1. History

2. Lyrics

3. See also

4. References

5. External links

"Maamme" ({{IPA-fi|ˈmɑːmːe̞ˣ|lang}}) or "Vårt land" ({{IPA-sv|ˈvoːrt ˈlanːd|langfi}}; both meaning "Our Land") is Finland's national anthem. The music was composed by the German immigrant Fredrik Pacius, with (original Swedish) words by Johan Ludvig Runeberg, and with this music it was performed for the first time on 13 May 1848.^[1] Originally it was written for the 500th anniversary of Porvoo and for that occasion it was Runeberg himself who wrote the music.^[2] The poem has been influenced by the "Szózat" (Appeal) of Mihály Vörösmarty,

both in style and content.^[3]

The melody of "Maamme" is also used for the national anthem of Estonia with a similarly themed text, "Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm" ("My Fatherland, My Happiness and Joy", 1869).^[4] It is also considered to be the ethnic anthem for the Livonians as "Min izāmō" ("My Fatherland").

History

The original poem, written in 1846 but not printed until 1848, had 11 stanzas and formed the prologue to the verse cycle The Tales of Ensign Stål ("Fänrik Ståhls Sägner"), a classic example of Romantic nationalism. The current Finnish language text is usually attributed to the 1889 translation of Ensign Stål by Paavo Cajander, but in fact originates from the 1867 translation by Julius Krohn.^[4][5]

The Tales of Ensign Stål were much appreciated throughout all of Scandinavia. Up until the time of Finland's independence in 1917 and 1918, when the song began to be recognized as specifically applying to Finland, Pacius's tune and Runeberg's text were often also sung in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Note that in the original Swedish text there is no reference to Finland (except for in verses 4 and 10, which are rarely sung), only to a country in the north, but the Finnish text explicitly refers to Finland. The poem's theme is, furthermore, remarkably similar to that of the national anthems of Sweden ("Du gamla, Du fria") and Norway ("Ja, vi elsker dette landet").{{citation needed|date=May 2016}}

There is no law regarding an official national anthem in Finland, in the way the coat of arms and flag of Finland are legally defined. Instead its position has been established gradually by convention over the years.^[6]

Today, "Maamme" is firmly established by convention. Children learn it in school; in formal occasions it is sung both in Finnish and in Swedish. It is played at sporting events, such as the Olympics. In the 1880s and in the 1920s there were more attempts to replace it with a Finnish language version but these ceased by the 1930s.^[7] Some Finns have proposed that the Finnish national anthem be changed to "Finlandia" by Jean Sibelius,^[8] with lyrics by V.A. Koskenniemi (Finnish) and Joel Rundt (Swedish). There are also those who simply prefer "Finlandia" as a musical piece, although critics claim that it is difficult to sing.{{citation needed|date=July 2011}}

It is said that Pacius composed the tune in four days. It was popular throughout the 19th century, but established as national anthem only after Pacius' death.^[10]

The melody of "Maamme" has similarities with the German drinking song "Papst und Sultan". Many believe that Fredrik Pacius intentionally or unintentionally copied parts of the tune.^[9] Another Finnish patriotic song, "Sotilaspoika", composed by Pacius, also includes similarities with "Papst und Sultan".{{citation needed|date=May 2016}}

During 1993, an instrumental version of Maamme was used as professional wrestler Tony Halme's (under the ring name "Ludvig Borga") entrance theme ^[10]

Lyrics

The original lyrics consist of eleven verses but it is customary to sing the first verse and the last verse, unless the people gathered are mixed Finnish and Swedish speaking. In the later case three verses are sung: the first in Finnish, the first in Swedish and the last in Finnish.{{fact|date=July 2018}}

On maamme köyhä, siksi jää,

jos kultaa kaivannet

Sen vieras kyllä hylkäjää,

mut meille kallein maa on tää,

sen salot, saaret, manteret,

ne meist on kultaiset.

Our land is poor, so it remains,

if you long for gold

A stranger sure abandons it,

but to us, the most precious land is this,

its wilds, islands, mainlands,

to us, they are golden.

Vårt land är fattigt, skall så bli

För den, som guld begär.

En främling far oss stolt förbi:

Men detta landet älska vi,

För oss med moar, fjäll och skär

Ett guldland dock det är.

Our land is poor, and so shall be

To him who gold will crave.

The strangers proudly pass, but we

Shall ever love this land, we see,

In moor, and fell, and isle and wave,

A golden land, so brave.

Ovatpa meille rakkahat

koskemme kuohuineen,

ikuisten honkain huminat,

täht'yömme, kesät kirkkahat,

kaikk'kuvineen ja lauluineen

mi painui sydämeen.

They are dear to us

our rapids with their surges

the hummings of eternal pines

our starnights, the summers bright

all that with their pictures and songs

closed to heart.

Vi älska våra strömmars brus

Och våra bäckars språng.

Den mörka skogens dystra sus,

Vår stjärnenatt, vårt sommarljus.

Allt, allt, vad här som syn, som sång

Vårt hjärta rört en gång.

We love our rippling brooks, so bright,

Our gushing streams, so strong,

The whisper of dark woods, at night,

Our starry skies, our summer light,

All, all that we, in sight and song,

Have felt and lived among.

Täss auroin, miekoin, miettehin

isämme sotivat,

kun päivä piili pilvihin

tai loisti onnen paistehin,

täss Suomen kansan vaikeimmat

he vaivat kokivat.

Here with ploughs, swords, thoughts

our fathers fought,

when the day hid in the clouds

or shone with shines of happiness

here the nation of Finland, the most difficult

troubles they experienced.

Här striddes våra fäders strid

Med tanke, svärd och plog.

Här, här, i klar som mulen tid.

Med lycka hård, med lycka blid.

Det finska folkets hjärta slog.

Här bars vad det fördrog.

Here fought our fathers, without fear,

With sword, and plough, and thought.

And here, in clouded times, and clear,

With fortune in their front or rear,

Their Finnish hearts have beat, and wrought

And borne what bear they ought.

Tään kansan taistelut ken voi

ne kertoella, ken?

Kun sota laaksoissamme soi,

ja halla näläntuskan toi,

ken mittasi sen hurmehen

ja kärsimykset sen?

This nation's battles who can

tell them, who?

When a war sounded in our valleys,

and frost brought the pain of hunger,

who measured the blood

and its sufferings?

Vem täljde väl de striders tal.

Som detta folk bestod.

Då kriget röt från dal till dal.

Då frosten kom med hungers kval.

Vem mätte allt dess spillda blod

Och allt dess tålamod?

Who tells, of all the fights, the tale,

In which this folk withstood,

When war did rage from dale to dale,

When frost set in, with hunger’s wail?

Who measured all their pouring blood,

And all their patience good?

Täss on sen veri virrannut

hyväksi meidänkin,

täss iloaan on nauttinut

ja murheitansa huokaillut

se kansa, jolle muinaisin

kuormamme pantihin.

Here has its blood flown

for our sake, too

here has it enjoyed its happiness

and sighed its worries

that nation, to which the most ancient

burden of ours was given.

Och det var här det blodet flöt,

Ja, här för oss det var,

Och det var här sin fröjd det njöt,

Och det var här sin suck det göt.

Det folk som våra bördor bar

Långt före våra dar.

And it was here their blood was shed,

For us, here, on this shore;

And it was here their joys were bred,

Here, that their sighs were heaved and fled,

That people’s who our burdens bore

Before us, long before.

Tääll' olo meill on verraton

ja kaikki suotuisaa,

vaikk onni mikä tulkohon,

maa isänmaa se meillä on.

Mi maailmass on armaampaa

ja mikä kalliimpaa?

Here we have a feeling excellent

and everything favourable,

although be it whatever luck

land fatherland is what we have.

What's sweeter in the world

and what's more precious?

Här är oss ljuvt, här är oss gott,

Här är oss allt beskärt;

Hur ödet kastar än vår lott.

Ett land, ett fosterland vi fått,

Vad finns på jorden mera värt

Att hållas dyrt och kärt?

Here it is sweet and good, we wot,

All, too, is giv’n us here;

However fate may cast our lot,

A land, a fatherland, we’ve got.

Will there a thing on earth appear

More worthy, to hold dear?

Ja tässä, täss' on tämä maa,

sen näkee silmämme.

me kättä voimme ojentaa

ja vettä rantaa osoittaa

ja sanoa: kas tuoss' on se,

maa armas isäimme.

And here is this land,

our eyes see it.

We can reach out a hand

and point at water, shore

and say: see, there's

our father's dearest land.

Och här och här är detta land.

Vårt öga ser det här,

Vi kunna sträcka ut vår hand

Och visa glatt på sjö och strand

Och säga: se det landet där.

Vårt fosterland det är.

And here’s, and here’s this fatherland,

Here every eye it sees;

And we can stretch a pointing hand,

To show, with joy, its sea and strand,

And say, “Behold this country, this,

Our Fatherland it is.”

Jos loistoon meitä saatettais

vaikk' kultapilvihin,

mis itkien ei huoattais,

vaan tärkein riemun sielu sais,

ois tähän köyhään kotihin

halumme kuitenkin.

If we were accompanied to glory

even to golden clouds,

where we wouldn't cry

but most important joy the soul would get,

to this poor home

our will would be.

Och fördes vi att bo i glans

Bland guldmoln i det blå,

Och blev vårt liv en stjärnedans.

Där tår ej göts, där suck ej fanns.

Till detta arma land ändå

Vår längtan skulle stå.

And if we once were made to rise

To gold clouds, from below,

And if we moved in starry skies,

Where no one weeps, where no one sighs,

To this poor lonely country, though,

Our longing hearts would go.

Totuuden, runon kotimaa

maa tuhatjärvinen

miss' elämämme suojan saa,

sa muistojen, sa toivon maa,

ain ollos, onnees tyytyen,

vapaa ja iloinen.

The homeland of truth and poet

the land with a thousand lakes

where our life gets protection,

you the land of memories and hopes,

always be, content with your luck,

free and joyful.

O land, du tusen sjöars land,

Där sång och trohet byggt,

Där livets hav oss gett en strand,

Vår forntids land, vår framtids land.

Var för din fattigdom ej skyggt.

Var fritt, var glatt, var tryggt.

Oh land, the thousand lakes’ own land,

Of faith, and lay, and glee,

Where life’s main sea gave us a strand,

Our fore-time’s land, our future’s land,

Shy of thy poorness, never be,

Be calm, be glad, be free!

See also

• Flag of Finland
• Holidays in Finland
• Finnish national symbols
• "Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm" – the national anthem of Estonia
• "Ålänningens sång" – the regional anthem of Åland
• "Min izāmō" – the ethnic anthem of the Livonians

References

External links

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20161204201642/http://www.nationalanthems.me:80/finland-maamme/ Finland: "Maamme" - Audio of the national anthem of Finland, with information and lyrics]
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhesseSDBzU The Livonian version, sung with organ]
• History of the Finnish national anthem
• Full lyrics at Wikisource
• This Is Finland: The Finnish National Anthem - historical overview and RealAudio of the song
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20040809201054/http://national-anthems.net/countries/index.php?id=FI www.national-anthems.net] - mp3, RealAudio and Windows Media files of performances
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070310135323/http://www.smithsonianglobalsound.org/trackdetail.aspx?itemid=30950 "Papst und Sultan"] - A German drinking-song which resembles the tune of Maamme.

• Bafta award for best special visual effects
• BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor
• BAFTA Award fore Best Makeup
• BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Film
• Bafta Awards
• Bafta awards
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• BAFTA Cymru
• BAFTA (disambiguation)
• BAFTA Film Awards 1992
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• BAFTA Film Awards 2003