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La Brabançonne English: The Brabançonne

Score of the Brabançonne, dated around 1910.
National anthem of  Belgium
Lyrics Jenneval (Louis-Alexandre Dechet), 1830
Music François Van Campenhout, 1830
Adopted 1860
Music sample

The Brabançonne (Song of Brabant) is the national anthem of Belgium. The anthem has a French, a Dutch and a German version, for the three official languages of the country.

History

According to legend, the Belgian national anthem was written in September 1830, during the Belgian Revolution, by a young revolutionary called Jenneval, who read the lyrics during a meeting at the Aigle d'Or café.

Jenneval, a Frenchman whose real name was Alexandre Dechet (sometimes known as Louis-Alexandre Dechet), did in fact write the Brabançonne. At the time, he was an actor at the theatre where, in August 1830, the revolution started which led to independence from the Netherlands. Jenneval died in the war of independence. François Van Campenhout composed the accompanying score and it was first performed in September 1830.

In 1860, Belgium formally adopted the song and music as its national anthem, although the then prime minister edited lyrics attacking the Dutch Prince of Orange.

The Brabançonne is also a monument (1930) by the sculptor Charles Samuël on the Surlet de Chokier square in Brussels. The monument contains partial lyrics of both the French and Dutch versions of the anthem. As many elements in Belgian folklore, this is mainly based on the French "La Marseillaise" which is also an anthem and the name of a monument in Paris.

The ending, pledging loyalty to "Le Roi, la Loi, la Liberté !" ("The King, the Law, Liberty!") is an obvious parallel to the French "Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite" - with the republican sentiment of the original replaced in the Belgian version by the promotion of constitutional monarchy (the combination of "The King" and "The Law" is what produces "Liberty"). Actually, a slogan similar to the Belgian one - "la Nation, la Loi, le Roi" ("The Nation, The Law, The King") - had been used in the early days of the French Revolution, when that revolution was still considered to be aimed at Constitutional Monarchy rather than a Republic.

Lyrics

French language official text

Ô Belgique, ô mère chérie, À toi nos cœurs, à toi nos bras, À toi notre sang, ô Patrie ! Nous le jurons tous, tu vivras ! Tu vivras toujours grande et belle Et ton invincible unité Aura pour devise immortelle : Le Roi, la Loi, la Liberté ! Aura pour devise immortelle : Le Roi, la Loi, la Liberté ! Le Roi, la Loi, la Liberté ! Le Roi, la Loi, la Liberté !

Dutch language official text

O dierbaar België, O heilig land der Vad'ren, Onze ziel en ons hart zijn u gewijd. Aanvaard ons kracht en bloed van ons ad'ren, Wees ons doel in arbeid en in strijd. Bloei, o land, in eendracht niet te breken; Wees immer uzelf en ongeknecht, Het woord getrouw, dat g' onbevreesd moogt spreken, Voor Vorst, voor Vrijheid en voor Recht! Het woord getrouw, dat g' onbevreesd moogt spreken, Voor Vorst, voor Vrijheid en voor Recht! Voor Vorst, voor Vrijheid en voor Recht! Voor Vorst, voor Vrijheid en voor Recht!

German language official text

O liebes Land, o Belgiens Erde, Dir unser Herz, Dir unsere Hand, Dir unser Blut, dem Heimatherde, wir schworen's Dir, o Vaterland! So blühe froh in voller Schöne, zu der die Freiheit Dich erzog, und fortan singen Deine Söhne: "Gesetz und König und die Freiheit hoch!" und fortan singen Deine Söhne: "Gesetz und König und die Freiheit hoch!" "Gesetz und König und die Freiheit hoch!" "Gesetz und König und die Freiheit hoch!"

Poetic English Translation of the French Version

Noble Belgium - forever a dear land - You, our hearts and our arms, we give. With pure blood split for you, Fatherland We swear with one cry - You will live! You will live, great and beautiful, As shall ever your unity As is your emblem immortal - For King, Justice and Liberty! As is your emblem immortal - For King, Justice and Liberty! For King, Justice and Liberty! For King, Justice and Liberty! Wikisource has original text related to this article:

See also

• De Vlaamse Leeuw
• Le Chant des Wallons

External links

• Himnuszok - The "Himnuszok" website has vocal versions of the Dutch and the French versions of the Anthem.
• Belgium National Anthem MIDI (5ko)
• File AU Belgium National Anthem instrumental music (570ko)
• [1] - French, German and Dutch

National anthems of Europe
National anthems
of sovereign states
National and regional
anthems of other
political entities