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Sung For Norway's Riflemen (1881)
By Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson
(See Note 73)
Fly the banner, fly the banner!
For our freedom fight!
'Neath the banner, 'neath the banner,
Riflemen unite!
Graybeard in the Storting
Gives his vote for right and truth,
Rifle-voice supporting
Of our armèd youth.
Music runeful
Ring out tuneful
Bullets sent point-blank,
Fiery coursing,
Freedom forcing
Way to royal rank;
They from silent valleys
To the Storting's rallies
Bring the clear "Rah! Rah!"
And there clamors o'er us
Loud the rifle chorus,
Piercing and repeated: "Rah! Rah!
Rah-rah, rah-rah, rah-rah, rah-rah."
As the lingering echo rattles,
Listens sure our Mother Norway,
That her sons can go the war-way,
Fight her freedom's future battles.
Extra Info:
TRANSLATED FROM THE NORWEGIAN IN THE ORIGINAL METERS BY ARTHUR HUBBELL PALMER
Professor of the German Language and Literature In Yale University
Note 73.
SONG FOR NORWAY'S RIFLEMEN. In 1881 the constitutional conflict
between the Left and the Right over the nature of the King's veto
had become acute. The question was whether the veto-power was
suspensive or absolute as to amendments of the Constitution. The
Left maintained that it was only suspensive, and the conflict was
ended in favor of this view by the Supreme Court in 1884; an
amendment enacted by three independently elected Stortings is valid
without the King's sanction. This poem shows that the people were
preparing to defend their right by force in the spirit of Björnson's
often quoted words in his electoral campaign speech about the same
time at Sticklestad: "If any one says that the monarchy [the King]
declares it [he] cannot give up the absolute veto, you must answer
openly: 'Then the Norwegian people must give up the monarchy [the
King].'"
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