Sweden National Anthem

Du gamla, du fria

Thou Ancient, Thou Free

Written 1844

Status Traditional (de facto)

Lyrics Richard Dybeck

Music Traditional folk melody

🌿 Nature ❤ Love of homeland 🏺 Ancestors / Heritage 🕊 Freedom 🏛 Identity | Solemn

Key Facts

1. The words never name Sweden: written when the pan-Scandinavian movement was strong, the song hails 'the North' (Norden), with its mountains, its sun, its sky and its green meadows.
2. The melody is an old folk tune from the province of Västmanland, a variant of the medieval ballad 'Kärestans död' (The Loved One's Death).
3. In 2001 the Riksdag rejected a motion to give the song legal recognition as Sweden's national anthem, after its Committee on the Constitution said there was no need for it; the song's status still rests on tradition alone.

Sweden National Anthem Lyrics

Du gamla, du fria, du fjällhöga nord, du tysta, du glädjerika sköna! Jag hälsar dig, vänaste land uppå jord, din sol, din himmel, dina ängder gröna, din sol, din himmel, dina ängder gröna. Du tronar på minnen från fornstora da'r, då ärat ditt namn flög över jorden. Jag vet att du är och du blir vad du var. Ja, jag vill leva, jag vill dö i Norden, ja, jag vill leva, jag vill dö i Norden.

Translations are non-official and intended to convey meaning, not replace originals

Analysis

Editorial

Written by Richard Dybeck in 1844 and set to a traditional Swedish folk melody. It has never been officially adopted as the national anthem by law but is universally recognized as such. The original first line was 'Du gamla, du friska' (Thou ancient, thou fresh); Dybeck himself later changed it to 'du fria' (thou free).