The national anthem of the Transvaal (Afrikaans

Afrikaans

Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...

 and Dutch

Dutch language

Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...

: Volkslied van Transvaal) was the national anthem of the independent Boer Republic

Boer Republics

The Boer Republics were independent self-governed republics created by the northeastern frontier branch of the Dutch-speaking inhabitants of the north eastern Cape Province and their descendants in mainly the northern and eastern parts of what is now the country of...

 of the South African Republic

South African Republic

The South African Republic , often informally known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer-ruled country in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century. Not to be confused with the present-day Republic of South Africa, it occupied the area later known as the South African...

, which was also known as the Transvaal Republic. It is one of many South African Flag songs.

The words and music of the Transvaalse Volkslied are by Catharina F van Rees, and it is dated 1875 - surprisingly it dates to the period before the annexation of 1879, because the emotions seem to blend well with those of the victorious rebels of 1881. Possibly, this date accounts for the song's non-avoidance of the word Transvaal, which was the name of the state so strongly rejected in the uprising of 1880-81. The arrangement is by G G Cillie.

Lyrics

Original Dutch lyrics	Afrikaans translation	English translation
First verse
Kent gij dat volk vol heldenmoed	Ken jy die Volk vol heldemoed,	Do you know the nation full of heroism,
En toch zo lang geknecht?	En tog so lank verkneg,	And yet so long oppressed?
Het heeft geofferd goed en bloed	Hy het geoffer goed en bloed	It sacrificed property and blood
Voor vrijheid en voor recht	Vir Vryheid en vir reg	For freedom and for justice.
Komt burgers! laat de vlaggen wapp'ren	Kom burgers! laat die vlae wapper	Come on, burghers, let's wave the flags,
Ons lijden is voorbij	Ons lyding is verby	Our suffering is over;
Roemt in de zege onzer dapp'ren	Roem in die sege van onse dapp'res	Praise the victories of our heroes:
Dat vrije volk zijn wij!	'n Vrye volk is ons!	We are the free nation!
Dat vrije volk, dat vrije volk	'n Vrye volk, 'n Vrye volk	The free nation, the free nation,
Dat vrije, vrije volk zijn wij!	'n Vrye, Vrye volk is ons!	We are the free, free nation!
Second verse
Kent gij dat land zo schaars bezocht	Ken jy die land so min bekend	Do you know the land, so rarely visited
En toch zo heerlijk schoon	En tog so heerlik skoon	And yet so wonderful;
Waar de natuur haar wond'ren wrocht	Waar die natuur haar wonders skenk	Where the nature creates its wonders,
En kwistig stelt ten toon?	En kwistig stel ten toon	And displays them luxuriantly?
Transvalers! laat ons feestlied schallen	Transvalers! Laat ons feeslied galm	Transvaalers, let's ring out our anthem!
Daar waar ons volk hield stand	Waar vas ons volk moet staan	Where our nation held out,
Waar onze vreugdeschoten knallen	Waar onse vreugdeskote g'knalt	Where we are firing our salutes,
Daar is ons vaderland!	Daar is ons vaderland!	There is our native land!
Dat heerlijk land, dat heerlijk land	'n Heerlik land, 'n Heerlik land	The wonderful land, the wonderful land
Dat is, dat is ons vaderland!	Dit is, Dit is ons vaderland!	That is, that is our native land!
Third verse
Kent gij de Staat, nog maar een kind	Ken jy die staat, nog maar 'n kind	Do you know the state, still a child
In 's werelds Statenrij	In wêrelds statery	In the rank of the world's states,
Maar toch door't machtig Brits bewind	Maar tog deur magtig Brits bewind	But by the mighty Britain
Weleerd verklaard voor vrij?	Weleer verklaar as vry	Once declared free?
Transvalers! edel was uw streven	Transvalers! edel was ons strewe	Transvaalers! Noble was your strive,
En pijnlijk onze smaad	En pynlik onse smaad	And painful our shame,
Maar God die uitkomst heeft gegeven	Maar God wat uitkoms het gegewe	But God was our salvation,
Zij lof voor d'eigen Staat!	Sy lof vir eie staat	Praise Him for our own state!
Looft onze God! looft onze God!	Loof onse God! loof onse God!	Praise our God! Praise our God!
Looft onze God voor land en Staat!	Loof onse God vir land en staat!	Praise our God for land and state!

See also

• National anthem of South Africa
  National anthem of South Africa
  Since 1997, the South African national anthem has been a hybrid song combining new English lyrics with extracts of the hymn "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika" and the former anthem "Die Stem van Suid-Afrika" . The fact that it shifts and ends in a different key, a feature it shares with the Italian national...
  
  
• Die Stem van Suid-Afrika
  Die Stem van Suid-Afrika
  Die Stem van Suid-Afrika was the national anthem of South Africa from 1957 to 1994, and shared national anthem status with Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika until 1997, when a new hybrid anthem was adopted. It was also the anthem for South-West Africa under South African mandate until 1990.- Background :In...
  
  
• National anthem of the Orange Free State
  National anthem of the Orange Free State
  The national anthem of the Orange Free State was used from 1854 until 1902 as the national anthem of the Orange Free State.-Lyrics:-Published versions:-See also:...
  
  
• List of national anthems

External links