Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Papua New Guinea's Independence Day




It's early morning of September 16 in Papua New Guinea. People are waking up to Independence Day!

Red, black, gold and white, the colours of PNG's flag, will be worn in specially created bilum bags, meri blouses, laplaps, highlands caps and even commercially printed t-shirts.

There will be sing sings, mumus, football games, boat races and parties.

PNG's national anthem will be heard throughout the country. Care to join the singing? The lyrics are below.

Imagine yourself pausing near a wooden flag pole set in front of a very basic school building in the Sepik lowlands. Students stand tall in straight rows. The young teacher raises his hand and counts to three. Deep breaths are taken and then sweet voices sing, "O arise all you sons..". The red, black, gold and white flag is reverently hoisted. At the top, it catches a bit of a breeze. These are moments too special to photograph.

Papua New Guinea's National Anthem: "O ARISE ALL YOU SONS"

O arise all you sons of this land
Let us sing of our joy to be free.
Praising God and rejoicing to be
Papua New Guinea.

Shout our name from the mountain to seas
Papua New Guinea.
Let us raise our voices and proclaim
Papua New Guinea.

Now give thanks to the good Lord above
For His kindness, His wisdom and love
For this land of our fathers so free,
Papua New Guinea.

Shout again for the whole world to hear
Papua New Guinea,
We're independent and we're free,
Papua New Guinea.

copyright (c) 2007 - 2011 Mary Jane Murray