In 't Bronsgroen Eikenhout
Encyclopedia
Limburg mijn Vaderland (Limburg my native country) is the official anthem
Anthem
The term anthem means either a specific form of Anglican church music , or more generally, a song of celebration, usually acting as a symbol for a distinct group of people, as in the term "national anthem" or "sports anthem".-Etymology:The word is derived from the Greek via Old English , a word...

 of Limburg, a region split up in two parts: Belgian Limburg
Limburg (Belgium)
Limburg is the easternmost province of modern Flanders, which is one of the three main political and cultural sub-divisions of modern Belgium. It is located west of the river Meuse . It borders on the Dutch provinces of North Brabant and Limburg and the Belgian provinces of Liège, Flemish Brabant...

 and Dutch Limburg
Limburg (Netherlands)
Limburg is the southernmost of the twelve provinces of the Netherlands. It is located in the southeastern part of the country and bordered by the province of Gelderland to the north, Germany to the east, Belgium to the south and part of the west, andthe Dutch province of North Brabant partly to...

. The last verse, which is about the Dutch royal family, is almost never sung since it is irrelevant for the people of Belgian Limburg and as a later addition is not regarded as part of the traditional lyric.

The anthem has been written by schoolteacher Gerard Krekelberg in 1909 . The melody was composed by Hendrik (or Henri) Thyssen from Roermond
Roermond
Roermond is a city, a municipality, and a diocese in the southeastern part of the Netherlands.The city of Roermond is a historically important town, on the lower Roer at the east bank of the Meuse river. It received city rights in 1231...

. Henri Thyssen also wrote the anthem for Roermond, Oud en trouw Roermond
Roermond
Roermond is a city, a municipality, and a diocese in the southeastern part of the Netherlands.The city of Roermond is a historically important town, on the lower Roer at the east bank of the Meuse river. It received city rights in 1231...

. The anthem was written in Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...

.

In everyday life in Limburg around 1900 Dutch was of no importance. Everything was done in Limburgs. Newspapers in the 19th and early 20th century were written in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....

 or Limburgs and in most parts of Limburg German was the language used in church and education. In this time Maastricht
Maastricht
Maastricht is situated on both sides of the Meuse river in the south-eastern part of the Netherlands, on the Belgian border and near the German border...

 still had a very strong connection with French-speaking areas around Liege . Krekelberg's poem puts quite a lot of emphasis on the unity of (Dutch) Limburg, which was at the time -and arguably still is- a rather culturally diverse area.

The lyrics are written in Dutch. When played, usually only the first stanza is sung.
Waar in ’t bronsgroen eikenhout, ’t nachtegaaltje zingt.

Over 't malse korenveld, ’t lied des leeuw'riks klinkt.

Waar de hoorn des herders schalt, langs der beekjes boord.

Daar is mijn vaderland, Limburgs dierbaar oord!

Daar is mijn vaderland, Limburgs dierbaar oord!
Waar de brede stroom der Maas, statig zeewaarts vloeit.

Weelderig sappig veldgewas, kost'lijk groeit en bloeit.

Bloemengaard en beemd en bos, overheerlijk gloort.

Daar is mijn vaderland, Limburgs dierbaar oord!

Daar is mijn vaderland, Limburgs dierbaar oord!
Waar der vaad’ren schone taal klinkt met held're kracht.

Waar men kloek en fier van aard, vreemde praal veracht.

Eigen zeden, eigen schoon. ’t hart des volks bekoort.

Daar is mijn vaderland, Limburgs dierbaar oord!

Daar is mijn vaderland, Limburgs dierbaar oord!
Waar aan ’t oud Oranjehuis, ’t volk blijft hou en trouw.

Met ons roemrijk Nederland, één in vreugd en rouw.

Trouw aan plicht en trouw aan God, heerst van zuid tot noord.

Daar is mijn vaderland, Limburgs dierbaar oord!

Daar is mijn vaderland, Limburgs dierbaar oord!
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