During the recent summer Olympics in Beijing, China you probably heard quite a few national anthems. Of course, you know the lyrics of your own (at least with a little help from the crowd) and you recognize the melody, even if you find it difficult to hit the high notes. In this task, we ask you to consider the national anthem of a particular country and reflect upon what it reveals about that culture and your relationship to it.
Your teachers will help you with any questions you might have, but the basic instructions for this task are:
Phase One: To be completed between Tuesday, January 20 and Friday, January 30 (Your teacher will set your specific due date.)
1. Pick one country. It need not be your home country, but it can be. You do, however, have to have some personal connection to the country. For instance, Mr. Neal is an American living in Germany, so he might explore the German national anthem. Also, he once had a lengthy conversation with a French friend about the bloody nature of the French national anthem, so he could explore that country's anthem instead. He wouldn't, however, pick South Africa because he has no personal connection with that country.
2. Research the anthem of this country. Again, your teacher will give you exact research parameters, but some links are provided below. Minimally, you must listen to the anthem and read the lyrics several times. (You might need to translate the lyrics to English.) You may also choose to learn more about the composer and lyricist and the general history of the anthem. You will need to cite the information you take from outside sources, so be sure that you understand the basic MLA citation rules before you begin your research. As you research, keep this central question in mind: "What does this song reveal about the country?"
3. Write a blog post about your discoveries. Using the blog feature on Ning, write one to two paragraphs about your discoveries. You need to show what you learned about the country through its anthem and make some personal connections to your own life. You might explain how you came to pick the country in the first place, or you might show how the anthem fills you with pride or creates a bit of unease (be specific). Also, you might ask questions to your team members. Your team members come from all over the world, and we hope that in exploring anthems you begin to explore other cultures (and your own) more deeply.
Remember, these paragraphs should be at least six sentences long and be written in your best English. Also, you need to cite any information that you take from other sources. They need not have an "academic" tone, though. In other words, personality and style are encouraged. Others will read these blogs, so you need to "sell your ideas" to attract comments.
Lyrics of the anthems and other commonly known knowledge, like the fact that Francis Scott Key wrote the lyrics for "The Star Spangled Banner," are part of general knowledge and need not be cited. Ask your teacher when in doubt.
Phase Two: To be completed no later than Friday, February 6 (Your teacher will set your specific due date.)
Once you've posted your blog, you need to comment, at least once, on each team member's blogs. Respond to specific components of their paragraphs, and ask follow-up questions of your own. Please be encouraging and respectful, but avoid general praise like, "Your post was awesome! I really liked it." Be specific.
Respond to specific components of their paragraphs, and ask follow-up questions of your own. Please be encouraging and respectful, but avoid general praise like, "Your post was awesome! I really liked it." Be specific.
Also, feel free to use your own expertise to add to, or disagree with, others' ideas. Examples from your own experiences (and the experiences of your family and friends) are highly encouraged. You will have only one week to respond to team members' blogs, so sign on early and often.
Belgium "La BrabanÁonne" (The Song of Brabant) Words by: Louis-Alexandre Dechet (original French), Victor Ceulemans (Flemish translation) Music by: FranÁois van Campenhout Adopted: 1830I selected Belgium because I married a Belgian three months ago, and I plan on applying for Belgian citizenship this summer. I also live in Belgium and plan to stay for most of my life.
What does this song reveal about Belgium? A lot! First, when Deceht originally wrote the verses, he called the poem ìLa Bruxelloise which applies only to the people who live in Brussels, the capital of Belgium. Decehtís publisher was the one who suggested he should title it ìLa BrabanÁonne to apply to the region of Brabant. This title, incidentally, does not include the Flemish region of Belgium. This reflects the current politics of Belgium which are extremely divided between the Flemish and French regions. Even Brussels gets separated from the two with its own government that was set up in 1989 (which is currently without a leader... again). The verse, ìBy the pure blood split for you, our Fatherland, is a reference, in my opinion, to the division in Belgium between Flemish and French regions. ìPure blood seems to emphasize that many want to keep the Flemish and French regions separate.
The country, in my opinion, does not have ìinvincible unity. There is not even an official version of the Belgium national anthem! Different commissions have been organized to examine the words and melody and set up an official version. None of the committees have been able to reach a final decision on this matter. This is yet again an example of Belgiumís political inability to unite under a shared symbol.
I really enjoy living in Belgium and find the people I meet to be friendly, happy, and fun. As an outsider (who plans to apply for Belgium citizenship, by the way), I can see that the divisions in the country are illustrated in their national anthem.
Did you find any examples of conflicts in your national anthems? Is it OK for me to offer mild criticism of a country that I'm not from? Let me know!
Information found at the following website: http://www.nationalanthems.info/be.htm
Here are the lyrics of the Belgium anthem. Iíve included them in English, French and Dutch since Belgium is officially tri-lingual.
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
Noble Belgium - forever a dear land - We give you our hearts and our arms. By the pure blood split for you, our Fatherland, We swear with one cry - You will live! You will live, always great and beautiful, And your invincible unity Will have as your invincible unity Will have as your immortal emblem - For King, Justice and Liberty! Will have as your immortal emblem - For King, Justice and Liberty! For King, Justice and Liberty! For King, Justice and Liberty! FRENCH LYRICS O Belgique, Ù mËre chÈrie, A toi nos cúurs, ‡ toi nos bras, A toi notre sang, Ù Patrie ! Nous le jurons tous, tu vivras ! Tu vivras toujours grande et belle Et ton invincible unitÈ Aura pour devise immortelle : Le Roi, la Loi, la LibertÈ ! Aura pour devise immortelle : Le Roi, la Loi, la LibertÈ ! Le Roi, la Loi, la LibertÈ ! Le Roi, la Loi, la LibertÈ ! DUTCH LYRICS O dierbaar Belgi O heilig land der vaad'ren Onze ziel en ons hart zijn u gewijd. Aanvaard ons hart en het bloed van onze adren, Wees ons doel in arbeid en in strijd. Bloei, o land, in eendracht niet te breken; Wees immer u zelf en ongeknecht, Het woord getrouw, dat ge onbevreesd moogt spreken: Voor Vorst, voor Vrijheid en voor Recht. Het woord getrouw, dat ge onbevreesd moogt spreken: Voor Vorst, voor Vrijheid en voor Recht. Voor Vorst, voor Vrijheid en voor Recht. Voor Vorst, voor Vrijheid en voor Recht.