Borogravian National Anthem: Difference between revisions

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The last line - whilst problematic to speakers of [[Morporkian]] - is a reference to something good about to happen.
The last line - whilst problematic to speakers of [[Morporkian]] - is a reference to something good about to happen.
==Annotation==
A real world equivalent could be the Anthem of {{wp|Romania|Romania}}, an eastern Balkan country with a past not unlike Borogravia's, which also starts with '''Awake!''' and is quite warlike:
:''Awake, Romanian, shake off the deadly slumber
:''The scourge of inauspicious barbarian tyrannies
:''And now or never to a bright horizon clamber
:''That shall to shame put all your enemies.
:''It's now or never that we prove to the world
:''That in these veins still flows Roman blood
:''And in our hearts for ever we glorify a name
:''Triumphant in battles, the name of gallant Trajan.
 
:''Behold, imperial shadows, Michael, Stephen, Corvinus
:''At the Romanian nation, your mighty progeny
:''With arms like steel and hearts of fire impetuous
:''"Life in liberty, or death", that's what we all decree.
:''Priests, raise the cross, as this army is Christian
:''Give it liberty and it's sanctified scope
:''We'd rather die in glorious battle
:''Than live again enslaved on our ancestral land.


[[Category:Discworld concepts]]
[[Category:Discworld concepts]]
[[Category:Discworld culture]]
[[Category:Discworld culture]]

Latest revision as of 02:55, 11 February 2014

The Borogravian National Anthem is probably one of the most warlike anthems going:

Awake, ye sons of the Motherland!
Taste no more the wine of the sour apples
Woodsmen, grasp your choppers!
Farmers, slaughter with the tool formerly used for lifting beets the foe!
Frustrate the endless wiles of our enemies
We into the darkness march singing
Against the whole world in arms coming
But see the golden light upon the mountain tops!
The new day is a great big fish!

As Samuel Vimes remarked to Ankh-Morpork's diplomatic envoy any national anthem that starts with Awake! is going to cause trouble.

The last line - whilst problematic to speakers of Morporkian - is a reference to something good about to happen.


Annotation

A real world equivalent could be the Anthem of Romania, an eastern Balkan country with a past not unlike Borogravia's, which also starts with Awake! and is quite warlike:

Awake, Romanian, shake off the deadly slumber
The scourge of inauspicious barbarian tyrannies
And now or never to a bright horizon clamber
That shall to shame put all your enemies.
It's now or never that we prove to the world
That in these veins still flows Roman blood
And in our hearts for ever we glorify a name
Triumphant in battles, the name of gallant Trajan.
Behold, imperial shadows, Michael, Stephen, Corvinus
At the Romanian nation, your mighty progeny
With arms like steel and hearts of fire impetuous
"Life in liberty, or death", that's what we all decree.
Priests, raise the cross, as this army is Christian
Give it liberty and it's sanctified scope
We'd rather die in glorious battle
Than live again enslaved on our ancestral land.