Fraternity-Testvériség, 1956 (34. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1956-10-01 / 10. szám

FRATERNITY

3

NATIONAL ANTHEM*

By Francis (Ferenc) Kölcsey**

God, bless the Hungarian With abundance, gladness,

Graciously protect him when Faced with foes or sadness Bring for people torn by fate Happy years and plenty:

Sins of future, sins of late,

Both are paid for amply.

By your help our fathers gained High Car path’s ascendence;

By you have a home obtained Bendegúz’s descendents.

And where far the Tisza flows, Where the Danube rages Seed of Arpad grew and grows Through the changing ages.

You gave Kunság’s golden plain Where our wheat is growing;

At Tokaj your sun and rain Made our nectar flowing.

By your grace we fought and oivned Turkish alabasters —

Proud Vienna prostrate moaned Matthias’ mighty musters.

* This poem was taken from the anthology edited by Egon Kunz under the title, “Hungarian Poetry”. It may be ordered from Julia Kemeny, 1736 E. 22nd Street, Cleveland 14, Ohio.

** Francis (Ferenc) Kölcsey (1790-1838), the poet whose high idealism made him a pessimist, was born in Sződemeter, in the county of Szilágy, on August 8, 1790. He became orphaned and as the result of an epidemic lost the sight of one eye. He studied law, became a county clerk and later a member of Parliament. He wrote Parainesis, an ethical prose work, for the benefit of his nephew. In his poems he liked to invoke the spirit of past poets. His Hymn (National Anthem) is an example of his majestic style. He died August 24, 1838. Kölcsey was a splendid speaker, both in Parliament and in public life. He was sensitive, a man of integrity and noble spirit.