The Stem van Suid-Afrika

The Stem van Suid-Afrika
Alternative title	The Call of South Africa
Title in German	The voice of South Africa
country	South Africa
Usage period	1957–1997 ; from 1997
text	CJ Langenhoven
melody	ML de Villiers
Audio files

The Stem van Suid-Afrika (literally The Voice of South Africa , roughly translated rather The Call of South Africa ; English The Call of South Africa ) was the official national anthem of South Africa from 1957 to 1997 . From 1994 to 1997 she was together with Nkosi Sikelel 'iAfrica national anthem. Since 1997 it has been part of the newly created anthem .

history

The Afrikaans-language text of the Stem van Suid-Afrika was written as a poem by CJ Langenhoven in May 1918 . The music for this was composed in 1921 by the Reverend ML de Villiers . The anthem was played by the South African radio together with God Save the King as the end of its daily program and was sung for the first time in 1928 on an official occasion. The English version of the anthem (The Call of South Africa) has also been in use since 1952 .

On May 2, 1957, the South African government officially declared The Stem van Suid-Afrika to be the country's national anthem, which was confirmed by law by parliament in 1959. The first stanzas were sung.

text

Uit die blou van onse hemel,
uit diepte van ons see.
Oor ons eternal gebergtes
Waar die kranse antwoord gee,
Deur ons ver-verlate vlaktes
Met die kreun van ossewa
Ruis die stem van ons geliefde,
Van ons land Suid-Afrika
Ons sal antwoord op jou roepstem,
Ons sal offer wat jy vra:
Ons sal lewe, ons sal sterwe
Ons vir jou, Suid-Afrika.

In the merg van ons given,
In ons hart en siel en gees,
In ons roem op ons verlede,
In ons hoop op wat sal wees,
In ons wil en werk en wandel,
Van on wieg tot aan ons graf
Deel geen other land ons Laufde,
Trek geen other trou ons af.
Vaderland! ons sal die nobility
Van jou naam met ere:
Waar en trou as Afrikaners
Kinders van Suid-Afrika.

In die songloed van ons somer,
In ons winternag se kou,
In die lente van ons liefde,
In die lanfer van ons rou.
By die klink van huw'liks-klokkies,
By die kluitklap op die kis
Streel jou stem ons nooit never rivets,
Weet jy waar jou kinders is.
Op jou roep se ons nooit nee nie,
Se ons altyd, altyd ja:
Om te lewe, om te sterwe
Ja ons kom, Suid-Afrika.

Op U Almag vas trusting,
Het ons vadere gebou:
Skenk ook ons die krag, o Here!
Om te handhaaf en te hou
Dat die erwe van ons vaad're
Vir ons kinders erwe bly:
Knegte van die Allerhoogste,
Teen die hele wêreld vry.
Soos ons vadere vertrou het,
Leer ook ons vertrou o Heer
Met ons land en met ons nasie
Sal dit wel wees, God regeer.

Translation of the first stanza

From the blue of our sky,
from the depths of our sea.
Above our eternal mountains,
where the peaks answer,
Through our vast desert plains
With the groan of the ox-cart
the voice of our beloved rises,
Our country South Africa
We will answer your call,
We will do what you command:
We will live, we will die
We for you, South Africa.