A Nation's Prayer
God Defend New Zealand — the national anthem of New Zealand. Most anthems boast. This one kneels. It is a five-verse prayer that an entire country sings.
First verse in te reo Māori — “Aotearoa”
E Ihowā Atua, O ngā iwi mātou rā Āta whakarangona; Me aroha noa Kia hua ko te pai; Kia tau tō atawhai; Manaakitia mai Aotearoa
Verse 1
God of Nations at Thy feet, In the bonds of love we meet, Hear our voices, we entreat, God defend our free land. Guard Pacific's triple star From the shafts of strife and war, Make her praises heard afar, God defend New Zealand.
Verse 2
Men of every creed and race, Gather here before Thy face, Asking Thee to bless this place, God defend our free land. From dissension, envy, hate, And corruption guard our state, Make our country good and great, God defend New Zealand.
Verse 3
Peace, not war, shall be our boast, But, should foes assail our coast, Make us then a mighty host, God defend our free land. Lord of battles in Thy might, Put our enemies to flight, Let our cause be just and right, God defend New Zealand.
Verse 4
Let our love for Thee increase, May Thy blessings never cease, Give us plenty, give us peace, God defend our free land. From dishonour and from shame, Guard our country's spotless name, Crown her with immortal fame, God defend New Zealand.
Verse 5
May our mountains ever be Freedom's ramparts on the sea, Make us faithful unto Thee, God defend our free land. Guide her in the nations' van, Preaching love and truth to man, Working out Thy glorious plan, God defend New Zealand.
The story behind it
It did not begin as a national anthem. An Irish-born New Zealand poet and journalist named Thomas Bracken wrote these five verses as a poem in the 1870s. In 1876, a newspaper held a competition to set the poem to music, with a prize of ten guineas. Twelve compositions were submitted. Three German musicians judged them independently - and all three chose the same one: a melody by a young schoolteacher named John Joseph Woods, who is said to have composed it in a single sitting.
It was first performed at the Queen's Theatre in Dunedin on Christmas Day, 1876. Within a generation it had become one of New Zealand's best-loved hymns - because that is what it is. Read the verses again: a country asking God for protection, unity, blessing, righteousness, peace, and faithfulness. Not a song about power. A prayer for character.
A century passed. In 1976, thousands of New Zealanders petitioned their government to make it a national anthem, and in 1977 it was officially adopted, sharing equal status with God Save the King. Today the first verse is commonly sung first in te reo Māori - a translation made all the way back in 1878 - and then in English.
One small mystery remains: nobody is entirely certain what Bracken meant by "Pacific's triple star." The traditional reading is New Zealand's three main islands. He never said. Some prayers keep a little of their poetry to themselves.
Imagine a whole nation standing, before rugby matches and state funerals alike, singing not about its own greatness but asking God to defend it, unite it, keep it good, and make it faithful. That is what a national anthem can be. And what a nation can sing, you can pray. Make these verses your own today - for your family, your work, your country, your life. God of Nations, at Thy feet, in the bonds of love we meet.