God zij met ons Suriname

"God zij met ons Suriname" (Dutch pronunciation: [ˌɣɔt ˈsɛi mɛt ɔns ˌsyːriˈnaːmə]) or "Opo kondreman" is the national anthem of Suriname. It has two verses: the first in Dutch and the second in Sranan Tongo.

God zij met ons Suriname
English: God be with our Suriname
National anthem of  Suriname
Also known asOpo kondreman (English: Rise, countrymen)
LyricsCornelis Atses Hoekstra (1893) and Henry de Ziel (1959)
MusicJohannes Corstianus de Puy, 1876
Adopted1959
Audio sample
Instrumental performance by the U.S. Navy Band
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History

The original version of the anthem was written by Cornelis Atses Hoekstra in 1893 and based on a 1876 melody by Johannes Corstianus de Puy. It was written to replace the old anthem Wien Neêrlands Bloed. The anthem did not have an official status. In 1959, the Government of Suriname appointed Henri Frans de Ziel to add a stanza about the unity of the country to Hoekstra's anthem.[1] De Ziel was concerned about the negative nuance in the original, and started to transform the anthem into a positive message. He combined this with a poem he wrote in Sranan Tongo on the death of Ronald Elwin Kappel. His anthem was unanimously approved by the Government of Suriname on 7 December 1959.[2]

Lyrics
Dutch:English translation
God zij met ons Suriname
Hij verheff'ons heerlijk land
Hoe wij hier ook samen kwamen
Aan zijn grond zijn wij verpand
Werkend houden w'in gedachten
Recht en waarheid maken vrij
Al wat goed is te betrachten
Dat geeft aan ons land waardij.
God be with our Suriname
May He elevate our lovely land
How we came here together
We are dedicated to its soil
Working we keep in mind
Justice and truth will set free
All that is good to devote oneself to
Will give value to our land
Sranan Tongo:Dutch TranslationEnglish translation
Opo, kondreman un' opo!
Sranangron e kari un'.
Wans' ope tata komopo
Wi mu' seti kondre bun.
Strey de f' strey, wi no sa frede.
Gado de wi fesiman.
Eri libi te na dede
Wi sa feti gi Sranan.
Sta op, landgenoten, sta op!
De bodem van Suriname roept je.
Waar onze voorouders ook vandaan kwamen
We moeten voor ons land zorgen.
Er is een gevecht om te vechten, we zullen niet bang zijn.
God is onze leider.
Ons hele leven tot aan de dood,
We zullen vechten voor Suriname.
Rise countrymen, rise!
The soil of Suriname is calling you.
Wherever our ancestors came from
We should take care of our country.
There is a fight to fight, we shall not be afraid.
God is our leader.
Our whole life until death,
We shall fight for Suriname.

References
  1. Michiel van Kempen (2002). "Een geschiedenis van de Surinaamse literatuur. Deel 3". Digital Library for Dutch Literature (in Dutch). Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  2. "Trefossa en het volkslied van Suriname". Star Nieuws (in Dutch). Retrieved 7 September 2020.
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