GERMAN LYRICS

Trittst im Morgenrot daher,
Seh' ich dich im Strahlenmeer,
Dich, du Hocherhabener, Herrlicher!
Wenn der Alpen Firn sich rötet,
Betet, freie Schweizer, betet,
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 
Bricht 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! 

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FRENCH LYRICS

Sur nos monts, quand le soleil
Annonce un brillant réveil,
Et prédit d'un plus beau jour Le retour,
Les beautés de la patrie
Parlent à l'âme attendrie;
Au ciel montent plus joyeux
Les accents d'un coeur pieux,
Les accents émus d'un coeur pieux.

Lorsqu'un doux rayon du soir 
Joue encore dans le bois noir, 
Le coeur se sent plus heureux près de Dieu 
Loin des vain bruits de la plaine 
L'âme en paix est plus sereine; 
Au ciel montent plus joyeux, 
Au ciel montent plus joyeux, 
Les accents d'un coeur pieux, 
Les accents émus d'un coeur pieux. 

Lorsque dans la sombre nuit 
La foudre éclate avec bruit, 
Notre coeur pressent encore le Dieu fort. 
Dans l'orage et la détresse, 
Il est notre forteresse. 
Offrons-Lui de coeurs pieux 
Offrons-Lui de coeurs pieux 
Dieu nous bénira des cieux, 
Dieu nous bénira du hauts des cieux. 

Des grand monts vient le secours, 
Suisse! espère en Dieu toujours! 
Garde la foi des aïeux, vis comme eux! 
Sur l'autel de la partrie 
Met tes biens, ton coeurs, ta vie! 
C'est le trésor précieux 
C'est le trésor précieu 
Que Dieu nous bénira des cieux, 
Que Dieu nous bénira du hauts des cieux.

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ITALIAN LYRICS
 
 Quando bionda aurora
il mattin c'indora
l'alma mia t'adora
re del ciel!
Quando l'alpe già rosseggia
a pregare allor t'atteggia;
in favor del patrio suol,
in favor del patrio suol,
cittadino Iddio lo vuol,
cittadino Dio, si Dio lo vuol.
 
Se di stelle è un giubilo
la celeste sfera
Te ritrovo a sera
o Signor!
Nella notte silenziosa
l'alma mia in Te riposa:
libertà, concordia, amor,
libertà, concordia, amor,
all'Elvezia serba ognor,
all'Elvezia serba ognor.
 
Se di nubi un velo
m'asconde il tuo cielo  
pel tuo raggio anelo
Dio d'amore!
Fuga o sole quei vapori
e mi rendi i tuoi favori:
di mia patria deh! Pietà
di mia patria deh! Pietà
brilla, o sol di verità,
brilla sol, o sol di verità!
 
Quando rugge e strepita
impetuoso il nembo
m'è ostel tuo grembo
o Signor!
In te fido Onnipossente
deh, proteggi nostra gente;
Libertà, concordia, amor,
Libertà, concordia, amor,
all'Elvezia serba ognor
all'Elvezia serba ognor. 

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SURSELVISCH LYRICS
 
Cu las pezzas dal sulegl 
Splendureschan bein marvegl, 
Ves jeu Tei, sublim Signur, 
Creatur! 
Cu las brischan dall' aurora, 
Ura, liber Svizzer, ura! 
Ti has lu in sentiment, 
Ti has lu in sentiment, 
De tiu Bab sul firmament, 
De tiu Bab, tiu Bab, sul firmament. 

Cu il serendent sulegl 
Resplendescha da smarvegl, 
Anflel Tei, miu Creatur, 
Amatur! 
Vesel nundumbreirlas steilas, 
Tarlischontas sco candeilas. 
Jeu hai lu in sentiment, 
Jeu hai lu in sentiment, 
De tiu Bab sul firmament, 
De tiu Bab, tiu Bab, sul firmament. 

Cu orcans sut il sulegl 
Mettan tut en discavegl, 
Stai cun mei, o Directeur, 
Salvatur! 
Els orcans ils pli sgarscheivels. 
Su cun Tiu agid statteivels. 
Jeu hai lu in sentiment, 
Jeu hai lu in sentiment, 
De tiu Bab sul firmament, 
De tiu Bab, tiu Bab, sul firmament. 

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RUMANTSCH Words
 
En l'aurora la damaun ta salida il carstgaun,
spiert etern dominatur, Tutpussent!
Cur ch'ils munts straglischan sura,
ura liber Svizzer, ura.
Mia olma senta ferm,
Mia olma senta ferm Dieu en tschiel,
il bab etern, Dieu en tschiel, il bab etern.
 
Er la saira en splendur da las stailas en l'azur
tai chattain nus, creatur, Tutpussent!
Cur ch'il firmament sclerescha en noss cors
fidanza crescha.
Mia olma senta ferm,
Mia olma senta ferm Dieu en tschiel,
il bab etern, Dieu en tschiel, il bab etern.
 
Ti a nus es er preschent en il stgir dal firmament,
ti inperscrutabel spiert, Tutpussent!
Tschiel e terra t'obedeschan
vents e nivels secundeschan.
Mia olma senta ferm,
Mia olma senta ferm Dieu en tschiel,
il bab etern, Dieu en tschiel, il bab etern.
 
Cur la furia da l'orcan fa tremblar il cor uman
alur das ti a nus vigur, Tutpussent!
Ed en temporal sgarschaivel
stas ti franc a nus fidaivel.
Mia olma senta ferm,
Mia olma senta ferm Dieu en tschiel,
Il bab etern, Dieu en tschiel, il bab etern.
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ENGLISH TRANSLATION
 
When the morning skies grow red 
And o'er their radiance shed, 
Thou, O Lord, appeareth in their light. 
When the Alps glow bright with splendour, 
Pray to God, to Him surrender, 
For you feel and understand, 
For you feel and understand, 
That he dwelleth in this land. 
That he dwelleth in this land. 

In the sunset Thou art nigh 
And beyond the starry sky, 
Thou, O loving Father, ever near. 
When to Heaven we are departing, 
Joy and bliss Thou'lt be imparting, 
For we feel and understand 
For we feel and understand 
That Thou dwellest in this land. 
That Thou dwellest in this land. 

When dark clouds enshroud the hills 
And gray mist the valley fills, 
Yet Thou art not hidden from Thy sons. 
Pierce the gloom in which we cower 
With Thy sunshine's cleansing power 
Then we'll feel and understand 
Then we'll feel and understand 
That God dwelleth in this land. 
That God dwelleth in this land. 


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Switzerland
"Schweizer Psalm" (Swiss Psalm)

Words by:Leonhard Widmer (German), Charles Chatelanat (French), Camillo
Valsangiacomo (Italian), and Alfons Tuor (Surselvish)
Music by:Alberik Zwyssig
In use since:1961, adopted 1981

In the summer of 1841, Alberik Zwyssig received a piece of mail from Leonhard
Widmer, a music publisher, journalist and lyricist from Zurich. The mail
contained a patriotic poem that Widmer had written and wanted set to music.
Zwyssig chose to use a hymn that he had composed to the psalm "Diligam te
Domine" (I will love Thee, O Lord) for an ordination service in 1835 when he
was music director at the monastery in Wettingen. On November 22, 1841, Zwyssig
rehearsed his "Schweizerpsalm" (Swiss Psalm) for the first time with four
residents of Zug. The song turned out to be very popular in several Swiss
cantons, and numerous attempts were made between 1894 and 1953 to have it
declared the Swiss national anthem, but they were consistently turned down by
the Swiss government for the reason that a national anthem should not be
selected by government decree but by popular opinion.

It was due to the fact that the anthem in use at the time had the same melody
as the British anthem, that the Swiss government declared the "Swiss Psalm", a
fully and unmistakably Swiss creation, the provisional Swiss national anthem in
1961, the provisional clause was abandoned in 1975, but without official
ratification as the national anthem. A number of other suggestions for a
national anthem were made in the years that followed, none of which, however,
earned nearly as many votes as the "Swiss Psalm". Finally, on April 1, 1981,
the "Swiss Psalm" was officially declared the Swiss national anthem, "a purely
Swiss song, dignified and ceremonial, the kind of national anthem that the
majority of our citizens would like to have."

Switzerland has five official languages, and all have an official translation
of the Schweizer Psalm in addition to Widmer's original German lyrics. Some of
Switzerland's cantons (especially those with a recent history of independence
outside of Switzerland) have their own anthems, Neuchatel's cantonal anthem,
for example, uses the same melody as the former Swiss anthem, that is "God_save
the_King_(Queen)".

Special thanks to:Jan Scotland for some of this information.

See also: Switzerland_(?-1961).

