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The Norwegian national anthem was written by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson in 1864 for the 50th anniversary of the Norwegian constitution.

The music to the national anthem was composed by Bjørnson's cousin, Rikard Nordraak. Nordraak died in Berlin at the age of 23.


At each lodge meeting we sing Ja Vi Elsker along with the Canadian and American national anthems.


The English phrasing to the right is not an actual translation, but a close approximation, done to create certain words that rhyme and allow the English version to be sung to the same music.

3 VERSIONS
Norwegian is followed, by a way to pronounce the Norwegian, followed by the English version; each with hyphens used to split the words into syllables.

NORWEGIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM
Ja vi elsker dette landet
Yes, we love this land of ours

Just below is the first stanza that we sing at the start of each lodge meeting.  If you would like to practice your singing and pronunciation of the words på Norsk, this is the place.

Also, further down the page are 3 stanzas of the anthem and the ability to listen to the anthem recited, with feeling, in Norwegian .

In addition, the entire anthem can be found at Martins Norwegian Genealogy Magazine - <click here for Ja vi elsker>.  That site also has other Norwegian music files and topics of Norwegian interest.  Click here for Martins home page.

Click here to hear the anthem played.

Ja, vi el-sker det-te lan-det, som det sti-ger frem
Yah, vee ehl-skehr deht-tuh lahn-neh, sohm deh stee-gehr frehm
Yes, we love this land of ou-rs, as with moun-tain domes

fur-et vær-bitt o-ver van-net med de tu-sen hjem,
fewr-eh vær-bitt oh-vehr vahn-neh meh dee tew-sehn yehm, (æ is "a" as in apple)
storm-lashed o'er the sea it tow-ers with the thou-sand homes.

el-sker, el-sker det og ten-ker på vår far og mor
ehl-skehr, ehl-skehr deh oh teng-kehr poh vohr fahr oh moor
Love it dear-ly, ever think-ing of our fa-thers' strife

(louder)
og den sa-ga-natt som sen-ker drøm-me på vår jord,
oh dehn sah-gah-nahtt sohm seng-kehr drøm-muh poh vohr yoor, (ø is "e" in met, with lips rounded to oh)
and the land of Sa-ga sink-ing dreams up-on our life

(loudest)
og den sa-ga-natt som sen-ker, sen-ker drøm-me på vår jord.
oh dehn sah-gah-nahtt sohm seng-kehr, seng-kehr drøm-muh poh vohr yoor.
and the land of Sa-ga sink-ing, sink-ing dreams up-on our life.

Translation and pronunciation credits to http://www.hivolda.no/jpv/Javielsker.htm


Click here to hear the anthem spoken.

"Ja, vi elsker dette landet"
Ja, vi elsker dette landet,
som det stiger frem,
furet, værbitt, over vannet,
med de tusen hjem.
Elsker, elsker det og tenker
på vår far og mor
og den saganatt som senker
drømmer på vår jord.

Norske mann i hus og hytte,
takk din store Gud!
Landet ville han beskytte
skjønt det mørkt så ut.
Alt hva fedrene har kjempet,
mødrene har grett,
har den Herre stille lempet,
så vi vant vår rett.

Ja, vi elsker dette landet,
som det stiger frem,
furet, værbitt over vannet,
med de tusen hjem!
Og som fedres kamp har hevet
det fra nød til seier
også vi når det blir krevet,
for dets fred slår leir.

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