Lofsongur: This is what Iceland’s national anthem means

The Iceland of football , famous for its geyser sound, and a strongly patriotic team, inextricably linked to its country and its anthem.
The Icelandic national anthem is called Lofsongur and is a prayer song, also known as O Gud Vors Lands, O God of our land. [/ Vc_column_text] [/ vc_column] [/ vc_row]

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Its origins date back to 1874, on the occasion of the commemoration of the millennium of the Icelandic settlement. Born as a symbol of autonomy, it soon became a patriotic ode.
The text, taken from Psalm 90, was written by the reverend Matthias Jochumsson (1835-1920), an Icelandic poet much loved by his compatriots. The music, on the other hand, was composed by Sveinbjorn Sveinbjornsson (1847-1926), the first Icelandic composer to be successful in the field of music.
And precisely in Scotland, in the city of Edinburgh where the composer was staying, the notes of this prayer song come to life, which is remembered with the commemorative plaque right at Sveinbjornsson’s house.
Originally it was only a local anthem, given the partial autonomy granted by the Danes, but when Iceland achieved full independence it became in effect the official national anthem.
The peculiarity of this song is that despite being composed of three parts, only the first is really sung .
Here is the complete text in the original language, followed by the translation of the part actually sung: [/ vc_column_text] [/ vc_column] [/ vc_row]

Original text
O, gud vors lands! O, lands vors gud!
Ver lofum bitt heilaga, heilaga nafn!
Ur solkerfum himnanna hnyta ber krans
binir herskarar, timanna safn.
Fyrir ber er einn dagur sem busund ar
and busund ar day, no more:
one eternal smablom with vibrating tar,
which worships his god and dies.
Islands busund ar!
Islands busund ar!
one eternal smablom with vibrating tar,
which worships his god and dies.
Oh, god, oh, god! May the foals of the
ancient, burning hall, God the
Father, be our Lord from generation to generation,
and may we cherish our most sacred language.
Be quiet and happy, because
you are our only shelter.
Ver kvokum og bokkum med titrandi tar,
bvi bu tilbjost vort forlagahjol.
Iceland’s bushes,
in the morning were gloomy, rhythmic tar,
which warmed by the shining sun.
Oh, gud vors lands! Oh, lands vors gud!
Ver lifum sem blaktandi, blaktandi stra.,
Ver deyjum, ef bu ert ei ljos bad og lif,
sem ad lyftir oss duftinu fra.
O, vert bu hvern morgun vort ljufasta lif,
vor leidtogi i daganna braut
og a kvoldin vor himneska hvild og vor hlif
og vor hertogi a bjodlifsins braut.
Islands busund ar,
verdi groandi bjodlif med bverrandi tar,
sem broskast a gudsrikis braut.

Translation
O God of our land! O land of our God!
We worship Your name in its sublime beauty.
The suns of the heavens are placed on His crown
by the legions, which are the ages of time.
With You every day and like a thousand years,
a thousand years, no more than a day: flower of eternity, which
gently dies
with its homage of tears .
The thousand years of Iceland!
The thousand years of iceland!
Flower of eternity, which gently dies with its homage of tears
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And for those who have never heard it, here is the melody of Lofsongur, which in a few days we will hear singing from the Icelandic national team players at the World Cup in Russia :
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