Remember, remember The Seventeenth of November

Remember, remember

The Seventeenth of November

A date woven deep in our past.

When Opletal fell and the night grew cold

And the tyrant’s shadow was cast.

The students stood fast

Though the darkness amassed

And their voices were silenced by might;

Yet whispers remained

Where the nation was chained

A quiet refusal to blight.

Remember, remember

The Seventeenth of November

For fifty long years passed between

The sorrow of 1939’s mournful streets

And 1989’s gathering scene.

From candles that shone

On Národní třída’s stone

To millions who stood without fear;

With courage they came

Velvet in name

And the truth rang steadfast and clear.

So remember, remember

Each Seventeenth of November

For freedom is fragile and bright.

From Opletal’s plea

To a country set free

Hold the lessons of darkness and light.

And never let seasons

Erase these reasons

From the heart of our common rite.