Great reframe of the "Anthem in English only" debate

[BrainRants]

From the Green Bay Press Gazette LTE page:
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060511/GPG06/605110546/1269/GPGopinion

I wonder if all those patriotic language purists who insist on singing the national anthem of the United States in English are the same people who insist on singing "Silent Night" ("Stille Nacht") in the original German or "Oh, Come All Ye Faithful" (Adeste Fidelis) in the original Latin.

Could they also be insisting on singing "My Country Tis of Thee" with the original words and melody of "God Save the Queen," the national anthem of England?

These issues of national anthems and songs are surely troubling for "real" patriotic American linguists of xenophobic persuasion.

A final thought is that it is great that Hispanics want to sing our national anthem before they know English.

[annabanana]

1. They should also want the Bible only in Ancient Greek!

(..........inerrant Greeks, no doubt.)

stupid xenophobes. . .

[sybylla]

2. Nice letter

I imagine many of those same zenophobe bullies would blow a gasket if they knew the Star Spangled Banner was originally an 18th century drinking song called "To Anacreon in Heaven." It's melody was used for the Star Spangled Banner because it was already quite familiar to the citizens in early 19th century America when it was written.

To Anacreon in Heaven
Where he sat in good lea
A few sons of harmony sent a petition
That he their inspirer and patron would be
And the answer arrived from the jolly old Grecian
"Voice, fiddle and flute
No longer be mute
I'll lend you my name
and inspire you to boot.
And likewise I'll instruct you like me to entwine
the myrtle of Venus with Bacchus' vine.


Pretty classy drinking song at that. Still, by their reasoning, shouldn't we return to the song's roots?

[bumblebee1]

3. At my worksite,

there's a bulletin board decorated for Memorial Day. On it there is a placard with the pledge of Allegiance. It it written in both English and Spanish. I told my husband about the uproar over singing our national anthem in Spanish. I then told him those same folks who are against singing the national anthem in Spanish will really have their shorts in a knot when they see this.