Sweden National Anthem — Du gamla, du fria

"Du gamla, du fria" is a serene tribute to the beauty and heritage of the North. It hails an "ancient" and "free" land of high fells, greeting the "loveliest land upon earth" — its sun, sky and green meadows.

The second verse turns to history, picturing a nation "enthroned upon memories" of great olden days "when honoured your name flew across the earth", and ends with the singer's wish "to live and die in the North". Notably, the text never names Sweden itself, speaking only of "Norden" (the North).

Richard Dybeck, a lawyer and folklore collector, wrote the words in 1844 under the title "Sång till Norden" ("Song to the North"), pairing them with a traditional folk melody from the province of Västmanland. The song grew popular through the 19th century and became established as Sweden's de facto national anthem. Two extra verses that do name Sweden were added by Louise Ahlén in 1910 but are rarely sung.

That Sweden's anthem is official only by tradition — with no legal designation — is itself a point of national curiosity, as is the fact that the lyrics never mention Sweden. Proposals to add a Sweden-specific verse have surfaced from time to time but never taken hold. The anthem is sung at national and sporting occasions across the country.

"Du gamla, du fria" ("You Ancient, You Free") is the national anthem of Sweden, an unusual case among the world's national anthems: it is the anthem purely by custom. The words are by Richard Dybeck (1844), set to a traditional folk melody.

Sweden has never passed a law making it official. The lyrics are in the public domain.