Het Wilhelmus (The William [viz. 'song']). is the national anthem of the Netherlands. The song is about Wilhelmus van Nassouwe ("William of Nassau"). A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that is formally recognized by a countrys government as their states official national song. ...

The text was written somewhere between 1568 and 1572, in honour of William of Orange (also known as William of Nassau or William the Silent), during the Dutch revolt against the Spanish, the Eighty Years War. The author was probably Philips van Marnix, lord of Sint-Aldegonde. Events March 23 - Peace of Longjumeau ends the Second War of Religion in France. ... Events January 16 - Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk is tried for treason for his part in the Ridolfi plot to restore Catholicism in England. ... William I (William the Silent) William I, Prince of Orange, Count of Nassau (April 24, 1533 – July 10, 1584) was the main leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish that set off the Eighty Years War and resulted in the formal independence of the United Provinces in 1648. ... Nassau was a German state within the Holy Roman Empire. ... The Eighty Years War, or Dutch Revolt from 1568 to 1648 was the secession war in which the proto-Netherlands first became an independent country. ... Portret by Jacques de Gheyn II Philips van Marnix, lord of St Aldegonde (1538 - December 15, 1598), was a Dutch writer and statesman, and the probable author of the text of the Dutch national anthem, the Wilhelmus. ...

When The Netherlands became a kingdom in 1815, the song was not chosen as its national anthem, because it was too connected to the party that supported the House of Orange-Nassau. However its popularity never waned, and on May 10, 1932 it became the national anthem after all, replacing Hendrik Tollens' Wien Nêerlands bloed door d'aderen vloeit. The Netherlands (Dutch: Nederland) is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Dutch: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden). ... The Battle of New Orleans 1815 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The House of Orange-Nassau (in Dutch Oranje-Nassau), is a family that has played a central role in the political life of the Netherlands since William I of Orange (also known as William the Silent and Father of the Fatherland) organised the Dutch revolt against Spanish rule, which after... May 10 is the 130th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (131st in leap years). ... 1932 (MCMXXXII) is a leap year starting on a Friday. ... Wien Neerlands Bloed (Whose Dutch blood) was the National Anthem of the Netherlands between 1815 and 1932. ...

Wilhelmus van Nassouwe is the oldest anthem in the world. Although it was not recognized as the official national anthem until 1932, it was seen as the one and only real Dutch anthem by the people. A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that is formally recognized by a countrys government as their states official national song. ... 1932 (MCMXXXII) is a leap year starting on a Friday. ...

The complete text comprises fifteen stanzas. The anthem is an acrostic, which in this case means the first letters of the fifteen stanzas form the name 'Willem van Nassov' (van means 'of' as in 'John of Salisbury'; the letters u and v were orthographically interchangeable at the time, as is the ou/au diphthong representation). In poetry, a stanza is a unit within a larger poem. ... An acrostic (from the late Greek akróstichon, composed by ákros, extreme, and stíchos, verse) is a poem or some other text written in an alphabetic script, in which the first letter, syllable or word of each verse, paragraph, or some other recurring feature in the text spells out... John of Salisbury (c. ... The orthography of a language is the set of rules of how to write correctly in the writing system of a language. ... In phonetics, a diphthong (Greek δίφθογγος, diphthongos, literally with two sounds) is a vowel combination usually involving a quick but smooth movement from one vowel to another, often interpreted by listeners as a single vowel sound or phoneme. ...

The short version

For official occasions, usually only the first stanza is sung. When another stanza is sung, it is usually the sixth.

This is the first stanza in modernised spelling:

Wilhelmus van Nassauwe
ben ik, van Duitsen bloed,
den vaderland getrouwe
blijf ik tot in den dood.
Een Prinse van Oranje
ben ik, vrij, onverveerd, *
den Koning van Hispanje
heb ik altijd geëerd.

The sixth line is often misquoted lacking the second comma, but this entirely changes its meaning to "rather fearless" instead of "free and fearless".

A mostly literal translation would be the following. Obviously this breaks rhyme and metric.

William of Nassau,
Am I, of German descent
Loyal to the fatherland
I will remain until death
A Prince of Orange
Am I, free and fearless
The king of Spain
I have always honoured

The English version made to fit the melody: Look up melody in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

William of Nassau, scion
Of Dutch and ancient line,
I dedicate undying
Faith to this land of mine.
A prince am I, undaunted,
Of Orange, ever free,
The king of Spain I've granted
Lifelong loyalty.

The sixth stanza runs:

Mijn schild ende betrouwen
zijt Gij, o God mijn Heer
op U zo wil ik bouwen
Verlaat mij nimmermeer
Dat ik doch vroom mag blijven
uw dienaar t'aller stond
de tirannie verdrijven
die mij mijn hart doorwondt

Suggested translation:

My shield and trust
art Thou, o God my Lord
on Thee I shall depend
never abandon me
Let me remain devout
Thy servant at all times
the tyranny repel
which pierces my heart

The complete version

1.
Wilhelmus van Nassouwe
ben ik, van Duitsen bloed,
den vaderland getrouwe
blijf ik tot in den dood.
Een Prinse van Oranje
ben ik, vrij, onverveerd,
den Koning van Hispanje
heb ik altijd geëerd.

2.
In Godes vrees te leven
heb ik altijd betracht,
daarom ben ik verdreven,
om land, om luid gebracht.
Maar God zal mij regeren
als een goed instrument,
dat ik zal wederkeren
in mijnen regiment.

3.
Lijdt u, mijn onderzaten
die oprecht zijt van aard,
God zal u niet verlaten,
al zijt gij nu bezwaard.
Die vroom begeert te leven,
bidt God nacht ende dag,
dat Hij mij kracht zal geven,
dat ik u helpen mag.

4.
Lijf en goed al te samen
heb ik u niet verschoond,
mijn broeders hoog van namen
hebben 't u ook vertoond:
Graaf Adolf is gebleven
in Friesland in den slag,
zijn ziel in 't eeuwig leven
verwacht den jongsten dag.

5.
Edel en hooggeboren,
van keizerlijken stam,
een vorst des rijks verkoren,
als een vroom christenman,
voor Godes woord geprezen,
heb ik, vrij onversaagd,
als een held zonder vreden
mijn edel bloed gewaagd.

6.
Mijn schild ende betrouwen
zijt Gij, o God mijn Heer,
op U zo wil ik bouwen,
Verlaat mij nimmermeer.
Dat ik doch vroom mag blijven,
uw dienaar t'aller stond,
de tirannie verdrijven
die mij mijn hart doorwondt.

7.
Van al die mij bezwaren
en mijn vervolgers zijn,
mijn God, wil doch bewaren
den trouwen dienaar dijn,
dat zij mij niet verassen
in hunnen bozen moed,
hun handen niet en wassen
in mijn onschuldig bloed.

8.
Als David moeste vluchten
voor Sauel den tiran,
zo heb ik moeten zuchten
als menig edelman.
Maar God heeft hem verheven,
verlost uit alder nood,
een koninkrijk gegeven
in Israël zeer groot.

9.
Na 't zuur zal ik ontvangen
van God mijn Heer dat zoet,
daarnaar zo doet verlangen
mijn vorstelijk gemoed:
dat is, dat ik mag sterven
met eren in dat veld,
een eeuwig rijk verwerven
als een getrouwen held.

10.
Niet doet mij meer erbarmen
in mijnen wederspoed
dan dat men ziet verarmen
des Konings landen goed.
Dat u de Spanjaards krenken,
o edel Neerland zoet,
als ik daaraan gedenke,
mijn edel hart dat bloedt.

11.
Als een prins opgezeten
met mijner heireskracht,
van den tiran vermeten
heb ik den slag verwacht,
die, bij Maastricht begraven,
bevreesde mijn geweld;
mijn ruiters zag men draven
zeer moedig door dat veld.

12.
Zo het den wil des Heren
op dien tijd had geweest,
had ik geern willen keren
van u dit zwaar tempeest.
Maar de Heer van hierboven,
die alle ding regeert,
die men altijd moet loven,
en heeft het niet begeerd.

13.
Zeer christlijk was gedreven
mijn prinselijk gemoed,
standvastig is gebleven
mijn hart in tegenspoed.
Den Heer heb ik gebeden
uit mijnes harten grond,
dat Hij mijn zaak wil redden,
mijn onschuld maken kond.

14.
Oorlof, mijn arme schapen
die zijt in groten nood,
uw herder zal niet slapen,
al zijt gij nu verstrooid.
Tot God wilt u begeven,
zijn heilzaam woord neemt aan,
als vrome christen leven,-
't zal hier haast zijn gedaan.

15.
Voor God wil ik belijden
en zijner groten macht,
dat ik tot genen tijden
den Koning heb veracht,
dan dat ik God den Heere,
der hoogsten Majesteit,
heb moeten obediëren
in der gerechtigheid.

Melody

media:Wilhelmus van Nassouwe.ogg File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

Interpretation

• The last two lines of the first stanza indicate that the leader of the Dutch civil war against the kingdom of Spain of which they were part, had no specific qualms with the king, but rather with his emissaries in the Low Countries - Count Alva.

• There is an ongoing confusion as to what the author meant with "Duytschen bloedt" in the text, since the Dutch word "Duits" means "German". Some people believe it does not refer to the Netherlands and the Dutch people, but, taking into consideration the fact that William of Nassau was born in Dillenburg in the county of Nassau (presently in Germany), they believe it is possible that it referred to William's German descent. However, linguists point out that 'Duytsch' is not just a variant spelling of Dietsch but both terms at the time referred to 'the people', i.e. including the Dutch and not just the Germans (this is a later narrowing of the meaning of the term). Only in the modern Dutch language the word "Duits" means "German".

The Low Countries, the historical region of de Nederlanden, are the countries (see Country) on low-lying land around the delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse (Maas) rivers. ... William I (William the Silent) William I, Prince of Orange, Count of Nassau (April 24, 1533 – July 10, 1584) was the main leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish that set off the Eighty Years War and resulted in the formal independence of the United Provinces in 1648. ... Dillenburg (population ca 25,000) is a city in the German district of Lahn-Dill, in the federal state of Hessen. ... Nassau was a German state within the Holy Roman Empire. ... Dietsch (Diets in modern Dutch) is a term used to distinguish the southern dialects in the Middle Dutch language. ...

External links

• Recording (high grade) and information can be found at the official site of the Dutch Monarchy (in English)
• 'Listen to the song'
• 'US Navy Band Recording'
• The text and music of the Wilhelmus, and more on its history (in Dutch)