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Du gamla, du fria facts for kids

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Du gamla, du fria
English: 'Thou ancient, Thou free'
Great coat of arms of Sweden.svg
National anthem of  Sweden
Lyrics Richard Dybeck
Music Traditional; later arranged by Edvin Kallstenius
Adopted de facto

"Du gamla, du fria" (which means 'Thou ancient, thou free' in English) is a very old and important patriotic song in Sweden. It is considered the unofficial national anthem of Sweden. This means it acts like the national anthem, but it hasn't been officially made law by the government.

The words for the song were written by Richard Dybeck in 1844. He was a Swedish jurist (someone who studies law) and an antiquarian (someone who studies old things). The music for the song comes from a traditional folk tune. Later, a Swedish composer named Edvin Kallstenius arranged the music almost a hundred years later.

Unlike Norway's national anthem, "Ja, vi elsker dette landet", Sweden's anthem is not yet official. The Swedish constitution does not mention a national anthem.

Understanding the Swedish National Anthem

What does "Du gamla, du fria" mean?

The title "Du gamla, du fria" translates to 'Thou ancient, thou free'. It speaks about Sweden as an old and free country. The song celebrates Sweden's history, beauty, and the strong feelings people have for their homeland.

Who wrote the lyrics?

The words were written by Richard Dybeck in 1844. He was a very smart person who knew a lot about Swedish history and traditions. He wrote the song to express love for his country.

Where did the melody come from?

The tune of "Du gamla, du fria" is based on a traditional Swedish folk song. This means it's a melody that people have sung for a very long time. Edvin Kallstenius later helped to arrange this old tune. He made it sound even better for the anthem.

Lyrics and English Translation

Here are the words to "Du gamla, du fria" in Swedish, along with an English translation. This helps you understand the meaning of the song.

Swedish Original
Poetic English Translation

Du gamla, Du fria, Du fjällhöga nord
Du tysta, Du glädjerika sköna!
Jag hälsar Dig, vänaste land uppå jord,
𝄆 Din sol, Din himmel, Dina ängder gröna. 𝄇

Du tronar på minnen från fornstora da'r,
då ärat Ditt namn flög över jorden.
Jag vet att Du är och Du blir vad Du var.
𝄆 Ja, jag vill leva, jag vill dö i Norden. 𝄇

Jag städs vill dig tjäna, mitt älskade land,
dig trohet till döden vill jag svära.
Din rätt skall jag värna med håg och med hand,
𝄆 din fana, högt den bragderika bära. 𝄇

Med Gud skall jag kämpa för hem och för härd
för Sverige, den kära fosterjorden.
Jag byter Dig ej, mot allt i denna värld
𝄆 Nej, jag vill leva jag vill dö i Norden. 𝄇

Thou ancient, thou glorious, thou alpcrowned North,
Where freeborn and happy hearts are beating!
We hail thee, thou fairest of lands on the earth,
𝄆 Thy sun, thy skies, thy flow'ry valleys greeting! 𝄇

How proudly we dwell on thy great deeds of yore,
What time thy name was famed in story,
Thy children still are as valiant as before:
𝄆 In thee I'll live and die, thou land of glory! 𝄇

Forever to thee be my loyalty,
Unto my grave I shall serve thee,
With heart and hand thine right defend,
𝄆 Thy banner sternly gleaming advance! 𝄇

God willing, our home and hearth sustain!
Our loved native Northland remains!
No other clime takes after my heart,
𝄆 From thee I shall ne'er depart! 𝄇

See also

A friendly robot waving hello! In Spanish: Du gamla, du fria para niños

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