De Alde Friezen

De Alde Friezen
English: The Old Frisians
	Regional anthem of Friesland
Lyrics	Eeltsje Halbertsma / Jacobus van Loon, 1876
Music	Heinrich Christian Schnoor

"De Alde Friezen" (English: "The Frisians of Old") is the anthem of the Friesland province of the Netherlands.^[1]

The text is by the Frisian writer Eeltsje Halbertsma.^[1] The version commonly sung today is an abridgement, dating from 1876, by Jacobus van Loon. The words were not set to music until after Halbertsma's death; they were first sung in 1875 at a ceremony held to commemorate his work. The song was adopted as the Frisian anthem by the Selskip foar Frysk Taal- en Skriftekennisse (Society for Frisian Language and Literature) on the urging of politician, writer and poet Pieter Jelles Troelstra (1860–1930) and has served as the anthem of Friesland ever since.

Lyrics[edit]

Frysk bloed tsjoch op! Wol noris brûze en siede,
en bûnzje troch ús ieren om!
Flean op! Wy sjonge it bêste lân fan d'ierde,
it Fryske lân fol eare en rom.

Refrein:
Klink dan en daverje fier yn it rûn,
Dyn âlde eare, o Fryske grûn! (2x)

Hoe ek fan oermacht, need en see betrutsen,
oerâlde, leave Fryske grûn,
Nea waard dy fêste, taaie bân ferbrutsen,
dy't Friezen oan har lân ferbûn.

(Refrein)

Fan bûgjen frjemd, bleau by 't âld folk yn eare,
syn namme en taal, syn frije sin;
Syn wurd wie wet; rjocht, sljocht en trou syn leare,
en twang, fan wa ek, stie it tsjin.

(Refrein)

Trochloftich folk fan dizze âlde namme,
wês jimmer op dy âlders great!
Bliuw ivich fan dy grize, hege stamme,
in grien, in krêftich bloeiend leat!

(Refrein)

Frisian blood, brew! Foam and boil,
and beat through our veins!
Rise! We sing of the best land on the Earth,
the Frisian land, full of honour and glory.

Chorus:
It resounds and thunders far and wide,
Thine ancient honour, oh Frisian soil! (2x)

Despite threats from great powers, hardships, and the sea,
ancient and beloved Frisian soil,
Never were the steadfast bonds broken,
that bound the Frisians to their land.

(Chorus)

Bowing to no one, the old Frisians retained their honour,
their name and language, their sense of freedom.
Their word was law; fair, modest, and true was its doctrine,
and opposed to coercion, from whomever it might come.

(Chorus)

Honourable people of this ancient name,
be always proud of your forefathers!
Remain forever, on that tall, grey trunk
a green and strong, flowering branch!

(Chorus)

References[edit]

^ ^a ^b Koopmans, Joop W.; Jr, Arend H. Huussen (2007-05-22). Historical Dictionary of the Netherlands. Scarecrow Press. p. 89. ISBN 978-0-8108-6444-3.

External links[edit]

Vocal rendition (MP3 file) (first stanza and chorus)
Vom hoh'n Olymp^{[permanent dead link]} (the melody of which was used for De âlde Friezen)

[:0-1] Koopmans, Joop W.; Jr, Arend H. Huussen (2007-05-22). Historical Dictionary of the Netherlands. Scarecrow Press. p. 89. ISBN 978-0-8108-6444-3.

[1]