''Mir wëlle bleiwe wat mir sinn'' (; Luxembourgish for "We want to stay what we are"; archaic spelling ''Mir wölle bleiwe wat mir sin'') is the national motto of Luxembourg. The national motto is also translated into the other two official languages, French and German, although they do not have the status of a national language: "''Nous voulons rester ce que nous sommes''" (

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

) and "''Wir wollen bleiben, was wir sind''" (

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

). It refers to the ambition of the

Luxembourgish people Luxembourgers ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerger ) are a Germanic ethnic group and nation native to their nation state of Luxembourg, where they make up around half of the population. They share the culture of Luxembourg and speak Luxembourgish. Luxembour ...

to retain their independent identity and sovereignty.

Origin and history

The phrase's origin can be traced back to ''De Feierwon'', a patriotic song written in 1859 to pay homage to the country's first international (cross-border) railway. Its chorus reads: :Kommt hier aus Frankräich, Belgie, Preisen, :Mir wellen iech ons Hémecht weisen, :Frot dir no alle Säiten hin, :Mir welle bleiwe wat mir sin. In English, this reads: :Come here from France, Belgium, Prussia, :we want to show you our fatherland :ask in all directions, :We want to stay what we are.

References

National mottos National symbols of Luxembourg {{Luxembourg-stub