National Anthem of the Northern States
The National Anthem of the Northern States is the first couplet of an untitled poem by Visiphorus (f. 1570) set to the tune of Hymn 134. The poem is known as the "universal psalm" because it ascribes all humanity as the beneficiaries of the work of the Godhead and intercedes on behalf of all of them.
Words
The national anthem of the Northern States is one of the shortest in the world, consisting of 18 words.
génišmuš θxmō āmmərətát-šxa holūvotát-šxa βā ərətā́-kə̄ haduvṓ
To the end that the nations of Earth shall have immortality, soundness, and indeed righteousness,
žiiōš dédāṯ āhúš-xa ártaōš pāi̯š áiiū mərətim xātiyṓi̯-kə̄ nū nanā́ diθí
Give now [these things] to us, thou giving god and lord of truth that has upheld life and vanquished death.
The poem composed by Visiphorus contains many extra lines that are not considered part of the Northian anthem, but are often sung with the national anthem anyway.
Melody
History
The "Universal Psalm", written with a somewhat less-than-perfect command of Galic Northian, is not an actual hymn dating to the Bronze Age as its language outwardly suggests. Rather, it is dated to the 1570s and attributed to the priest Visiphorus, who was also the first plenary priest to have included it in his liturgy.
It was penned as an intermedial psalm and was (at least originally) addressed to Hāuuərə, the Sun goddess. In the Renaissance period, the Galic text, which was chanted in the holiest part of the cyclical service, was broken into two halves to permit officiating priests to take respite, as otherwise the hymns took an hour to chant. However it was deemed an irreverence to break the chain of praiseful hymns, and so psalms in Galic language were inserted and chanted by either non-officiating priests or even the laity, while the officiating priests rested.
The Universal Psalm gained popularity very rapidly through the Northian dioceses and was inserted at the behest of the laity in many instances. Martius Kronen, a wealthy merchant of Cleiden, said it was a "most beloved psalm and evidence of great piety of anyone who sings it". From 1597, it was used as an intercessory hymn at the Congress of the States, which had the vestigial form of intercity religious festivals. Held in such high esteem and demanded by the delegates, it was spoken six times by the officiating priests, and it therefore became a canon at the Congress of the States. From there, it became one of several standard psalms used when religious offices were involved in public functions.