There is a myth that International sporting events help to
enhance global friendships.
When any sports man or sports woman wins an event,
then we get the joy of everyone standing to attention while
their individual national anthems are being played.
It’s a good job that most people don’t know or speak more
than a couple of languages.
If more people could understand the words of most national anthems, then it might result in an international punch up.
Just a cursory examination of a lot of national anthems
will led one to the conclusion that most of them must of
been penned by a lot of xenophobic militarists, or religious
bigots.
Many of these songs both ask a god to help them, while
stating they must also fight to defend themselves from
being enslaved by some foreign power.
Here are a few lines from various national anthems which
illustrate the point: – – – –
Cuba –
‘ Run to the battle, Bayameses.’
&
‘ To die for the country is to live! ‘
The Irish Republic –
This national anthem is also known as
The Solders Song.
‘ Soldiers we are, whose lives are pledged to Ireland. ‘
Latvia –
‘ Bless Latvia, O god ‘
Mexico –
‘ Mexicans, at the cry of war
Make ready your sword and your horse ‘
Pakistan –
‘ Blessed be the sacred land….
Land of Pakistan
Blessed be thou citadel of faith, ‘
Saudia Arabia –
‘ My country, may you always live,
The glory of all muslims!
Long live the King,
For the flag and the country! ‘
Ukraine –
‘ All our foes will surely perish,
like our dew under sunray. ‘
Uganda –
‘ Oh Uganda! May god uphold thee. ‘
Vietnam –
‘ Soldiers of Vietnam, we go forward,
With the will to save our Fatherland. ‘
Zimbabwe –
‘ Oh lift high the banner, the flag of Zimbabwe
The symbol of freedom proclaiming victory;
We praise our heroes’ sacrifice,
And vow to keep our land from foes;
And may the Almighty protect and bless our land. ‘
What I do like is the Spanish national anthem, as it is a tune
with no words.
In my 20s I used to march under the banner:
Mother Earth not Fatherland.
If only more people would just start to think about things
that way!