Let’s start by slightly adjusting a thought from one of my favorite philosophers, Ludwig Wittgenstein: “The mystery is not what Hungarian culture is like, but that it exists at all.” Indeed, even the most rabid neo-Marxist or liberarian doesn’t dare deny the existence of Hungarian culture. It exists to such an extent that we’ve even dedicated a holiday to it; for decades, we’ve been celebrating it every year on January 22nd. And in my humble opinion, it’s no coincidence that we’ve designated the birthday of a poem, specifically the National Anthem, to this distinguished anniversary.
You see, Hungarians are not a metaphysical nation. Instead of voluminous philosophical works, our decoding of the world happens in verses; poets are our greatest philosophers. Perhaps it’s not an exaggeration to say: the Hungarian nation is unique in the world in that three poems define the direction and framework of its freedom – that is, they convey the essence of Hungarian freedom in a way that’s understandable to every Hungarian, and perhaps more importantly: in a way that can be lived.
These three poems were born over 25 years. Or to put it more vividly: we staked out the freedom of the Hungarian nation in the span of a single generation. Last year marked the bicentennial of Ferenc Kölcsey finalizing the manuscript of the “Hymn” on January 22nd, and the then three-week-old Sándor Petőfi would write the “National Song” 25 years later, in 1848. Between the two, in 1836, Mihály Vörösmarty pens the “Appeal.”
Perhaps I’m not alone in “hearing” all three poems with music. They’ve been burned into my soul not as verse texts, but as songs.
We’re talking about three poems that are more than poems. And we’re talking about three musical works that are more than musical works.
If the God of Hungarians exists, then these are our three prayers to Him.
It was no accident that Kölcsey didn’t write his hymn for the whole world or humanity. I quote: “Every animal seeks a resting place for itself, every bird a nest to which it returns to rest after its daily struggle: would the heaviest curse of fate lie on man alone: to be a wanderer across the entire fugitive star, and to be everywhere, to remain a stranger everywhere?… God created one soul for one heart: thus, one homeland for man. Nothing can be strong, nothing great and respectable in its consequences, which has spilled out without aim and limit, which has no point to converge on, from which to branch out. That is why every single person must work for their own homeland, that is why they must fix the entire strength of their love on their homeland, that is why the most beautiful, most extraordinary deeds could only originate from such love. To die for the whole world, for all humanity: That God could do; man dies for his household, man dies for his homeland, a mortal heart can bear no more.”
Mihály Babits writes in his History of Spirit about the Appeal: “only after the World War did I realize that this poetry, like all true poetry, has meaning and significance for reality as well. That this Appeal is a real ‘appeal,’ that is, the raising of a voice: a nation’s word, through its own human consciousness, to humanity.”
Thanks to the generations of the Reform Era, the question for us is no longer whether we should be slaves or free. This was decided in 1848. But rather, what kind of freedom we want for ourselves. The idea of universal human rights is a beautiful one, but – and Petőfi staked his life on this – the path to world freedom goes, not through individuals, but through the freedom of nations.
To defend and strengthen Hungarian freedom, we must read the essential messages of our three prayers together, see and feel them as one – with the warning that one of our oldest linguistic relics, the “Funeral Sermon and Prayer,” evokes for us: “we are but dust and sand.”
Notes:
Cultural context:
January 22nd is the Day of Hungarian Culture, commemorating the completion of the “Hymn” (national anthem) in 1823.
Literary references:
“Hymn” (Himnusz): The Hungarian national anthem, written by Ferenc Kölcsey in 1823.
“National Song” (Nemzeti dal): A poem by Sándor Petőfi, written for the 1848 Revolution.
“Appeal” (Szózat): A patriotic poem by Mihály Vörösmarty, often considered a second national anthem.
Historical figures:
Ferenc Kölcsey (1790-1838): Poet, critic, and politician, author of the Hungarian national anthem.
Sándor Petőfi (1823-1849): National poet and revolutionary figure.
Mihály Vörösmarty (1800-1855): Romantic poet, author of “Appeal”.
Mihály Babits (1883-1941): Poet, translator, and literary critic.
Historical context:
Reform Era: A period of modernization in Hungarian history (roughly 1825-1848).
1848 Revolution: A significant national uprising against Habsburg rule.
Philosophical references:
Ludwig Wittgenstein: Austrian-British philosopher, known for his work on logic and language.
Linguistic notes:
“Liberarian” (liberária in Hungarian): A neologism combining “liberal” with a derogatory suffix.
The final quote “isa por és homou vogymuk” is from one of the oldest Hungarian texts, the “Funeral Sermon and Prayer” (Halotti beszéd és könyörgés), equivalent to “we are but dust and sand”.
Homeland Dictionary 