Who told you so?! – The Collective Story vs. The Individual Narrative

2013

With the heroic hands of the people / Compatriots, let’s show erect our / Forehead, proud of today for / The history of an entire people / Our fathers, the people, valiant and bold / At the virile protest of this man / The head of a consecrated aristocrat / Has at long last crowned our vows and longings / The aristocrat is not sovereign / The aristocrat, precious sovereign

Bless our leader, each and every one / The saving of all people waits in thy hand / We wish to serve you / Men and women serving selflessly / Loyal towards your destiny.

May our aristocrat have a successful reign / Thy name rouses the hearts of people, persons / Persons and people / We offer thanks and praise for our aristocrat / Two leaders of name and valour / Thou gavest us knowledge and truth / We pledge our devotion, our strength and our might / May our noble aspiration bring / Generous fidelity / This land / The honour of dynasty.

-Excerpt

194 national anthem redacted to omit all proper nouns, reassembled into 10 thematic movements, whilst maintaining poetic line structures. See Verses of a Nameless Land autonomous publication and audio installation.

Patricia Reed, 'Verses of a Nameless Land' insert, in Who told you so?! - The Collective Story vs. The Individual Narrative, ed. Freek Lomme (Eindhoven, NL: Onomatopee) 2013.