All anthems

Iceland

Lofsóngur

Lofsongur

Hymn

Written 1874
Adopted 1944
Lyrics Matthias Jochumsson
Music Sveinbjorn Sveinbjornsson
✝ God / Faith 🌿 Nature 🏺 Ancestors / Heritage | Prayerful

Context

Written by Matthias Jochumsson for the celebration of the millennium of Iceland's settlement in 1874. The deeply religious text is set to music by Sveinbjorn Sveinbjornsson. It became the anthem upon Iceland's full independence from Denmark in 1944.

Lyrics

Ó guð vors lands! Ó lands vors guð! Vér lofum þitt heilaga, heilaga nafn! Úr sólkerfum himnanna hnytja þér krún þinn herskógða, timanna safn. Fyrir þér er einn dagur sem þsúnd ár, og þsúnd ár dagur, ei meir; eitt eilifar smáblom með titrandi tár, sem tilbiður guð sínn og deyr.

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

Interesting facts

  • • Written specifically for the 1,000th anniversary celebration of Iceland's settlement in 874 AD
  • • One of the most overtly religious national anthems in Europe, essentially a hymn to God
  • • Jochumsson reportedly wrote the poem in a single night of inspiration

Related anthems

Denmark Norway