this anthem thing...

[nolly]

OK, I see two basic sets of reactions from people.
I see people reacting to Bush's "keep it in English" statement, which was documentably inane -- not only is there a long history of translation, including ones promoted by the gov't, Bush was singing the anthem in Spanish on the campaign trail.

I see people reacting to the song itself, and this is what I don't understand. Can someone explain what, if anything, is problematic about it?

Comments

Anthem links?

[snippy]

I haven't seen anyone (online or off) reacting badly to the national anthem--got links?

[duckflambe.livejournal.com]

Does anybody know where I can find footage of Bush-II singing the anthem in Spanish? I'd love to send a link to some people. :)

[sinboy.livejournal.com]

He's on record as speaking spanish during the Republican National Convention (http://www.phxnews.com/fullstory.php?article=14112)

[necturus.livejournal.com]

I understand Ted Kennedy has joined Bush in objecting to the Spanish-language anthem.

I'm disappointed in my senior Senator, and if there weren't so many things more deserving of attention than a silly song about a piece of cloth, I might take him to task for it.

[kishiriadgr.livejournal.com]

I haven't looked for them, but apparently the State Department has no less than four different version of the NA *in Spanish* on its web site.

My feeling: permite lo a se descansar, damas y caballeros. (Give it a rest, ladies and gentlemen.)

[king-tirian.livejournal.com]

I just got DDR last week, so all of my spare enthusiasm is going into that.

But. I happened across an English translation of the lyrics in the paper a few days ago, and it struck me that the second verse was a bit more rabble-rousing than flag-embracing:

Its stars, its stripes, liberty, we are equal.
We are brothers, it is our anthem.
In the fierce combat, as a sign of victory,
The brilliance of battle... (My people, keep fighting!)
...in step with freedom, (Now is the time to break the chains!)
Throughout the night they said: "It will be defended!"
Oh say you! Does it still wave, its starred beauty,
Over the land of the free, the sacred flag?

I appreciate that it is difficult to line up the lyrics properly in another language, but this isn't even a shoddy attempt to capture Key's spirit. So I suppose that I oppose the second verse with the same spirit that I oppose people using patriotic music (or Santa Claus or the Hallelujah Chorus) to sell dish soap or cola.

I have an even greater will to endorse the first verse, though, which brings us together as a nation in an appreciation of the bombing of Fort McHenry and the resolve it instilled in us to protect the values of our nation no matter how hard a beating we must endure. And, speaking of the bombing of Fort McHenry, I find it particularly challenging that a Briton is spearheading this effort to change the meaning of an anthem that was brought about by the ferocity of his forefathers.

Okay, back to DDR now.

[madarab.livejournal.com]

Because Fracis Scott Key is their Lord and Savior and His Holy words must be perfectly preserved just as they were written. If God had wanted our National Anthem to be sung in Spanish, he would have inspired some guy named Jesus to write it. :P

[allaboutm-e.livejournal.com]

Are there existing countries with their national anthem in more than one language?
wondering...

[ashi.livejournal.com]

I got this link from the Wikipedia entry: http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/audio/national/himno.mp3

It really does sound a lot different.