New text for the Swiss national anthem
White cross on a shining red,
woven by a common thread:
freedom, independence, equality.
Open to the world in solidarity,
Swiss are one in peace and diversity.
Free are we who freely speak,
strong as we protect the weak.
White cross on a shining red,
sign of Switzerland, the path we tread.
Click on this link to see the scores of the Swiss national hymn
Finally an English text for the Swiss national anthem
In 2015, more than 200 artists took part in the competition in order to create a new text for the Swiss national anthem. The winner text is written by Werner Widmer. The new hymn text to the traditional melody is based on the Swiss core values expressed in the preamble of the Swiss Federal Constitution. As 500,000 Swiss abroad and residents in Switzerland are native English speakers, the new text has been translated not only into the four official Swiss languages but also into English. Many thanks to the artists who created the English version of the new hymn: Susan Schell, Robert Celik, Ron Ovadia, Daniel Paladini, Vanni Bianconi, Dominik Wawer, Peđa Ristić and Vladimir Petrović. All Swiss clubs and Swiss Embassies are invited to sing the new hymnal text at their federal celebrations on August 1. As soon as the new hymn text is known enough, the Swiss electorate will be asked to determine it.
Many countries want to change their hymn
Most national anthems were composed in the 19th century, when the majority of nation states were founded.
The texts commonly refer to topics such as war, heroes, victory and blood, which explains the initiatives in several countries to change the words of their national anthems. Switzerland’s current national anthem, the Swiss Psalm, is a prayer, written by Leonhard Widmer in 1840.
Many Swiss citizens want to change this text because they believe that the national anthem should be a chance to anchor constitutional values in the popular consciousness. Many countries have already changed the text of their hymn (e.g. Germany and Austria). And in many countries, initiatives for a new hymn are on their way :
France: www.lexpress.fr/actualite/monde/trois-raisons-de-changer-d-hymne-national_1666876.html
Canada: www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jun/15/canada-national-anthem-lyrics-gender-neutral-parliament