Malta will tomorrow mark its anniversary as an independent sovereign state. Once more, flags will fly and national anthems will be played and sometimes sung. The words of a national anthem are learnt in childhood and repeated through one’s adult life, sung with pride but often with very little thought as to their meaning. This means that, over time, we unwittingly start to ascribe to sentiments that sound decidedly anachronistic. Take, for example, the anthem of the United States. It is easy to forget that The Star-Spangled Banner contains such bellicose verses as: “And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.” These are hardly the sentiments of a peace-loving nation. Inspired by a battle fought against the British, it is a product of its time. Our national anthem too is a product of its time. In particular, it contains some verses which should read uncomfortably to contemporary minds. How does one react to these verses: “Agħti, kbir Alla, id-dehen lil min jaħkimha”? Liberally translated this means: “May he who rules, for wisdom be regarded!”. This is an obvious reference to the British monarchy which ruled...