US Anthem in Yiddish

Star-Spangled Banner in Spanish brings discord
By Holly Yeager
Published: April 28 2006 23:43 | Last updated: April 28 2006 23:56

In case there was any doubt, President George W. Bush made one thing perfectly clear on Friday: he thinks the US national anthem should be sung in English.


The presidential declaration may seem an odd one. But an intense debate on immigration - and the release on Friday of Nuestro Himno, a Spanish-language version of The Star-Spangled Banner - have prompted sudden discord over the song.

Organisers of the effort said they hoped the tune would become a rallying cry for immigrants across the country, who have planned a national boycott and marches on Monday.

But some advocates of immigrants' rights fear that the effort may instead lead to a backlash. Michelle Malkin, a conservative columnist, dubbed the song The Illegal Alien Anthem. And the president said he did not think the song would hold the same value if sung in Spanish.

"The national anthem ought to be sung in English," Mr Bush told reporters gathered in the Rose Garden to hear the president discuss the US economy.

"And I think people who want to be a citizen of this country ought to learn English, and they ought to learn to sing the national anthem in English."

There has been a whole brouhaha recently about the US national anthem being sung in Spanish.

Oy vey can you see?

I've heard, btw, that the composer of the National Anthem of the United States of America is a royalist Britton! That's really worse than flag burning.

The Star-Spangled Banner
national anthem of the United States. Francis Scott Key, a lawyer, wrote the lyrics after watching the British attack Fort McHenry, Maryland, in 1814, during the War of 1812. The melody was taken from "To Anacreon in Heaven," a drinking song of the Anacreontic Society (of London) that was written by the British composer John Stafford Smith.

John Stafford Smith was born in 1750 and christened in Gloucester Cathedral. After his education at the Cathedral School he was a choir boy at the Chapel Royal London. He also studied under Dr. Boyce. He gained a reputation as a fine organist and composer and gained membership of the select Anachreonic Society. Member have included J.S.Bach, Henry Purcell and James Boswell.

In 1780 he composed the music to the societies constitutional song. It was entitled " To Anachreon in Heaven ". It was inspired by a 6th century Greek poet and was about the pleasures of wine and love.

He played as organist at the Three Choirs Festival in 1790 at Gloucester. In 1836 he died at the age of 85.

His song became popular in England and America. During the war of 1812, the British fleet attacked Fort Mchenry which protected Baltimore. Frances Scott Key was aboard a British war ship trying to get the release of an American prisoner. He was held so that he could not pass on any warning about the attack. When the sun rose next morning he notice the Stars and Stripes was still flying. He then penned the following verse to the tune of John Stafford Smith.

Oh! say, can you see,by the dawns early light

What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last Gleamings

... ...

I've heard, btw, that the composer of the National Anthem of the United States of America is a royalist Britton! That's really worse than flag burning.

Ah, ha, I thought I was missing something--where's the first page with the Yiddish translation? The only translation I get on the first page is the "Oy, vey, can you see?" Or am I missing the joke (as usual).