Czechia National Anthem — Kde domov můj

"Kde domov můj" is a quiet, loving portrait of the homeland framed as a question and answer. It asks "Where is my home?" and replies with images of the Czech countryside: "water roars across the meadows", "pinewoods rustle among the crags", and gardens glow with "spring blossom" — an "earthly paradise to behold".

The verse resolves warmly: "And this is that beautiful land, the Czech land, my home." Rather than a martial boast, the anthem is a tender declaration of belonging to a beloved landscape.

The song first appeared in the 1834 comedy play "Fidlovačka, aneb Žádný hněv a žádná rvačka", with words by the playwright Josef Kajetán Tyl and music by František Škroup, where it was sung by a blind beggar-fiddler. It became a Czech patriotic favourite, and from 1918 formed the Czech half of the Czechoslovak anthem (paired with the Slovak "Nad Tatrou sa blýska"). When Czechoslovakia peacefully split in 1993, "Kde domov můj" became the sole anthem of the Czech Republic.

That the Czech anthem began life as a song in a stage comedy — and asks a gentle question rather than making a proud declaration — sets it apart from most national anthems. Only the first verse is official. It is sung at state occasions and Czech sporting events, a warm emblem of attachment to the land.

"Kde domov můj" ("Where Is My Home") is the national anthem of Czechia (the Czech Republic), one of the gentlest of the world's national anthems. The words are by Josef Kajetán Tyl and the music by František Škroup.

It dates to 1834 and became the Czech Republic's anthem in 1993. Both are in the public domain. Only the first verse is official.