Land of the Free is the national anthem of Belize. The words were written by Samuel Alfred Haynes and the music by Selwyn Walford Young in 1963. It was officially adopted in 1981.
Lyrics:
O. Land of the Free by the Carib Sea,
Our manhood we pledge to thy liberty!
No tyrants here linger, despots must flee
This tranquil haven of democracy
The blood of our sires which hallows the sod,
Brought freedom from slavery oppression’s rod,
By the might of truth and the grace of God,
No longer shall we be hewers of wood.
Refrain:
Arise! ye sons of the Baymen’s clan,
Put on your armour, clear the land!
Drive back the tyrants, let despots flee -
Land of the Free by the Carib Sea!
Nature has blessed thee with wealth untold,
O’er mountains and valleys where prairies roll;
Our fathers, the Baymen, valiant and bold
Drove back the invader; this heritage hold
From proud Rio Hondo to old Sarstoon,
Through coral isle, over blue lagoon;
Keep watch with the angels, the stars and moon;
For freedom comes tomorrow’s noon.
Belize Nation Anthem in Maya Yucatec by U Puksi'ik'al Maya
Belize Nation anthem in Yucatec Maya ... sorry for the video Quality but it sounds beautiful, done by the Orange Walk Maya Group U Puksi'ik'al Maya of Yo Creek Village ... lets be proud Maya brothers and sisters
1.-Noj lu'umil tu k'abnabil Caribe
2.-ak ma'saajakil k'axt'antik ti a cha'ak'abil
3.-mix máak k'aak'as jala'ach way ku ta'ajkubae'
4.-ti'e lu'umil jetsnakil tu'ux ku t'aan kaaj
5.-u k'íik'el ak yuumo'ob kilichlu'umtik
6.-tu taasaj cháak'abil ti'e paalitsil.
7.-men u muuk'il jaajil, u siibal k'uj
8.-yaan k p'áatik ak sen k'askuntik k'áax.
9.-¡wayan, u paal baatsil Bahiano!
10.-buukint buk ba'atel, miste'ex ak noj lu'um.
11.-mente'ex bin paachil le peech'óol áalkabanse'ex
12.-noj lu'um cha'ak'abil tu tsel Caribe noj ja'
13.-siijnalil t'anmilech yéetel tuul
14.-yo' wits, taxkabil chak'am ku balak'.
15.-ak yumo'ob, Bahiano'ob, ma'a sajak peekano'ob.
16-Tu xulo'ob j-ook'olo'ob, p'atal le siibal.
17.-ku chuunul Rio Hondo, tak nooj Sarstoon.
18.-Tu peten puts'tun, yook'ol k'aknáab ch'oj
19.-piixan ka'an, uj, eek'o'ob ch'úuktiko'ob.
20.-sáamal u yu'ul jáalk'ab ich u saastal kiin
Translated by : U Puksi'ik'al Maya (Maya group of Belize)
1.-O' Land of the free by the Carib sea,
2.-Our manhood we pledge to thy liberty!
3.-No tyrants here linger, despots must flee
4.-This tranquil haven of democracy
5.-The blood of our sires which hallows the sod,
6.-Brought freedom from slavery oppression's rod,
7.-By the might of truth and the grace of God,
8.-No longer shall we be hewers of wood.
9.-Arise! Ye sons of the Baymen's clan
10.-Put on your armour, clear the land
11.-Drive back the tyrants, let despots flee-
12.-Land of the free by the Carib Sea!
13.-Nature has blessed thee with wealth untold,
14.-O'er mountains and valleys where prairies roll;
15.-Our fathers, the Baymen, valiant and bold
16.-Drove back the invader; this heritage hold
17.-From proud Rio Hondo to old Sarstoon,
18.-Through coral isle, over blue lagoon;
19.-Keep watch with the angels, the stars and moon;
20.For freedom comes tomorrow's noon
BELIZE NATIONAL ANTHEM
O, Land of the free by the Carib Sea,
Our manhood we pledge to thy liberty
No tyrants here linger, despot must flee
This tranquil haven of democracy
The blood of our sires which hollows the sod,
Brought freedom from slavery oppression’s rod
By the might of truth and the grace of God.
No longer shall we be hewers of wood.
Arise! Ye sons of the Baymen’s clan,
Put on your armours, clear the land!
Drive back the tyrants let despots flee-
Land of the free by the Carib Sea!
Nature has blessed thee with wealth untold,
O’er mountains and valleys where prairies roll;
Our fathers, the Baymen, valiant and bold
Drove back the invaders; this heritage hold
From proud Rio Hondo to old Sarstoon,
Through coral isle,over blue lagoon;
Keep watch with the angels, the stars and moon;
For freedom comes to-morrow’s noon.
Arise! Ye sons of the Baymen’s clan,
Put on your armours, clear the land!
Drive back the tyrants let despots flee-
Land of the free by the Carib Sea!
As the September celebrations draw closer, many Belizeans are beginning to feel very patriotic and proud of their country. Some have already started to decorate their houses and business, while others prepare for Carnival, the Battle of St. George Caye and Independence Day road marches.
Throughout the country many students will have already started the new school year and are accustomed to singing Belize's National Anthem.
However, many within the new generation of Belizeans are not aware of the history of this great song.
The National Institute of Culture and History (NICH) provides short biographical information on various Belizean heroes and benefactors, and one such unsung hero is Mr . Samuel Alfred Hayes.
According to NICH, Belize's National Anthem, "O Land of the Free," was written by Samuel Alfred Hayes and music was by Selwyn Walford Young, in 1963. Samuel Hayes (1898 - 1971), a social activist, was a soldier in World War 1 and along with other Belizeans soldiers fought in the colonial effort for Great Britain.
However, due to the abuse, discrimination, unfair pay he suffered in the war along with the other colored soldiers, he returned to Belize (then British Honduras) and became a key witness to the commission in the inquiry of the Ex-Servicemen's Riot of 1919. It could be said that perhaps due to these turmoils he was suffering that he initially wrote the poem as a form of retaliation against colonialism and how it was oppressing Belizeans. The poem, titled "Land of the Gods," was a salute to the explosion of organized religion in Belize.
During the emancipation efforts of British Honduras as a sovereign nation from Great Britain, the People's United Party (PUP), led by George Cadle Price along with other founding fathers, began preparations and search for symbols representing Belize's identity.
Due to language and inspirational words referring to Belize's former status as a slave society as a result of the mahogany logging and forestry, and cleverly connecting it to the end of Belize's colonial period , on Independence Day, September 21, 1981, the ruling PUP named the now renamed "O Land of the Free" as Belize's Official anthem and played the lyrics and music at the Independence Day ceremonies.
Over the years, the lyrics of the national anthem has come under scrutiny from critics who state that the lyrics are outdated, male-centric and does not portray all the ethnicities in Belize, while others have continued to praise its historical references as a reminder of the struggles of Belizeans in the past.
However, during these September Celebrations, as we reflect on the theme, "Belize Renewed, Confident, Competitive, and Committed," we will continue to be patriotic and raise our flags in the name of country, and proudly sing our national anthem, "O Land of the Free."
(The National Institute of Culture and History in Belize is located in the City of Belmopan and is a statutory body which seeks to encourage Belizeans and persons interested in Belize to better understand the historical and ethnic roots of the country.)
Samuel Haynes left Belize in 1921 and NEVER RETURNED.He wrote "Land of the Gods" in 1961. He wrote the lyrics in New Jersey while working for Marcus Garvey. It was adopted as the national athem. Selvyn Young wrote the music. Both were black freedman who came back to British Honduras and had no jobs.
Our nation anthem sounds beautiful in Maya. As a Maya of the Yucatec Maya tribe of Belize I feel proud hearing it. Now it's true our Belize nation anthem has nothing to do with us the baymen were white men who enslaved and rape our African ancestors and stole the land of our Maya ancestors . So why we keep giving tribute to the oppressors ???many will not agree because we have been brainwash with the colonial mentality . Not sons of the baymen but sons of the Belizean soil .
Nachan Can, "strong words and incorrect assumptions".
You are a member of the Yucatec Mayas who got refuge in Belize in the early 1900's after the Caste War (look it up on Wikipedia). The Yucatec Maya were not in Belize when the settlers arrived. The Yucatec Mayans fought the Caste War (1847-1901) in Yucatán, Mexico, which was basically an ethnic genocide, killing all the Mestizos there. Funnily enough one of the Maya warlords was Jacinto Pat who had blue eyes, so he could't have been 100% Mayan.
After the Mexicans had enough of the war in Quintana Roo they send an army from Mexico City to finish it and many Yucatec Maya were granted asylum in Belize under the condition that they lay down their arms. They settled in the North of Belize, mainly Corozal and Orange Walk and their towns have Mayan names, as opposed to the refuge towns in the North that have Christian names, mainly inhabited by Mestizos, who sought asylum at the beginning of the same Caste War. According to Dr. Jaime J. Awe only the Q'eqchi' Maya in the South were indigenous to Belize. Your heritage is from Mexico, and your ancestors have been granted refuge here.
As far as "white men who enslaved and rape our African ancestors", have you had history in school in Belize, because if you did , you would't say that. You would have read the Great Story of Belize (history) and the Battle of St. George's Caye (literature) by Emory King who headed the Belize Historical Society. You sound more like a foreigner or you never payed attention in class, please correct me if I'm wrong. I would love to get more into detail with you about that. If you can find the Great Story of Belize volume 1, 2, 3 and 4 by Emory King, please buy them and read them.
I would love to discuss Belize History more in detail with you! Short
More accurate view in 13 Chapters, by Assad Shoman. Emory wrote about slavery as only a member of the oppressing class could. He tried to make it sound like slaves and masters got along, like one big happy family and that the white man treated his slaves well. I doubt the slaves would agree and many stories about public flogging of slaves for minor 'infractions'.
sure i pay attention in class and ill tell you this with all due respect most of what is taught in our Belizean schools are history written in the eyes of the British/the oppressors history. Assad Shoman did a good job in writing our history. 1.what is today belize, guatemala and mexico is the maya world , this lands was divided by the spanish and the british. The spanish use divide and conquer methods brain washing the so called "Mestizo", the so called"mestizo" is simply a mix blood maya who have been brainwash and hispanized simply to fight against there Maya brothers. terms like"mestizo" were created terms by european imperialism to destroy,control,erase,divide our maya people this have done to us for over 500years of oppression. The so called" mestizo" was a product of rape done by the Spanish towards our maya woman. The only peaceful case of "mestizo" was in the 1500's by gonzalo guerrero and Zazil Ha who married but even like that gonzalo guerrero being spanish became "mayanized" and joint the maya in there fight against the spanish. Gonzalo and Zazil Ha had kids etc at that time the term " mestizo" didnot existed. The caste war was not a racial war but was a social war there were many "Maya Mestizos" like Bonifacio novelo who join the maya to fight. The spanish called him a "traijidor" because the spanish saw him as a "mestizo" but they forgot that Bonifacio novelo was from Maya ancestry also, Bonifacio novelo heart is Maya. another good example is Jose Maria Barrera a so called "mestizo" also called "trajidor" by the Spanish who had maya ancestry also and join the maya in there fight. Maya leaders like Cecilio Chi,Manuel Ay and others were Masewal(100%) maya. Now to understand what i am telling you please read this The Mestizo concept:A product of European imperialism https://onkwehonwerising.wordpress....ncept-a-product-of-european-imperialism/ 2. Not all the Maya yucatecs came from what is today mexico,many were already living here at the time the British came in what we call now Belize,research and you will find answers that there were yucatec maya living in the yalbac area and by the river close to Lamanai by orange walk,the British also reported several attacks from "indians" meaning mayas in the late 1790's and 1801 the caste war started until 1847,those local Belizean maya(Yucatec maya speaking) simply intermarry with the in comeing maya of yucatan since they share the same language and culture back then. The british label all us as "aliens" but how can we be aliens in our maya world. check this link of a documentary of Simply Belize:the yucatec Maya http://www.simplybelize.org/episode01.html
3. for many years in schools us maya(yucatec,mopan and ketchi) are being treated as immigrants in a land which was divided by europeans. the fact is that the europeans stole our land and gold and gave us bibles this happen all over the Americas with the Maya,Aztecs,inca,Apache,Taino. and through 500 years of oppression,discrimination,rape,brainwash they affected us.
4. In Belize history the relationship between the africans and the british have been manipulated and distorted. The British saw the africans as Slaves,research good and you will find the truth brother. Our african ancestors were treated bad and is a pity that many of us still give tribute to the oppressors. The baymen were white men who had our african ancestors as slaves brother. Many africans rebel against the british and ran with the maya. some african slaves ran so far that reach and joint the maya rebels in chan santa cruz and became translators brother enjoy the reading and watch this picture brother //ambergriscaye.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/479822/The_Caste_War.html alot of our history have been manipulated by the british especially when it comes from the Maya especially with the "myth of the empty land" ,we have suffer discrimination in our own maya land name Belize enjoy this reading and please keep a open mind while reading brother //ambergriscaye.com/BzLibrary/trust360.html
thank you for your time brother and i am a proud Belizean who simply knows my history brother thats all. peace and love brother have a nice day PLEASE: Before answering me take time and read the links i posted each and every one of them they might be long but very informative.
it is true what you said about Emory he just wrote in the eyes of the oppressor. Our african ancestors rebel several times also in Belize. Many africans becaus e of the bad treatment escape from the British and ran with the maya. there were some that ran and even join the maya rebels of chan santa cruz and became translators for the maya. this is a good reading also http://amandala.com.bz/news/publisher-113/
The opinions and views expressed on this board are the subjective opinions of Ambergris Caye Message Board members and not of the Ambergris Caye Message Board its affiliates, or its employees.
AmbergrisCaye.com 
As the September celebrations draw closer, many Belizeans are beginning to feel very patriotic and proud of their country. Some have already started to decorate their houses and business, while others prepare for Carnival, the Battle of St. George Caye and Independence Day road marches.
peace and love brother have a nice day
