Maamme

"Maamme" (Our Land) is the national anthem of Finland. It was composed by Fredrik Pacius and written by Johan Ludvig Runeberg and performed first time on May 13, 1848.

The original poem has 11 stanzas. It was written in 1846, but printed first in 1848 as prologue to the grand cycle of poems The tales of Ensign Stål, a masterpiece of Romantic nationalism.

The tales of Ensign Stål were much appreciated through all of Scandinavia. Up to Finland's independence 1917/18, when the song started to be recognized as specifical for Finland, Pacius' tune and Runeberg's text was often sung also in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. The theme of the poem is also suspiciously similar to that of the national anthems of Sweden (Du gamla, Du fria) and Norway (Ja, vi elsker dette landet).

Pacius' tune is used also for the national anthem of Estonia with a similarly themed text (1869): "Mu isamaa" (My Fatherland).

Here are the lyrics in Finnish translation, Swedish (original), and English translation:

Maamme

Oi maamme, Suomi, synnyinmaa!

Soi sana kultainen!

Ei laaksoa, ei kukkulaa,

ei vettä rantaa rakkaampaa

kuin kotimaa tää pohjoinen.

Maa kallis isien.

Sun kukoistukses kuorestaan

kerrankin puhkeaa;

viel' lempemme saa nousemaan

sun toivos, riemus loistossaan,

ja kerran laulus, synnyinmaa

korkeemman kaiun saa.

Vårt land

Vårt land, vårt land, vårt fosterland,

ljud högt, o dyra ord!

Ej lyfts en höjd mot himlens rand,

ej sänks en dal, ej sköljs en strand,

mer älskad än vår bygd i nord,

än våra fäders jord!

Din blomning, sluten än i knopp,

Skall mogna ur sitt tvång;

Se, ur vår kärlek skall gå opp

Ditt ljus, din glans, din fröjd, ditt hopp.

Och högre klinga skall en gång

Vår fosterländska sång.

Our Land

Our land, our land, our fatherland,

Sound loud, O name of worth!

No mount that meets the heaven's band,

No hidden vale, no wavewashed strand,

Is loved, as is our native North,

Our own forefathers' earth.

Thy blossom, in the bud laid low,

Yet ripened shall upspring.

See! From our love once more shall grow

Thy light, thy joy, thy hope, thy glow!

And clearer yet one day shall ring

The song our land shall sing.

External links

• The Finnish National Anthem (http://virtual.finland.fi/finfo/english/maamme) - history of the anthem, and RealAudio of the song