Fatherland, so Wide and Glorious
"Fatherland, so Wide and Glorious" is a patriotic poem written by Karl Frederick to commemorate and celebrate the 1 year anniversary of the beginning of Heimatian Imperialism, where Heimatia acquired the Constituent Colony of Guckonia hence establishing the Heimatian Colonial Empire. To the tune of Gustav Holst's "Thaxted", the poem has been adopted as the national anthem of the Heimatian Colonial Empire in 2020.
Lyrics
The lyrics in bold are used for the national anthem.
Fatherland, so wide and glorious,
So wondrous and so free,
There’s no other land, the world over
Where we all want to be.
|: From the streams and to the hillsides,
From the forests to the plains,
Fatherland, live on and prosper
In eternal fame.
For our land is vast and mighty,
Our enemies shall fall,
Fatherland, stay brave, for you are so
Beloved by us all. :|
From the reaches of the farthest steams,To our nation’s long lost tomb,
After endless strife for unity,
She is brought forth anew.
The black banner of our nation,
The standard of liberty,
Has brought forth a wise free country
Free from all its chains.
After many trials suffered,
And all that has been mourned,
What our people have so long sought for,
Our nation has endured!
Fatherland, esteemed and glorious,You beautiful country,
Let us live and strive for happiness
And keep you ever free.
May all foes cowardly flee,
May all allies admire thee,
For you’re so high in majesty,
Long may you reign.
For our land is vast and mighty,
Our enemies shall fall,
Fatherland, stay brave, for you are so
Beloved by us all!
Analysis and Symbolism
According to the National Anthem Act of 2020, only the first stanza is used as the official national anthem of the Heimatian Colonial Empire. The reasoning for this is unknown, however on occasion the anthem is played where all three verses are present. In the chorus (lines 5-12), the repeat is optional, although on occasions where all three versus are played, only the chorus on the last verse is required to repeat.
The first verse begins with "Fatherland so wide and glorious, so wondrous and so free", symbolizing two of the most important values that Heimatia stands for: the glorification of the country and dedication to liberty. The lines right after "There's no other land, the world over, where we all want to be." is a paraphrased quote from the national anthem of the Pickle Republic, which pays direct tribute to Heimatia's history and acknowledges the influence the Pickle Republic has on Heimatian culture. The next two lines (lines 5-6) describes geographical features that make up Heimatia's landscape. The next six lines (lines 7-12) describes hope for Heimatia's future, and how it shall "live on and prosper" no matter the challenges.
The entirety of the second verse describes the division and reunification of Heimatia in what was known as the Age of Chaos. It first begins with "From the reaches of the farthest streams, to our nation's long lost tomb", which is a paraphrased quote from the national anthem of the Taltrian Imperial Federation "Rising up from the Tomb", which spoke about the hopes of Heimatian reunification and prosperity. "After endless strife for unity, she is brought forth anew" describes the final reunification of Heimatia, and after long conflict it has been "brought forth anew". The next lines, "The black banner of our nation, the standard of liberty", indirectly and subtly references either the old frederickist ideology, as it was represented by a black flag, or represents the main coloration of the Heimatian flag, being black. The lines "Has brought forth a wise free country free from all its chains" references the Heimatian Revolution which took place in late 2019, when a revolution was staged in Heimatia that overthrew the United Heimatian Empire (UHE). The rest of the lines of the verse reference the trials Heimatia has faced in the past, and states that as long as the people continue to strive for the preservation of the country, Heimatia can overcome all obstacles.
The third and last verse of the poem talks about hope for Heimatia's future, and the glory of the country as a whole. It finishes off the poem by restating the last four lines of the first stanza "For our land is vast and mighty, our enemies shall fall, Fatherland, stay brave, for you are so beloved by us all!".
