national anthems

Rob Schaap rws at comedu.canberra.edu.au
Tue Mar 14 02:53:15 PST 2000


G'day Russ,

Whilst it would be silly of me to argue that the connotation of 'Die Stem' is not racist (how could it be anything else?), I do submit that both the music and the natural references* (especially in the Afrikaans) are quite lovely (albeit the first two lines refer to the Voortrekkers, effectively leaving everybody else out), making it almost as good an anthem as those of France and the USofA, and better than any other I've heard (and I'm keen enough a football fan to have heard a few). Nkosi Sikelele is lovely, too, but, as you say, has no chance to induce the reverie it seeks within the context of the rather more western/martial note struck by the 'Stem' fragments. Twenty years from now, 'Die Stem' will disappear, I reckon. I'm not sure it's the sort of thing worth kicking up a fuss about, as I can imagine many an Afrikaner would still be prepared to spill blood in defence of this last vestige of Afrikaans heritage.

And risking the spilling of real blood in the hope of hastening the demise of a doomed symbol, which will never stir the heart of thirty-five million non-white South Africans anyway, seems a moot proposition (not that you've suggested such a thing, natch).

I still like The Internationale, meself - although I'm trying to kick up some interest in making Australia's new anthem 'Friday On My Mind' - I've only got four months to achieve my noble goal, as otherwise our ghastly 'Advance Australia Fair' will drive you lot out of your minds through sheer mind-numbing repetition, come the Olympic swimming events.

Cheers, Rob.

*('scure spelling - it's been thirty years) Oor ons ver verlate vlaktes met die kreun van oss wa Uit die blou van onze hemel Uit die diepte van ons see oor ons ewige gebergtes waar die kranse antwoord gee



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