Czech national anthem Kde domov můj (Jiří Bělohlávek cond.)

My 100th upload. I thought I would do something special for this occasion, and I had no better idea than the Czech national anthem :-) It's sung by my favourite Czech young singer, Adam Plachetka (23), bass-baritone. Jiří Bělohlávek conducting the orchestra of the National Theatre.

175 years ago, in 1834, this song was sung for the first time. It was a part of the comedy Fidlovačka, or No Anger and No Brawl, by Josef Kajetán Tyl, where it's sung by a blind violinist. Both Tyl himself and František Škroup, the composer, thought the song to be rather average, but it soon became very popular among the nation, who was under the Austrian domination at the time.
In the 1870s, there was a wave of criticism of this anthem. It was thought to be too peaceful and lyric. Jan Neruda himself asked Bedřich Smetana to write a new one. Smetana, as the rumours go, refused, saying: "Which song was chosen by the people, that will remain their anthem."

Czech national anthem lyrics

Kde domov můj, kde domov můj?
Voda hučí po lučinách,
bory šumí po skalinách,
v sadě skví se jara květ,
zemský ráj to na pohled!
A to je ta krásná země,
země česká domov můj,
země česká domov můj!

English translation

Where is my home, where is my home?
Water roars across the meadows,
Pinewoods rustle among crags,
The garden is glorious with spring blossom,
Paradise on earth it is to see.
And this is that beautiful land,
The Czech land, my home,
The Czech land, my home.

Loose translation by Václav Pinkava

Where do I roam?
Where find my home?
Water rushing through the meadows
Pinewood clifftops hushed in shadows
Orchards where spring blossom gleams
Paradise on Earth it seems
This indeed, this Land of Beauty
The Czech Land, this is my home,
In the Czech Lands I am home.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Česká
• hymna
• Czech
• anthem

[frufruJ]

Newest info of the singer: Adam Plachetka (turning 24 this year), whom you can hear as Don Giovanni or Figaro (Le Nozze) in Prague, has got a contract for the Vienna Staatsoper for the next season, and in 2012, he will sing Masetto at Covent Garden.

[JLeeGraham]

Gorgeous!  What a stirring national anthem. Must find out what it means, and who wrote it.

[frufruJ]

You don't have to look for the meaning for long, just read the video's description :-) Glad you like it.

[rikoshun]

je to opravdu skvelé video! Cesko se mi libi a ta hymna je jedna z nejhezcich na celem svete :-)

[frufruJ]

Díky moc! Trochu jsem se bála, jestli to není hloupé.

Můžu se zeptat, ty jsi Belgičan?

[cheekypoppet]

My sincere congratulations with the 100th upload! :)

[frufruJ]

Thx :-)

Hope you liked the vid... It's kinda national treasure, this song.

[Policjantka93]

Nie wiem czy rozumiecie po Polsku, bo ja po Czesku nie bardzo, ale muszę napisać, że hymn (tak jak i my) macie wspaniały zwłaszcza to wykonanie. Great, pretty song - hymna

[Skaredka]

ty jses ale dobrej debil ze jo

[LeylaGerMert]

Congratulations for your national holiday today Czech Republic

A country with an on the one hand long history with big traditions and cultural things and on the other hand in the kind of republic we have today with an short history. Czech Republic is a beautiful country with an amazing landscape and with Prag a awesome capital. I love cities where you can history on every building like Berlin, Paris, London and Prag. Best wishes to all Czech people from your friends in Germany

[Mirinovic]

@RESTAURIERTdasDKR Aoustrin

[epicvsfvror]

Stunning land, wonderful anthem. Ceska Republika forever in my heart. I love you since the very first moment I discovered you, many years ago......no words can describe what I feel for this beautiful Country. Ahoj from an italian friend.......

[RESTAURIERTdasDKR]

@philosteuropa i was in Prag last month, and it´s like you would be in a German city of the 18th Century

maybe because Prague mostly was build by Germans! and until 1866 even all Germans lived together with the Czech in 1 State ! and then until 1918 the Czech lived together with Germans in the Austrian Empire.

[philosteuropa]

wonderful and peaceful anthem from a peaceful and lovely People in the centre of our Europe. Paha was the first german university for instance .Lonf life Vaclev havel , Smetana and Dvorak!

[4BeeP]

Tak to velice děkujeme.

[Kuszarian]

a to je ta strašná země...