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May 03, 2006
All Rise: The Mexican National Anthem, Various English Versions
With all the furor over the Spanish version of "The Star Spangled Banner," Mark in Mexico provides useful background on the lyrics of the Mexican National Anthem in the context of Mexican military history (as native Texans, Judith and I will thrill to the references to the Alamo).
Having grown up on the border, I had no idea of the Mexican national anthem, unofficially titled by its first line, "Mexicanos, al grito de guerra" (Spanish for "Mexicans, at the cry of war"). It's quite rousing in a martial sense, and I could see Hamas squadrons belting it out at a Gaza rally.
It turns out the composer of "Al Grito de Guerra" also decided to improve his life in El Norte:
This contest was won by a Spaniard, Jaime Nunó, who was conductor of the National Band. The anthem was first presented in September 1854 for the nation. Shortly after his work was adopted as the national anthem, he left Mexico to spend the rest of his life in Buffalo, New York, United States, and sold the anthem to a music house in that country. When he visited Mexico in 1901, he was given a state reception, a medal, and money
(Could it be that U.S. publishing house still controls the right to the Mexican National Anthem?)
Mark provides the English lyrics, in a standard translation. This English may be a little stiff, but fortunately various translation services render the English more comprehensible. Many residents of Los Estados Unidos might appreciate the redneck version, provided below (pirate, Valley girl, cockney, and other translations are also available):
Mexicans, at da cry of battle
preprrr yore swerds `n` bridle;
and let da earth tremble at its center
at da roar of da cannon.
Oh fatherland
yore forehead shall be girded wif olive garlands,
by da divine archangel of peace
For in heaven yore eternal destiny
has been written by da hand of God.
But should a foreign enemy drrr to
profane yore land wif his sole,
recon, beloved fatherland, dat heaven
gave yew a soldier in each son.
War, war wifout truce against who would attempt
to blemish da honor of da fatherland!
War, war! da patriotic banners
drench in waves of blood.
War, war! On da mount, in da valley
The terrifying thunder of da cannon
And da echoes nobly resound ta da cries of
Union! Liberty!
Fatherland, b4 yore children
Becume unarmed beneath da yoke their necks in sway,
And yore countryside be watered wif blood,
On blood their feet trample.
And may yore temples, palaces `n` towers
crumble in horrid crash,
and ruins remain saying:
The fatherland was made of one thousand heroes.
Fatherland, fatherland, yore children swear
to exhale their breath in yore cause,
If da bugle in its belligerent tone
should call upon em ta struggle wif bravery.
For yew da olive garlands!
For em a memory of glory!
For yew a laurel of victory!
For em a tomb of honor!
Van | 05/03/06 at 09:07 AM | Categories: Competing narratives
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