Court anthem of Themiclesia
The court anthem of Themiclesia (廷奏樂, lêng-dzuh-′grakw) was the de facto national anthem of Themiclesia from 1720 to 1875, until it was replaced by the present composition.
History
The court anthem was originally a lyric that was set to whatever music the court found fashionable at that time. The departments responsible for this music were the Left Orchestra (左樂) and Right Orchestra (右樂), the former providing melody, and the latter vocals.
The anthem was one of several pieces of music used at when the emperor emerged from private quarters (禁, k.rjemh) from the pavilions (閤, gep) of the palace hall. Once the emperor appeared at the foot of the pavilion, the music began, and on that signal the assembly of aristocrats and bureaucrats bowed their heads. The end of the piece co-incided with the emperor's taking the canopy throne, when the assembly raised their heads. Towards the end of the Emperor Gwidh-mjen's reign, the lyrics were legally declared the correct ones to greet the sovereign at court, becoming known to Casaterrans as the royal fanfare.
Into the 19th century, the anthem was still used at the morning court ceremony, but under Casaterran influence it was increasingly played at different settings, even informal ones, where the sovereign was present.
Lyrics
Stanza 2
| Shinasthana | Transcription | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 邦君甸侯 | prwang qur linh mgwa | The lords of the cities are the landed peers. |
| 里君庶士 | re qur dak dzreq | The lords of the estates are the multitude of gentlemen. |
| 百辟君子 | pryak pik qur tseq | A hundred aristocrats are all lordly sons, |
| 攣世相生 | rwan qlaps smang sring | who give birth to each other generation after generation. |