(by Petamber Persaud)

For the Love of Country
Love is a universal theme for the artist. This theme remains evergreen due to the fact that there are different types of love, affording writers down the ages opportunity to bring fresh perspectives to the subject. Love for country is one type of love that is a straightforward love without intrigue and complexity. Here are some examples about this affection for country.
O Beautiful Guyana
Words by Walter Mac A. Lawrence

O beautiful Guyana
O my lovely native land
More dear to me than all the world
Thy sea-washed, sun-kissed strand
Or down upon the borders
Looking out upon the deep
The great Atlantic
Blown into a fury, or asleep.
At morn, at noon – or better
In the crimson sunset’s glow
I love thee, Oh I love thee.

My Guyana, Eldorado
Words by Walter Mac A Lawrence

My Guyana, Eldorado
Best of all the world to me
In my heart where’er I wander
Memory enshrineth thee;
All my hopes and aspirations,
All my longings only tie
Everlasting bonds around us
As the fleeting years roll by.
Walter Mac A. Lawrence added sumptuous servings of nationalistic flavour to Guyanese Literature long before the words ‘independence’ and ‘republic’ became integral parts of the country’s vocabulary.

Song of the Republic
Words by Cleveland W. Hamilton

From Pakaraima’s peaks of pow’r
To Courentyne’s lush sands,
Her children pledge each faithful hour
To guard Guyana’s lands.

What sentiments, what a flow of patriotism, what a call to action, what a charge, what rhyme and rhythm, what rhyme and reason, what craft and technique and yet the ‘Song of the Republic’ almost never was (see past articles for that story).

The National Anthem of Guyana
Words by A. L. Luker

Dear Land of Guyana, to you will we give
Our homage, our service each day that we live;
God guard you, great Mother, and make us to be
More worthy our heritage – land of the free.

My Native Land
M. A. Cossou

Oh I care not that others rave over fair lands afar,
Where silvern lakes and placid streams mirror the evening star;
I care not though their wealth be great, their scenery be grand,
For none so fair as can compare with my own native land.
Hymn For Guyana’a Children
Valerie Rodway

With humble hearts and heads bowed down
…..
O children of Guyana, rise…..
And vow to serve her through the years.

GUYANA THE FREE
Valerie Rodway

Guyana, Guyana, this fair land of ours
Has broken the bondage of far distant powers,
We love you Guyana from high land to sea,
And pray God make worthy your children to be.

Rodway, Cossou, Luker, and Hamilton wrote hymns. Hymns are usually songs of praise and adoration, exhortation and commitment, devotion and sacrifice.

THE SONG OF GUYANA’S CHILDREN
W. Hawley-Bryant

Onward, upward, may we ever go
Day by day in strength and beauty grow,
Till at length we each of us may show,
What Guyana’s sons and daughters can be.
‘LET US COOPERATE’
W. R. A. Pilgrim

Let us co-operate for Guyana
Let us co-operate for our land,
Let us resolve to fight together
See we do it right together
Can we do it? Yes we can.

The message of Pilgrim and Hawley-Bryant is clear – working together for a better Guyana.

BEAUTIFUL GUYANA
Hilton Hemerding

There’s a land just off the Atlantic,
Land of jungles, waterfalls and sweet scenery….
With Kaieteur tumbling to the river,
How I love to see your foaming tide;…
O Guyana, beautiful Guyana,
O Guyana, independent and free,.
O Guyana, beautiful Guyana.

Hemerding putting his soul into this song, casting a spell on Guyanese and non-Guyanese alike, sending chills down the spine, raising up goose pimples.
Let’s not overlook, nay, let’s not forget these songs of our soul and hymns of our struggles, songs that brought a glow to our cheeks and fostered national pride in our hearts.
(To be continued with contribution from Cyril Kanhai, Seymour, J. W. Chinapen, Grace Nichols, Mahadai Das, contemporary writers, among others.)

Responses to this author telephone (592) 226-0065 or email: oraltradition2002@yahoo.com