h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

> See what other juicy nuggets of information there is on National Anthems on other BBCi sites"

Nuggets are plural, so "are", not "is".

Sorry Lucinda- that was added by TPTB, not me...
Ironic, really...

I was thinking of another word beginning with 'I', but yours will do as well...

on behalf of TPTB- Hey!
(Although secretly, I agree)

Several typos seem to have snuck into this entry, I'll leave finding them as an excersise for the reader.

I seem to have gotten confused in the paragraph that tells us that England football team don´t know the words... there are too many no and not in there.
mmmmwwwwwaaaaaahhhhh
Italics, can you fix this?
notsoCheers Ismarah

Verse Six seems to have snuck in a quick gender-change. While normally I'd have no problems with that, in the interests of accuracy...

-Lucinda

Right, I've cleaned up those points of error you shrewdly highlighted - thank you very much for that.

Only verses 1-3 as written on this page are original. Verses 5 and 6 are early additions (about the time of the Jacobite rising), which fell out of use almost as quickly as they came into use. Verse 4 (as you call it) is a later addition, written by William Edward Hickson in 1836. You have a typo in this verse. The first word is "Nor" not "Not".

Now, obviously "nor" introduces a contrast from something preceding, so it will come as no surprise to you that this is actually the last of four extra verses which Hickson wrote, and therefore should be verse 7. These verses run:

IV. God bless our native land!
May heaven's protecting hand
Still guard our shore:
May peace her power extend,
Foe be transformed to friend,
And Britain's rights depend
On war no more.

V. O Lord, our monarch bless
With strength and righteousness:
Long may she reign:
Her heart inspire and move
With wisdom from above;
And in a nation's love
Her throne maintain.

VI. May just and righteous laws
Uphold the public cause,
And bless our isle:
Home of the brave and free,
Thou land of liberty,
We pray that still on thee
Kind heaven may smile.

VII. Nor on this land alone,
But be God's mercies known
From shore to shore:
Lord make the nations see
That men should brothers be,
And form one family
The wide world o'er.

The English Hymnal contains the original three verses plus IV, VI, and VII, noting that these are a later addition.