Sing Along with the Song Festival: For my Homeland

Take note – story published 6 years ago

In preparation for the 2018 Song and Dance Festival, a new Latvian Radio strand featuring traditional Latvian songs aims to fill the gaps within everyone's singing repertoire. LSM will publish the most popular songs along with lyrics and a sense translation so guests to the country can sing along with Latvia at the time of its founding centenary. 

Today it's time for Raimonds Pauls' "For My Country" with lyrics by Jānis Peters.

Manai dzimtenei. Izpilda Nora Bumbiere un Viktors Lapčenoks, Latvijas Radio koris un Latvijas Radio bigbends Edgara Račevska vadībā, teicējs Juris Lejaskalns. 1974.gada ieraksts.
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Lejuplādēt
Starting out as a light dedication to the Song and Dance Festival, which started in 1873, it mentions several important events for the Latvian national consciousness -- the 1905 revolution and the first all-Latvian battalions set up during the first world war.

It was initially banned from being sung at the Song and Dance Festival due to its historic themes. 

The song is performed by Viktors Lapčenoks and Nora Bumbiere accompanied by the Latvian Radio choir and bigband lead by Edgars Račevskis.

Manai dzimtenei

Man stāstīja Daugaviņ,
kā liktenis vīdamās,
Dziesma savus svētkus svin
Ar bāliņu celdamās.
Tā dziedāja bāleliņš,
Pret likteni stāvēdams,
Viņa dziesmā gadusimts
Kā mūžiņis krāsojās. 

Vēl nāks piektais gads,
Asins lietus līs,
Un visaugstākās priedes nolauzīs.
Iesim strēlniekos,
Dziesma vētru sēs,
Mūžam gaismas pils
Kalnā gavilēs. 

Lai balstiņis vīdamās,
Pār novadu aizvijās,
Dziesma savus svētkus svin,
Ar bāliņu celdamās.
Tā dziedāja bāleliņš,
Ar Daugavu nemirstīgs,
Viņa dziesmā gadu simts
Kā mūžiņis krāsojās.  


Cauri sirdīm mums
Lauztās priedes augs,
Jaunā gaitā mūs
Jauni rīti sauks.
Tālāk mūžībā
Dziedot iesim mēs,
Mūžam gaismas pils
Kalnā gavilēs.

For my homeland

The River Daugava told me,
Through its fateful meandering,
[That] the song is celebrating its festival,
Rising up together with my brother.
Thus sung my brother,
Standing against destiny,
In his song, the century
Took on the color of a lifetime.

There'll yet be the fifth year [1905],
A rain of blood will fall,
And break the highest pines.
We'll go serving as riflemen,
The song will sow a storm,
Forever will the Castle of Light
rejoice on the mountain.

May the weaving voices,
Travel across the region,
The song is celebrating its festival,
Rising up together with my brother.
Thus sung my brother,
Immortal just like Daugava,
In his song, the century
Took on the color of a lifetime.

The broken pine trees
Will grow through our hearts,
Fresh mornings will call us
On a new way.
Further into eternity
We'll go singing our way
Forever will the Castle of Light
rejoice on the mountain.

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