Himno Nacional

Infobox Anthem
title = Himno Nacional
english_title = National Anthem


image_size =
border =
caption =
prefix = National
country = DOM
author = Emilio Prud'homme
lyrics_date =
composer = Jose Rufino Reyes Siancas
music_date =
adopted = 1934
until =

"Himno Nacional" ("National Anthem") is the national anthem of the Dominican Republic. Its music was composed by Jose Rufino Reyes Siancas (1835-1905), and its lyrics were written by Emilio Prud'homme (1856-1932). The first public performance of "Himno Nacional" took place on August 17, 1883 at the Masonic Lodge "Esperanza No.9" ("Esperanza" means "Hope" in Spanish).

The music was an instant success, but the original lyrics were questioned by several Dominican scholars, due to factual errors in the words. In 1897 Prud'homme submitted a corrected version, which stands today.

With the new lyrics approved by mostly everybody, the Dominican Congress adopted "Himno Nacional" as the official national anthem, after heated debates, on June 7, 1897. President Ulises Heureaux (1846-1899) vetoed the act, however, because Prud'homme was an opponent of his government. Heureaux was murdered in 1899 and the political disorders of the following years prevented the officialization of the anthem.

"Himno Nacional" was finally adopted as the national anthem of the Dominican Republic on May 30, 1934.

It should be noted that the term 'Dominican' never appears in the anthem. Prud'homme consistently uses the poetic term "Quisqueyano".

panish Version

I

:Quisqueyanos valientes, alcemos:Nuestro canto con viva emoción,:Y del mundo a la faz ostentemos:Nuestro invicto glorioso pendón.

II

:Salve el pueblo que intrépido y fuerte,:A la guerra a morir se lanzó:Cuando en bélico reto de muerte:Sus cadenas de esclavo rompió.

III

:Ningún pueblo ser libre merece:Si es esclavo indolente y servil;:Si en su pecho la llama no crece:Que templó el heroismo viril.

IV

:Más Quisqueya la indómita y brava:Siempre altiva la frente alzará::Que si fuere mil veces esclava:Otras tantas ser libre sabrá.

V

:Que si dolo y ardid la expusieron:de un intruso señor al desdén,:¡Las Carreras! ¡Beller!... campos fueron:que cubiertos de gloria se ven.

VI

:Que en la cima de heroíco baluarte,:de los libres el verbo encarnó,:donde el genio de Sánchez y Duarte:a ser libre o morir enseñó.

VII

:Y si pudo inconsulto caudillo:de esas glorias el brillo empañar,:de la guerra se vió en Capotillo:la bandera de fuego ondear.

VIII

:Y el incendio que atónito deja:de Castilla al soberbio león,:de las playas gloriosas le aleja:donde flota el cruzado pendón.

IX

:Compatriotas, mostremos erguida:nuestra frente, orgullosos de hoy más;:que Quisqueya será destruida:pero sierva de nuevo, jamás.

X

:Que es santuario de amor cada pecho:do la patria se siente vivir;:Y es su escudo invencible, el derecho;:Y es su lema: ser libre o morir.

XI

:Libertad que aún se yergue serena:La victoria en su carro triunfal.:Y el clarín de la guerra aún resuena:Pregonando su gloria inmortal.

XII

:¡Libertad! Que los ecos se agiten:Mientras llenos de noble ansiedad:Nuestros campos de gloria repiten:¡Libertad! ¡Libertad! ¡Libertad!

English Translation

I

:Valiant Quisqueyans, let us raise:Our song with vivid emotion:And let's show to the face of the world:Our undefeated, glorious flag.

II

:Hail, the people who strong and intrepid,:Into war launched itself unto death!:When in warfare challenge of death,:Her slavery chains she broke.

III

:None people deserves to be free:If he is slave, indolent and servile;:If in his heart the flame is not burning,:Which was sparked by heroic manliness.

IV

:But Quisqueya, the indomitable and brave,:Her head will always lift up high,:For if she were enslaved a thousand times,:Many more times shall she know how to be free.

V

:If it will be exposed to ruse and deceit:Unto contempt of a real imposer,:On to Las Carreras! Beler! ...it were places:Where the traces of glory are found.

VI

:Where on the top of the heroic bastion,:The word of the libarated became flesh,:Where the genius of Sánchez and Duarte:Taught to be free or to die.

VII

:And if an unattended leader the splendor:Of these glorious events could ignore,:One has seen in Capotillo in the war:The flag of fire wave.

VIII

:And the fire that lets the proud lion:Of Castilla become stupefied,:Removes him from the glorious beaches:Where the crossed banner waves.

IX

:Compatriots, let us proudly:Show our face, from today prouder than ever;:Quisqueya may be destroyed:But a slave again, never!

X

:It is a sanctuary of love that every character:Of the fatherland feels alive!:And it is his coat of arms, the right;:And it is his device: be free or die.

XI

:Freedom that still rises cool-bloodedly:The victory in her triumphal car.:And the clarion of war re-echoes:Proclaiming his immortal glory.

XII

:Freedom! That the echo's touch:While they're full of noble tension:Our fields of glory repeat:Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!

External links

* [http://www.szbszig.atw.hu/dominican%20republic.htm - Himnuszok Corus Official Ceremonial version of the national anthem of Dominican Republic]
* [http://www.27febrero.com/HimnodeRD.mp3] The most used version of the national anthem of Dominican Republic.
* [http://www.27febrero.com/Himno1instrumental.mp3] The instrumental version.