Switzerland National Anthem
Schweizerpsalm
Swiss Psalm
1841
1981
Leonhard Widmer
Alberich Zwyssig
✝ God / Faith 🌿 Nature 🕊 Freedom |
Key Facts
- 1. The Swiss Society for the Common Good (SGG) ran a competition for new lyrics to the same melody: 208 entries arrived by June 2014, and a winning text by Werner Widmer was announced in September 2015. It has not replaced the official Swiss Psalm.
- 2. Composer Alberich Zwyssig was a Cistercian monk at Wettingen Abbey. For Widmer's poem he adapted a church piece he had composed in 1835 on the psalm text 'Diligam te Domine' (I will love thee, O Lord).
- 3. In a 2000 survey of 555 people in German- and French-speaking Switzerland, only 3 percent could sing the whole anthem, though one in three knew the first stanza by heart.
- 4. Between 1894 and 1953 there were repeated proposals to make the Swiss Psalm the national anthem. The Federal Council turned them down, holding that an anthem should be chosen by the people, not imposed by decree.
Switzerland National Anthem Lyrics
Trittst im Morgenrot daher,
Seh'ich dich im Strahlenmeer,
Dich, du Hocherhabener, Herrlicher!
Wenn der Alpenfirn sich rötet,
Betet, freie Schweizer, betet!
Eure fromme Seele ahnt
Eure fromme Seele ahnt
Gott im hehren Vaterland,
Gott, den Herrn, im hehren Vaterland.
Kommst im Abendglühn daher,
Find'ich dich im Sternenheer,
Dich, du Menschenfreundlicher, Liebender!
In des Himmels lichten Räumen
Kann ich froh und selig träumen!
Denn die fromme Seele ahnt
Denn die fromme Seele ahnt
Gott im hehren Vaterland,
Gott, den Herrn, im hehren Vaterland.
Ziehst im Nebelflor daher,
Such'ich dich im Wolkenmeer,
Dich, du Unergründlicher, Ewiger!
Aus dem grauen Luftgebilde
Tritt die Sonne klar und milde,
Und die fromme Seele ahnt
Und die fromme Seele ahnt
Gott im hehren Vaterland,
Gott, den Herrn, im hehren Vaterland.
Fährst im wilden Sturm daher,
Bist du selbst uns Hort und Wehr,
Du, allmächtig Waltender, Rettender!
In Gewitternacht und Grauen
Lasst uns kindlich ihm vertrauen!
Ja, die fromme Seele ahnt,
Ja, die fromme Seele ahnt,
Gott im hehren Vaterland,
Gott, den Herrn, im hehren Vaterland.
Translations are non-official and intended to convey meaning, not replace originals
Analysis
EditorialLeonhard Widmer's words were set to music by Alberich Zwyssig in 1841. The Federal Council made the Swiss Psalm the provisional national anthem in 1961, in place of 'Rufst du, mein Vaterland' (sung to the melody of the British 'God Save the King'), and declared it the official anthem on 1 April 1981. The anthem exists in four official versions corresponding to Switzerland's four national languages: German, French, Italian, and Romansh.
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Sources & References
- Schweizer Landeshymne . The Federal Authorities of the Swiss Confederation
Source & Review
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- Official source verified
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- AI-assisted working translation
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- Government text
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- Nationalia
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