"Nuna asiilasooq" (Greenlandic: [nʉna asiːlasɔːq]; Danish: "Et vældigt klippeland" [e̝t ˈve̝ltit ˈkʰle̝pəˌlænˀ], English: "A Huge Rocky Land") is a Greenlandic song used as an ethnic anthem by the self-governing Kalaallit of Greenland. It was officially recognised by the government in 1979. Both lyrics and melody were composed by Jonathan Petersen, who also wrote the musical score for Greenland's 1916-adopted national anthem "Nunarput utoqqarsuanngoravit."[1]

Nuna asiilasooq

Ethnic anthem of the Kalaallit
Co-national anthem of  Greenland
LyricsJonathan Petersen, c. 1920
MusicJonathan Petersen, c. 1920
Adopted1979; 45 years ago (1979)
Audio sample
Official orchestral and choral vocal recording

History

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The song was written by Greenlandic organist and piano teacher Jonathan Petersen, probably during or after a stay in Denmark in 1910–1911, during which he passed his organ exam with distinction. It was originally set to the tune of the Danish national anthem, "Der er et yndigt land". Petersen wrote an original composition for the song around 1920, which retained the repetition of the third line of each verse, as in "Der er et yndigt land".[2]

In 1979, when home rule was granted to Greenland, the song was adopted as a national anthem, alongside "Nunarput, utoqqarsuanngoravit". In 1985, it was translated into Danish by theologian Mads Lidegaard. Both the Greenlandic and Danish versions have been published in the Højskolesangbogen.[2]

Lyrics

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Greenlandic lyrics[3] IPA transcription[a] Danish translation
(by Mads Lidegaard)[3]
English translation[4]

I
Nuna asiilasooq
Kalaallit nunagaarput
𝄆 tamarmi qaqqartooq 𝄇
Kangerluppassuit sinaa
nunassaqqissisippaat,
tamaat sineriaa
qeqertat saangerpaat.

II
Nuannersoqaqaaq
angallavigigaanni
𝄆 tamaat sineriak 𝄇
Avannamut kujammullu
inunnik naapitsiffik
nunaqarfinnillu
uningavissalik.

III
Qaqqaasa saavini
kangerluillu paani
𝄆 unipput inuii 𝄇
Imartik pissaqarfigaat
atorluakkaminnik,
Kalaallimmi pigaat
soraajuerlutik!

1
[nʉ.na a.siː.la.sɔːq]
[ka.laːɬ.ɬit nʉ.na.ɣɑːp.put]
𝄆 [ta.mɑm.me‿qɑq.qɑt.tɔːq] 𝄇
[ka.ŋəɬ.ɬup.pas.su.it si.naː]
[nʉ.nas.sɑq.qis.si.syp.paːt]
[ta.maːt si.nə.ʁi.aː]
[qə.qət.tat saː.ŋəp.paːt]

2
[nu.an.nəs.sɔ.qɑ.qɑːq]
[a.ŋaɬ.ɬa.vi.ɣi.ɣaːn.ni]
𝄆 [ta.maːt si.nə.ʁi.ak] 𝄇
[a.van.na.mut ku.jam.muɬ.ɬu]
[i.nʉn.nik naː.pit.tˢif.fik]
[nʉ.nɑ.qɑf.fin.niɬ.ɬu]
[u.ni.ŋa.vis.sa.lik]

3
[qɑq.qaː.sa saː.vi.ni]
[ka.ŋəɬ.ɬu.iɬ.ɬu paː.ni]
𝄆 [u.nyp.put i.nu.iː] 𝄇
[y.mɑt.tˢik pis.sɑ.qɑf.fi.ɣaːt]
[a.tɔɬ.ɬu.ak.ka.min.nik]
[ka.laːɬ.ɬym.my‿pi.ɣaːt]
[sɔ.ʁaː.ju.əɬ.ɬu.tˢik]

I
Et vældigt klippeland
fik Grønlands folk i eje
𝄆 med fjeld fra strand til strand. 𝄇
Og ved de dybe fjordes vand
var godt at bo og bygge
og øers perlerække bandt
et bånd langs kystens rand.

II
Det er en lykke og en lyst
for dem der er på rejse
𝄆 langs landets lange kyst, 𝄇
at strejfe om fra syd til nord
og møde nye venner
hvor gæstfrihed og glæde stor
i lave hytter bor.

III
I høje fjeldes ly
hvor fjorden møder havet
𝄆 de bygged bygd og by. 𝄇
De levede med kunst og flid
af havets rige vande
– fra nu og indtil evig tid
er det kalaallits land.

I
Land of greath length,
That's what the Kalaallit have as a country,
among entire mountains,
The many fjords on the coast,
well suited as a country,
and the coast is speckled
with islands.

II
It is so beautiful
when you journey
the entire coast.
Up north and down south,
there is a meeting place for people
and wherever you have land
there is a place to live.

III
At the feet of her mountains
and the mouths of her fjords
her inhabitants meet each other.
The sea is their domain
which they treat so well
It belongs to the Kalaallit
until the end of time!

Notes

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References

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  1. ^ "Culture and Community." Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine Greenland Home Rule. (retrieved 11 November 2009)
  2. ^ a b "Nuna Asiilasooq". hojskolesangbogen.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 2022-01-21.
  3. ^ a b Christensen, Birthe Dam (1991). Nordiske sange: – en nordisk folkehøjskolesangbog. Nordic Council of Ministers. p. 90. ISBN 978-87-7303-577-1.
  4. ^ "Nuna asiilasooq (English translation)". lyricstranslate.com. Retrieved March 10, 2022.