"" () is the official regional anthem of Åland, an autonomous Swedish-speaking province of Finland. Adopted in 1922, the anthem's lyrics were written by John Grandell, and the music was composed by Johan Fridolf Hagfors. The song was first performed during the song festival in Mariehamn 1922. In Åland, the song is mostly sung on Midsummer's Eve and on Åland's Autonomy Day on 9 June.

thumb|The composer of the anthem, [[Johan Fridolf Hagfors, sometime in the early 20th century.]]

History

"Ålänningens sång" was first written by John Grandell in 1922 when he was visiting Skansen in Stockholm, Sweden. It was shortly after Åland had been granted self-government under Finnish authority but with their Swedish culture respected. Grandell was asked by Johannnes Eriksson to write a song for Ålanders to rally around as a distinct symbol. It was first performed at a national song festival in Mariehamn. Grandell was inspired to write it due to his mother being from Åland and he wanted to pay tribute to her and her homeland through "Ålänningens sång". In tribute to the composition of the music, the Hagfort Medal is awarded yearly by Friends of Swedish Schools.

Lyrics

{|class="cellpadding mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"

!Swedish original

!IPA transcription

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|<poem></poem>

|<poem></poem>

|- style="vertical-align:top; white-space:nowrap;"

!Finnish translation

!English translation

|- style="vertical-align:top; white-space:nowrap;"

|<poem></poem>

|<poem>Land of thousand islands and skerries

Born from deep beneath the waves,

Åland, our Åland, our home it is

Thee we long to meet.

Ancient graves beneath the birches

Tell of our thousand-year history,

Our forebears' land we shall never forget

Lovely is our Åland when straits and bays

Become blue in the bright spring days,

'Tis delightful to wander in forest and grove

In flowered fields of our shores and cove.

Midsummer pole to evening red sky

By willing hands raised high,

In skerry village far and about

Lovely is our Åland when froths of waves

Whirl 'gainst mighty precipice blades,

When the church folks steer beneath the stars

Over the icy depths of waters.

Even when storms in cottages' peace roar

The airs of spinning wheels soar,

In memory of loving childhood

Never have Ålandic women and men

Let down the worth of their nation,

Warfare threatened us, yet gloriously

Freedom's heritage we carry.

Let our Swedish language be ablare

Spoken with voice urging and yare,

Like a buoy of flames may our path prolong

</poem>

|}

See also

  • "Maamme"
  • "Du gamla, Du fria"

Notes

References

  • Ålänningens sång MP3