Tag: national-anthem

Jordan National Anthem

~ joannerambling ~ Leave a comment

The Royal National Anthem is the national anthem of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The translated name literally means “Peace be upon the King of Jordan”. As-salamu alaykum is the greeting in Arabic, therefore the name of the anthem can also be regarded as a Royal Salute.

In 1946, the National Anthem was written by the late Abdul Munim Rifai, a renowned Jordanian poet who later served as prime minister. Abdul Qader Tannir composed the music.

The first version of the lyrics was very short, as it only contained the first stanza of the current version. Since then, the anthem has been expanded. The abridged version of the anthem is usually used, while the full version is reserved for special occasions.

The lyrics are below.

Long live the King!
Long live the King,
His rank exalted,
His flags flying high,
In sublimity.
We realised our aspirations,
When you regenerated for us
A renaissance that motivates us,
A renaissance that towers
Above the high, rising stars.
 
O King of the Arabs,
You are greatly honoured
By being a descendent of
The best Prophet,
A great lineage
That all major books spoke of.
 
The glorified youth
Are your devoted soldiers.
Their resolve will never subside
And die away,
Because from you,
They learn perseverance.
 
O King of the Arabs,
You are greatly honoured
By being a descendent of
The best Prophet,
A great lineage
That all major books spoke of.
 
May you always be
A light, a guide
And a master among people,
Delighted and exalted.
And under your flags,
The glory of the Arabs
Rises high.
 
O King of the Arabs,
You are greatly honoured
By being a descendent of
The best Prophet,
A great lineage
That all major books spoke of.

National Anthems

~ joannerambling ~ 5 Comments
National Anthems    

I have decided to do a new Friday series on national anthems of different countries, but first we will start with this.

The Netherlands has the oldest national anthem in use today, Wilhelmus van Nassouwe, also known as Wilhelmus. It was written between 1568 and 1572 during the Dutch Revolt, but it wasn’t officially adopted until 1932. 

Anthems were originally devotional verses sung during religious services. One of the first songs to be called a “national anthem” was Great Britain’s “God Save the King”. 

Here are some other facts about national anthems:

  • Most national anthems are either hymns or marches.
  • Anthems are usually in the country’s national or most common language.
  • Some countries have multiple versions of their anthem if they have more than one national language. For example, Switzerland’s national anthem, the Swiss Psalm, has different lyrics for each of the country’s four official languages.
  • Some national anthems were written by famous composers. For example, Germany’s Das Lied der Deutschen uses a melody written by Joseph Haydn. 

I will start with the first country next week.