My Country, 'Tis of Thee

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Audio: MIDI version of "My Country, 'Tis of Thee"

My Country, 'Tis of Thee (also: America ) is a patriotic song of the United States of America written by Samuel Francis Smith in 1831. In addition to other songs such as Hail, Columbia in particular , it served - albeit not officially - the function of a national anthem of the USA until in 1931, The Star-Spangled Banner, a song was given the status of an official national anthem for the first time.

text

My country, 'tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing;
Land where my fathers died,
Land of the pilgrims' pride,
From every mountainside
Let freedom ring!
My country, it is from you
The sweet land of freedom
I sing about you.
Land where my fathers died
Land of pride of the pilgrim fathers,
Leave off any mountain slope
Ring out the call of freedom!
My native country, thee,
Land of the noble free,
Thy name I love;
I love thy rocks and rills,
Thy woods and templed hills;
My heart with rapture thrills,
Like that above.
You land of my birth
Land of the noble free,
I love your name.
I love your mountains and streams
Your woods and rolling hills
My heart shudders with delight
Like the one up there.
Let music swell the breeze,
And ring from all the trees
Sweet freedom's song;
Let mortal tongues awake;
Let all that breathe partake;
Let rocks their silence break,
The sound prolong.
Let music kindle the wind
And the song of every tree
Ring of sweet freedom;
Let the tongue of mortals awaken
Let everyone who breathe participate
Let rocks break their silence
Let their song go on
Our father's God to Thee,
Author of liberty,
To Thee we sing.
Long may our land be bright,
With freedom's holy light,
Protect us by Thy might,
Great God our King.
God of our fathers, you,
Originator of freedom
You let us sing.
Long may our country shine
From the holy light of freedom
Protect us with your might
Great God our King.

melody

The melody is that of God Save the Queen . My Country, 'Tis of Thee uses a classic archetype of the melody of numerous patriotic songs of its time. In addition to God Save the Queen , the Russian tsar's hymn Molitwa Russkich , which was used before 1833 , the Swiss national anthem Heil Dir Helvetia , which was valid until 1961 , the former Prussian folk anthem Lied Heil Dir im Siegerkranz , the Icelandic Eldgamla Ísafold , the Bavarian royal hymn Heil unserm König, Heil! and the Saxon hymn God bless Sachsenland sung to this melody. This melody is still in use today as Liechtenstein's national anthem .

See also

Web links