El Himno Australiano (y el "otro" himno australiano)

Victoria y Patricia cantan el himno australiano en el colegio. Patricia lo canta todos los días en clase, mientras que Victoria lo canta cada 2 semanas en las "Asambleas".

Como no nos lo sabemos, hemos decidido hacer una entrada con el texto y con unos vídeos. El himno tiene el nombre de Advance Australia Fair y tiene una historia un poco especial. En 1977 hubo un referendum en Australia para decidir cual sería el himno nacional y esta canción ganó (43,6% frente a Waltzing Matilda 28,5% y el God Save the Queen 18.7%). El 19 de abril de 1984 fue finalmente adoptado como himno nacional.

Advance Australia Fair

Australians all let us rejoice
For we are young and free
We’ve golden soil and wealth for toil
Our home is girt by sea
Our land abounds in nature’s gifts
Of beauty rich and rare
In history’s page, let every stage
Advance Australia Fair
In joyful strains then let us sing
Advance Australia Fair

Beneath our radiant Southern Cross
We’ll toil with hearts and hands
To make this Commonwealth of ours
Renowned of all the lands
For those who’ve come across the seas
We’ve boundless plains to share
With courage let us all combine
To Advance Australia Fair
In joyful strains then let us sing
Advance Australia Fair

Sin embargo, hemos leído que el original llegó a tener 6 versos.

Algunos videos de YouTube.
Este, con un ritmo muy del "bush", tiene la letra:

Este es el himno más clasico, decorado con imágenes muy australianas (desde animales a la barbacoa, pasando por Uluru o el UTE):


El gobierno australiano tiene una versión MP3 para descargar pero sólo con el primer verso.

Y ahora el que muchos consideran el himno australiano (quedó el segundo en la votación): Waltzing Matilda. No vamos a contar su historia porque este video de YouTube lo explica (en inglés) y debajo del video dejamos la letra.


Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong,
Under the shade of a coolibah tree,
And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled
"Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me?"

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me
And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled
"Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me?"

Down came a jumbuck to drink from the billabong,
Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee,
And he sang as he stowed that jumbuck in his tucker bag,
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me".

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me"
And he sang as he stowed that jumbuck in his tucker bag,
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me".

Up rode the squatter, mounted on his thoroughbred,
Down came the troopers, one, two, three,
"Where's that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?"
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me".

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me"
"Where's that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?",
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me".

Up jumped the swagman, leapt into the billabong,
"You'll never catch me alive," said he,
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by the billabong,
"Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me?"

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by the billabong,
"Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me?"