The young at Utøya one or two day before the attack.
A song written by a Norwegian anti-fascist and communist in 1936.
Faced by your enemies
On every hand
Battle is menacing,
Now make your stand
Fearful your question,
Defenceless, open
What shall I fight with?
What is my weapon?
Here is your battle plan,
Here is your shield
Faith in this life of ours,
The common weal
For all our children’s sake,
Save it, defend it,
Pay any price you must,
They shall not end it
Neat stacks of cannon shells,
Row upon row
Death to the life you love,
All that you know
War is contempt for life,
Peace is creation
Death’s march is halted
By determination
We all deserve the world,
Harvest and seed
Hunger and poverty
Are born of greed
Don’t turn your face away
From needs of others
Reach out a helping hand
To all your brothers
Here is our solemn vow,
From land to land
We will protect our world
From tyrants’ hand
Defend the beautiful,
Gentle and innocent
Like any mother would
Care for her infant.
(Unfortunate the English translation misses some of the beauty and strong lines in the original)
When Germans invaded Norway in 1940 the communist Nordahl Grieg fled to Britain on the same vessel that also carried the Norwegian royals and the Norwegian gold fortune. He bacame involved in the resistance as a journalist and he died in 1943 when a plane he was onboard was shot down over Berlin.
The song has always been popular in the Norwegian Labour movement. It is also used in Humanistic confirmations and also in church services, like it was today in the televised service in Oslo Cathedral.
Primeminister Stoltenberg hugs the leader of the youth wing (AUF).