agree with brianclough. Some may find it difficult to sing, but this proves that it can be sung well, expressively, and beautifully. Besides its obvious reference to Ps. 90:4 and 2Peter 3:8, this anthem reminds me of 2Cor. 5:1 ("Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, ...") and Rev. 21:4 ("He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death ..."). Thanks, Paulbarlow, for posting this. Outstanding!

[brianclough]

What a truly beautiful anthem!

I've always liked anthems that praise God and seek His Blessings and Protection for the nation.

This is one of the best!

[internationalfreak12]

I want to go to Iceland

[aronbach]

Þetta er ekki þjóðsöngur frekar en annað kirkjugarg.

[srbinsiti]

Hvað? Það er fallegt.

Kveðja frá Serbíu.

[SuperGamli]

Elska þjóðsönginn okkar, fallegri en raul-þjóðsöngvar flestra þjóða.

[Jeeves1952]

Must be one of the most beautiful national anthems ever! Loverly words too.

[Fenrisulvur]

What a wonderful anthem! One day I will visit Iceland...such a beautiful country.

Greetings!

[LigaD100]

@Fenrisulvur

me too

[felisha944]

And if I'm not mistaken, the Italian hymn also mentions God...Now, can you leave me alone please, I don't need a pointless discussion with a kid. Addio!

[eguzkibegi]

That's great! I love Iceland, I hope one day I will visit that amazing country.

[truelife6]

its really pretty there...i've been there quite a few times cuz my grandma lives there...in the capital actually

[Paulbarlow]

Eh? All these singers are Icelandic so I'm sure they know how to sing their language :-D

[RussMoxham]

Yes, I used to sing with the London choir and, quite apart from the fact that the overwhelming majority of those involved were always Icelanders, who knew many of the songs (and Icelandic pronunciation) inside out, the level of ability and passion was often remarkable. Some of the singers I knew back then have been pursuing international operatic careers and so on.

[internationalfreak12]

@Paulbarlow it's legato and slurred (music term for slow and connected) so that's why "th" sounds like a "d" besides that, i love iceland

[rtomharper]

@Paulbarlow Indeed, Icelandic, like most languages, has quite a variance in pronunciation when sung, especially classically. I'm pretty sure that they know what they're doing =)

[Rotebuehl1]

@Paulbarlow They're certainly not all icelanders, because the swedish accent in between is audible! It starts right at the beginning! They sing something like "o gud vorsh lands, o land vorsh gud"! To make an "sh" out of an "s" is swedish and norwegian! In Iceland an "s" stays an "s", and not a "sh"! But never mind! Nice rendition all together

[sebenik1066]

very nice

[felisha944]

Iceland, my favourite country! After Hungary of course! But their hymn is more optimistic then the Hungarian. However, both of them are addressed to God. That is why they are so beautiful!

[TheWorldIsCaris]

You've got to be fucking kidding me. The reason they're good is that they're addressed to God? Sweet Jesus.

[felisha944]

Mentioning Jesus...For me, yes, that's one of the reasons, cause it makes the song more sophisticated. It wasn't an order, you don't have to like them because of this, you have your own reasons, and I respect it. You should too, instead of dropping f bombs...

[TheWorldIsCaris]

Jesus - sophisticated. What?

And what f bombs? Last time I recalled, the country that drops the most bombs in the world is mostly Christian.

[felisha944]

Oh my... I meant the word "fucking". But I think it's your level. And do not bring up the wars to me, those are the fault of the people, and not of God. All I wanted to say, that I like the spirit, the mood of those two songs. And the fact, that they contain a dedication to God, is part of that mood (for me, I emphasize once again). I can't even understand why I'm explaining myself .

[felisha944]

And if I'm not mistaken, the Italian hymn also mentions God...Now, can you leave me alone please, I don't need a pointless discussion with a kid. Addio!

[internationalfreak12]

very beutiful...i like how Europe's countries are so connected to each other... i wish the USA was part of Europe then i'd go all over the place! :)