Die Stem van Suid-Afrika [English & German subtitles]

#diestem #afrikaans
Die Stem van Suid-Afrika, literally ”The Voice of South Africa” also known as "The Call of South Africa" or simply "Die Stem", is the former national anthem of South Africa. There are two versions of the song, one in Afrikaans and the other in English, which were in use early on in the Union of South Africa alongside God Save the Queen and as the sole anthem after South Africa became a republic. It shared co-national anthem status with "God Save the King/Queen" from 1938 to 1957 and was the sole national anthem from 1957 to 1994.
In May 1918, C.J. Langenhoven wrote an Afrikaans poem called "Die Stem", for which music was composed in 1921 by Marthinus Lourens de Villiers, a reverend. The music composed that ended up being accepted was actually a second version; the first did not satisfy Langenhoven. It was widely used by the South African Broadcasting Corporation in the 1920s, which played it at the close of daily broadcasts, along with "God Save The King". It was recorded for the first time in 1926 when its first and third verses were performed by Betty Steyn in England for the Zonophone record label; it was sung publicly for the first time on 31 May 1928 at a raising of the new South African national flag. In 1938, South Africa proclaimed it to be one of the two co-national anthems of the country, along with "God Save the King".
It was sung in English as well as Afrikaans from 1952 onward, with both versions having official status in the eyes of the state, while "God Save the Queen" did not cease to be a co-national anthem until May 1957, when it was dropped from that role. However, it remained the country's royal anthem until 1961, as it was a Commonwealth realm until that point. The poem originally had only three verses, but the government asked the author to add a fourth verse with a religious theme. The English version is for the most part a faithful translation of the Afrikaans version with a few minor changes.
Afrikaans:
Die Stem van Suid-Afrika
Uit die blou van onse hemel,
Uit die diepte van ons see,
Oor ons ewige gebergtes
Waar die kranse antwoord gee.
Deur ons vêr-verlate vlaktes
Met die kreun van ossewa -
Ruis die stem van ons geliefde,
Van ons land Suid-Afrika.
Ons sal antwoord op jou roepstem,
Ons sal offer wat jy vra:
Ons sal lewe, ons sal sterwe -
Ons vir jou, Suid-Afrika.
In die murg van ons gebeente,
In ons hart en siel en gees,
In ons roem op ons verlede,
In ons hoop op wat sal wees.
In ons wil en werk en wandel,
Van ons wieg tot aan ons graf -
Deel geen ander land ons liefde,
Trek geen ander trou ons af.
Vaderland! Ons sal die adel,
Van jou naam met ere dra:
Waar en trou as Afrikaners -
Kinders van Suid-Afrika.
In die songloed van ons somer,
In ons winternag se kou,
In die lente van ons liefde,
In die lanfer van ons rou.
By die klink van huw'liks-klokkies,
By die kluit-klap op die kis -
Streel jou stem ons nooit verniet nie,
Weet jy waar jou kinders is.
Op jou roep sê ons nooit nee nie,
Sê ons altyd, altyd ja:
Om te lewe, om te sterwe -
Ja, ons kom, Suid-Afrika.
Op U Almag vas vertrouend
Het ons vadere gebou:
Skenk ook ons die krag, o Here!
Om te handhaaf en te hou -
Dat die erwe van ons vad're
Vir ons kinders erwe bly:
Knegte van die Allerhoogste,
Teen die hele wêreld vry.
Soos ons vadere vertrou het,
Leer ook ons vertrou, o Heer -
Met ons land en met ons nasie
Sal dit wel wees, God regeer.
English lyrics:
The Call of South Africa
Ringing out from our blue heavens,
From our deep seas breaking round;
Over everlasting mountains,
Where the echoing crags resound;
From our plains where creaking wagons
Cut their trails into the earth,
Calls the spirit of our country,
Of the land that gave us birth.
At thy call we shall not falter,
Firm and steadfast we shall stand,
At thy will to live or perish,
O South Africa, dear land.
In our body and our spirit,
In our inmost heart held fast;
In the promise of our future,
And the glory of our past;
In our will, our work, our striving,
From the cradle to the grave -
There's no land that shares our loving,
And no bond that can enslave.
Thou hast borne us and we know thee,
May our deeds to all proclaim
Our enduring love and service
To thy honour and thy name.
In the golden warmth of summer,
In the chill of winter's air,
In the surging life of springtime,
In the autumn of despair;
When the wedding bells are chiming
Or when those we love do depart,
Thou dost know us for thy children
And dost take us to thy heart
Loudly peals the answering chorus:
We are thine, and we shall stand,
Be it life or death, to answer
To thy call, beloved land.
In thy power, Almighty, trusting,
Did our fathers build of old;
Strengthen then, O Lord, their children
To defend, to love, to hold -
That the heritage they gave us
For our children yet may be:
Bondsmen only to the Highest
And before the whole world free.
As our fathers trusted humbly,
Teach us, Lord to trust Thee still:
Guard our land and guide our people
In Thy way to do Thy will.