The Zeeland-Flemish national anthem is the regional anthem of Zeelandic Flanders, a province of Zeeland—itself a province of the Netherlands. The lyrics were written in 1917 by Jacob Nicolaas Pattist and J. Vreeken; the music was composed by Arnoldus Lijsen.
Like the Zeeland national anthem, the song is a reaction to the Belgian annexation plans following the First World War. The Netherlands had remained neutral in this regard, but the Belgians felt that the Netherlands had adopted a pro-German position because of this neutrality and therefore claimed Zeeuws-Vlaanderen and Limburg. In Zeeland there was a strong response to the Belgian demands. A battle song was written in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen that emphasized the bond between the 'land' and the Netherlands. Later the song grew into the Zeeland-Flemish national anthem.
Lyrics[]
Dutch original[]
Waar eens 't gekrijs der meeuwen
Verstierf aan 't eenzaam strand,
Daar schiepen zich de Zeeuwen
Uit schor en slik hun land;
En kwam de stormwind woeden,
Hen dreigend met verderf,
Dan keerden zij de vloeden
Van 't pas gewonnen erf.
Refrein:
Van d'Ee tot Hontenisse
Van Hulst tot aan Cadzand
Dat was ons eigen landje,
Maar deel van Nederland.
Waar eens de zeeën braken,
Met donderend gedruis
Daar glimmen nu de daken,
En lispelt bladgesuis.
Daar trekt de ploeg de voren,
Daar klinkt de zicht in 't graan.
Daar ziet men 't Zeeuwse koren,
Het allerschoonste staan.
Refrein
Daar klappen rappe tongen,
De ganse lieve dag.
Daar klinkt uit frisse longen,
Gejok en gulle lach.
Daar klinkt de echte landstaal,
Geleerd uit moeders mond.
Eenvoudig, zonder omhaal,
Goed Zeeuws en dus goed rond.
Refrein
Daar werd de oude zede,
Getrouwelijk bewaard.
En 't huis in dorp en steden,
Bleef zuiver Zeeuws van aard.
Daar leeft men zo eendrachtig,
En vrij van droef krakeel.
Daar dankt men God almachtig,
Voor 't toegemeten deel.
Refrein
De worstelstrijd met Spanje,
Bracht ons het hoogste goed,
De vrijheid door Oranje,
Betaald met hartebloed.
Dat goed gaat nooit verloren,
De Nederlandse vlag,
Zal wapp'ren van de toren,
Tot op de jongste dag.
Refrein
English translation[]
Where once the screeching of the seagulls
Died on the lonely beach,
That's where the Zeelanders were created
From hoarse and swallow their land;
And came the stormy wind,
Threatening them with destruction,
Then they turned the floods
From the newly won yard.
Chorus:
From d'Ee to Hontenisse
From Hulst to Cadzand
That was our own country
But part of the Netherlands.
Where once the seas broke,
With a thunderous noise
There the roofs shine now,
And lisps leaf noise.
There the plow moves forward,
There sounds the sight in the grain.
There one sees the Zeeland choirs,
The cleanest standing.
Chorus
There swift tongues clap,
All the sweet day.
There sounds from fresh lungs,
Cheers and a big smile.
That's where the real national language sounds,
Learned from mother's mouth.
Simple, without fuss,
Good Zeeland and therefore well rounded.
Chorus
There was the old custom,
Safely kept.
And the house in village and towns,
Remained pure Zeeland in nature.
There people live so unitedly,
And free from sad squabble.
There they give thanks to God Almighty,
For the allotted part.
Chorus
The wrestling battle with Spain,
Brought us the highest good,
Freedom through Orange,
Paid with heart's blood.
That good is never lost,
the Dutch flag,
Will flutter from the tower,
Until the last day.
Chorus