Iceland National Anthem
Listen to National Anthem
Anthem History
adopted 1944; also known as "O, Gud vors lands" (O, God of Our Land), the anthem was originally written and performed in 1874
Anthem Lyrics
Lofsöngur (þjóðsöngurinn)
Ó, guð vors lands! Ó, land vors guðs,
vér lofum þitt heilaga, heilaga nafn.
ú r sólkerfum himnanna hnýta þér krans
þínir herskarar, tímanna safn.
Fyrir þér er einn dagur sem þú sund ár
og þú sund ár dagur, ei meir:
eitt eil¡fðar smáblóm með titrandi tár,
sem tilbiður guð sinn og deyr.
Íslands þú sund ár,
eitt eil¡fðar smáblóm með titrandi tár,
sem tilbiður guð sinn og deyr
Anthem Lyrics English
O God of Our land,
Our land is God,
We worship thy holy name, thy holy name
>From the solar systems of the heavens
bind for you a wreath,
Your warriors the assembly of the ages
For the is one day as a thousand years,
and a thousand years is a day and no more.
One small flower of eternity with a quivering
tear,
that prays to it's god and dies
Iceland's thousand years, Iceland's thousand
years
One small flower of eternity with a quivering
tear,
that prays to it's god and dies
Other English text version
Our Country's God, Our Country's God
We worship thy holy name,
in it's wonder sublime
The sons of thy heaven are set in thy crown
by the legions, the ages of time.
For thee is each day as a thousand years,
and each thousand years, but a day.
Eternity's flower with an homage of tears,
that reverently prays life away.
Iceland's thousand years, Icelands thousand
years,
Eternity's flower with a quivering tear,
that prays to it's god and dies.
Second and third verse (not used often)
2.
O God, Our God,
We bow to thee
Our spirits most fervent
we place in thy care.
Lord God of our fathers,
from age unto age,
we are breating our holiest prayer
We pray and we thank thee a thousand years
for safely protected we stand
We pray and we bring thee our homage of tears
our destiny rests in thy hand.
Iceland thousand years, Iceland's thousand
years,
the hoarfrost of morning which tinted those
years,
thy sun rising high shall command!
3.
Our land is God, Our country's God,
Our life is a feeble and quivering reed.
We perish, deprived of thy spirit and light
to redeem and uphold in our need.
God, inspire us at morn'
with thy courage and love,
and lead through the days of our strife
At evening send peace from thy heaven above,
and safeguard our nation through life!
Iceland's thousand years, Iceland thousand
years,
O prosper our people diminish our tears,
and guide us in thy wisdom through life!
Iceland Flag
| Flag Date of Adoption | 30 November 1918 |
| Flag Symbolism |
blue with a red cross outlined in white extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag) Blue represents the color of the Atlantic Ocean. Red represents their links to Norway. White represents the snow and ice that covers the island most of the year. |