O land of the river
 Songbook cover, circa 1901 | |
National anthem of Elstock | |
| Lyrics | Améla Kòch, 1851 |
|---|---|
| Music | Konrad Zelońsczi, 1877 |
| Adopted | 15 July 1914 |
"Gaude, o praeclara civitas" (lit. "Rejoice, oh splendid city"; Elsian: "Redùj sã, wspaniałi gard"; Tyrnican: "Freue dich, o herrliche Stadt") is the national anthem of Elstock. Officially adopted in 2000 following the country's independence from Tyrnica and Pelemia, the song was previously an unofficial anthem for the city-state decades before its adoption, and a popular patriotic song among the wider Elsian community. Officially, the anthem is instrumental, but the original lyrics, in both Elsian and Tyrnican, are still used in unofficial celebrations and events, such as soccer matches and private functions.
History
"O land of the river" first appeared as a poem written by Améla Kòch, an Elsian feminist and nationalist who dedicated the piece to her hometown of Elstock. Originally published in 1851 in the nationalist daily Samòstójnota, the poem gained popularity in Elstock, quickly becoming an oft-recited piece at political gatherings and events over the next two decades. In 1877, Konrad Zelońsczi arranged the lyrics to an original musical score influenced by Elsian folk music and the 19th century Tyrnican tradition of lieds, which itself quickly gained popularity as a political drinking song and a symbol of Elsian nationalism. By the beginning of the 20th century, "O land of the river" was considered one of numerous unofficial anthems of the Elsian people, alongside "Elsia" and "Himn elsczi". Zelońsczi would later pen a Tyrnican version of the lyrics in 1885.
With Elstock becoming a territory under the joint control of Tyrnica and Pelemia in 1914, the city was barred from adopting a national anthem, and initial attempts were made to distance the condominium from a larger Elsian identity. With the territory moving towards full independence in the late 1990s, the Constituent Assembly formally voted to designate the insturmental version of "O land of the river" as the city-state's new national anthem in mid-1999, with the decision becoming official on 1 January 2000, when Elstock declared its full independence from Tyrnican and Pelemian control.
Lyrics
Officially, "O land of the river" is conducted without vocals, and is only recognized as an instrumental anthem. Despite this, the original lyrics of the piece remain popular in the city-state, and oftentimes accompanies the anthem in an unofficial context.
An alternative set of lyrics written by Zelońsczi replace gard ("city") with krôj ("land" or "country"), and gained popularity with Elsians outside Elstock, especially in nationalist circles. With these alternative lyrics, the song has garnered a reputation as an unofficial anthem for Elsia and the Elsian people as a whole.
Sabarian lyrics
| Sabarian lyrics | Rythenean translation |
|---|---|
Gaude, o praeclara civitas; |
Rejoice, oh splendid city, |
Elsian lyrics
| Elsian lyrics | Rythenean translation |
|---|---|
Redùj sã, wspaniałi gard, |
Rejoice, oh splendid city, |
Tyrnican lyrics
| Tyrnican lyrics | Rythenean translation |
|---|---|
Freue dich, o herrliche Stadt, |
Rejoice, oh splendid city, |
