Argentine National Anthem

The Argentine National Anthem (Template:Lang) was adopted as the sole official song of Argentina on 11 May 1813—three years after the May Revolution. Its lyrics were written by the Buenos Aires-born politician Vicente López y Planes and the music was composed by the Spanish musician Blas Parera.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Some first, quite different, anthems were composed from 1810; a version was then introduced in 1813, which was used throughout the 19th century. What is now officially codified as the state's national anthem is shorter than the original composition and comprises only the first and last verses and the chorus of the 1813 "Patriotic March", omitting much emotional text about the struggle for independence from Spain ("with strong arms they tear to pieces the arrogant Iberian lion").

11 May is celebrated in Argentina as the Argentine National Anthem Day (Template:Lang).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Etymology

The third Argentine national anthem was originally named "Template:Lang" (Template:Langx), later renamed "Template:Lang" (Template:Langx), and then "Template:Lang" (Template:Langx). It has been called "Himno Nacional Argentino" since it was published with that name in 1847.

History

The Argentine National Anthem being played for the first time in Mariquita Sánchez's house (painting by Pedro Subercaseaux)

The first Argentine national anthem was the "Patriotic March", published on 15 November 1810 in the Template:Lang. It had lyrics by Esteban de Luca and music by Blas Parera. This original composition made no reference to the name of Argentina (the country was not formally named "República Argentina" until 1826, although it was referred to as such) or an independentist will, and talked instead about Spain being conquered by France in the Peninsular War, the absolutist restoration begun by the Council of Regency, and the need to keep the republican freedoms achieved so far in the Americas: "Spain was victim / of the plotting Gaul / because to the tyrants / she bent her neck / If there treachery / has doomed a thousands cities / let sacred freedom and union reign here / Let the father to the sons / be able to say / enjoy rights / that I did not enjoy".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In mid-1812, the ruling triumvirate ordered the Buenos Aires Cabildo to commission a national anthem. Cayetano Rodríguez, a Franciscan friar, wrote a text that was approved on 4 August. The Catalan musician Blas Parera, music director of the local theater, set it to music and performed it for the first time with the orchestra he conducted on 1 November.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Less than a year later the Assembly of Year XIII estimated that the song was not effective enough to serve as a national anthem. On 6 March 1813 several poets were asked to submit lyrics. The poem by the lawyer Vicente López y Planes was unanimously considered the best. It was approved as the "sole national march" ("Template:Lang") on 11 May 1813. Parera was asked to compose a new musical setting around the same date. He must have finished the piece in a few days. Oral tradition has it that the premiere took place on 14 May 1813, at the home of the aristocrat Mariquita Sánchez de Thompson, but there is no documentary evidence of that.<ref>Galasso, p. 102.</ref> If this is true, then Parera, contrary to certain misconceptions, wrote quickly and under no visible coercion. The published song sheet is dated 14 May 1813. He again conducted the official premiere in the theater on 28 May, and was paid 200 pesos.<ref>Vega, El Himno Nacional Argentino, pp. 22–27.</ref>

Music sheet found in Santa Ana de Velasco, Bolivia, c. 1860

The composition was then known as Template:Lang (National Patriotic Song), and later simply as Template:Lang (Patriotic Song), but in Juan Pedro Esnaola's early arrangement, dated around 1848, it appeared under the title Template:Lang, and the name has been retained until today.<ref>Vega, El Himno Nacional Argentino, pp. 88–89.</ref> In the complete version of the Anthem of May (as was christened by López) it is noted that the political vision portrayed is not only Argentine, but Latin American. The lyrics are ardently pro-independence and anti-Spanish, as the country was at that time fighting for its independence from Spain.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The song became popular immediately. Within ten years documented performances took place throughout Argentina, and also in Chile, Peru, and Colombia until they had their own national anthems.<ref>Vega, El Himno Nacional Argentino, pp. 30–41.</ref> Different versions emerged, making mass singing difficult; several reforms were then proposed. In 1860 Esnaola was commissioned to create an official version. He took the task to heart, making many changes to the music, including a slower tempo, a fuller texture, alterations to the melody, and enrichment of the harmony. In 1927 a committee produced a historicist version that undid several of Esnaola's changes, but introduced new problems in the sung line. After a heated public debate fueled by the newspaper Template:Lang, this version was rejected and, following the recommendations of a second committee, Esnaola's arrangement was officially reinstated.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In 1944 it was confirmed as the official state anthem.

Throughout the 19th century the anthem was sung in its entirety. However, once harsh feelings against Spain had dissipated, and the country had become home to many Spanish immigrants, a modification was introduced by a decree of President Julio Argentino Roca on 30 March 1900:

Controversy

The song includes a line that has given rise to controversy: Template:Lang. In the manuscript and an early printed song-sheet the word Template:Lang is used; a slightly later version of the song-sheet correcting obvious errors such as spelling mistakes was issued with the same date of 14 May 1813, but with Template:Lang changed to Template:Lang. The meaning reverses: "Buenos Aires opposes the front of the people of the union" to "Buenos Aires positions itself at the front ...". The original Template:Lang has been interpreted as advancing part of the centralist views in Buenos Aires, but has also been considered a "tragical misprint".<ref name=scielo>The Patriotic March written by Vicente López: Depiction of a historical scene of tension. Analysis of the original Marcha Patriótica, in Spanish, with abstract in English.</ref> In many other lines the anthem goes beyond the Argentine theater of the Spanish American wars of independence and references events in Mexico, Central America, Northern South America, and Upper Peru.<ref>Galasso, pp. 102–103.</ref> The growing ideas of independence are reflected in lines such as "On the surface of the earth rises a glorious new nation, her head is crowned with laurels, and a Lion lies defeated at her feet". This portrays not just Spanish absolutism, but Spain itself, as the enemy.<ref>Galasso, p. 103.</ref>

The words strongly attacking Spain were no longer sung.<ref>Buch, O juremos con gloria morir, pp. 87–92.</ref>

Usage

Performance of the national anthem is mandatory during all official events, and Argentines in attendance are expected to stand up and sing it. Radio broadcasters voluntarily perform the anthem at midnight, while TV channels do so before closing down their daily broadcast. On national holidays, it is mandatory to perform the national anthem at midnight.

The national anthem is ruled in Argentine law by Decree 10302/1944.<ref name=Decree10302> Template:Cite web</ref>

The rock musician Charly García broke legal regulations dealing with the reproduction of the song when he included an idiosyncratic cover version in his 1990 album Template:Lang, stirring much controversy.<ref>Buch, O juremos con gloria morir, pp. 147–156.</ref> In 1998 various Argentine artists reedited the anthem and other patriotic songs in the joint album Template:Lang. Other singers followed on their footsteps recreating the piece in their own ways.

A line from the original version of the national anthem was used as the Argentine title of the 1928 film known in English as The Charge of the Gauchos.

The national anthem appears at the beginning of the 1985 film The Official Story, an Academy Award winner.

Short instrumental versions

Due to the excessive length of the official full-length version, which has a duration of around three to four minutes, during international sporting events such as professional soccer games, the Rugby World Cup, and the Olympics, only the instrumental introduction (which has a duration of around 1 minute) is played. Another variation is to play the instrumental introductory section followed by the last three lines (with the third line repeated). Since 2019, in professional soccer games, the final part of the anthem is played, which consists of the instrumental part before the chorus, the chorus, and the coda.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Olympic Games currently uses an abridged version of the anthem which consists of the entire modern version's lyrics, with the pre-chorus instrumental omitted. Although traditional, these arrangements are not recognized by Argentine law.

Lyrics

Modern version

The following is the modern version, adopted in 1924, omitting the long anti-Spanish middle section.

Spanish original<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

English translation

<poem>Template:Lang</poem>

<poem>Hear, mortals, the sacred cry: "Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!" Hear the sound of broken chains See noble equality enthroned. Their most worthy throne have now opened The United Provinces of the South. And the free people of the world reply: 𝄆 "To the great Argentine people, cheers!" 𝄇 𝄆 And the free ones of the world reply: "To the great Argentine people, cheers!" 𝄇 May the laurels be eternal 𝄆 that we were able to achieve 𝄇 Let's live crowned in glory Or let's swear to die with glory! 𝄆 Or let's swear to die with glory! 𝄇</poem>

Full lyrics

Spanish original<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

English translation

<poem>Template:Lang</poem>

<poem>I Oh, hear ye mortals, the sacred cry: Liberty, liberty, liberty! Hear the noise of chains broken, see noble Equality in its throne. On the face of the Earth rises a new and glorious Nation, its brow crowned with laurels, 𝄆 and a Lion defeated at its feet, 𝄇 𝄆 its brow crowned with laurels, and a Lion defeated at its feet. 𝄇 Template:Small May eternal be the laurels, 𝄆 That we knew how to win 𝄇 Crowned in glory, let's live or let's swear with glory to die! 𝄆 Or let's swear with glory to die! 𝄇 II The faces of the new champions Mars himself seems to encourage Greatness makes its nest in their chests: at their march they make everything tremble. The tombs of the Inca are shaken, and the passion returns to their bones which begins to renew, for their children, 𝄆 their Fatherland's ancient splendour, 𝄇 𝄆 which begins to renew, for their children, their Fatherland's ancient splendour. 𝄇 III But mountans and walls are felt echoing with horrible noise: the whole country is disturbed by cries of revenge, of war and uproar. The envy within the fierce tyrants spat its pestipherous bile; their bloody standard they raise 𝄆 provoking the cruelest fight, 𝄇 𝄆 their bloody standard they raise provoking the cruelest fight. 𝄇 IV Don't you see them over Mexico and Quito lunge forth with stubborn rage and how cry, bathed in blood, Potosí, Cochabamba and La Paz? Don't you see them over sad Caracas sow grief and tears and death? Don't you see them devour like beasts 𝄆 every people that surrenders to them? 𝄇 𝄆 Don't you see them devour like beasts every people that surrenders to them? 𝄇 V It challenges you, Argentines, the pride of the vile invader; your fields he stomps on, counting all the glorious victories he left behind. But the brave men that swore, united, their merry liberty to uphold, these bloodthirsty tigers 𝄆 with strong chests they'll know to face, 𝄇 𝄆 these bloodthirsty tigers with strong chests they'll know to face. 𝄇 VI The valiant Argentine to arms runs burning with strength and valour. The bugle of war, like thunder, echoed in the fields of the South. Buenos Ayres resists, at the front of the peoples of the illustrious Union, and with strong arms they tear apart 𝄆 the arrogant Iberian lion, 𝄇 𝄆 and with strong arms they tear apart the arrogant Iberian lion. 𝄇 VII San José, San Lorenzo, Suipacha, both Piedras, Salta and Tucumán, La Colonia and the very walls of the tyrant in the Banda Oriental. Are eternal signboards that say: here the Argentine arm triumphed, here the fierce oppressor of the Fatherland 𝄆 bent his proud neck, 𝄇 𝄆 here the fierce oppressor of the Fatherland bent his proud neck. 𝄇 VIII The Argentine warrior Victory covered with her shining wings, and dismayed at her sight the tyrant with infamy took to flight. His flags, his arms are surrendered as trophies to Liberty, and on wings of glory she raises the people, 𝄆 a throne worthy of their great majesty, 𝄇 𝄆 and on wings of glory she raises the people, a throne worthy of their great majesty. 𝄇 IX From one pole to the other echoes the resounding bugle of fame, and of America, teaching its name, it repeats: "Mortals, hear ye: Now the United Provinces of the South have opened their most worthy throne". And the free people of the world reply: 𝄆 "To the great Argentine people: cheers!" 𝄇 𝄆 And the free people of the world reply: "To the great Argentine people: cheers!" 𝄇 Template:Small</poem>

External links

• Argentina: Himno Nacional Argentino - Audio of the national anthem of Argentina, with information and lyrics (archive link)
• Argentine National Anthem MP3
• Argentine National Anthem (vocal) MP3
• Argentine National Anthem MP3
• Argentine National Anthem with English subtitles on YouTube.
• Listen in the Quechua language
• Argentine National Anthem (radio)