Salve a ti, Nicaragua

Salve a ti, Nicaragua

English: Hail to thee, Nicaragua
National anthem of  Nicaragua
Lyrics	Salomón Ibarra Mayorga
Music	Luis A. Delgadillo
Adopted	1971
Music sample
Sample noicon

Salve a ti, Nicaragua (Hail to thee, Nicaragua) is the Nicaraguan national anthem. It was approved October 20, 1939, and officially adopted August 25, 1971. The lyrics were written by Salomón Ibarra Mayorga, and the musical arrangement is by Luis A. Delgadillo.

The music dates back to the 18th century, when it was used as a liturgical anthem by a Spanish monk, Fr. Castinove, when the country was a province of Spain. During the initial years of independence, it was used to salute the justices of the Supreme Court of the State of Nicaragua, then a member of the Central American Federation.

The anthem was eventually replaced by three other anthems during periods of political upheaval or revolution, but it was restored on April 23, 1918 at the fall of the last liberal revolution. A contest was opened to the public, for new lyrics for the national anthem. The lyrics could only mention peace and work, as the country had just ended a civil war. As a result, the Nicaraguan anthem is one of the only anthems in Latin America that speaks of peace instead of war.

The new conservative, pro-Spanish government quickly awarded the first prize to Salomon Ibarra Mayorga, a Nicaraguan teacher and poet. The anthem replaced the more warlike Hermosa Soberana (Beautiful and Sovereign), an anti-Spanish military march that was seen as an embarrassment in a country with deep Spanish roots.

Salve a ti, Nicaragua (Original Spanish)

¡Salve a ti, Nicaragua! En tu suelo
ya no ruge la voz del cañón,
ni se tiñe con sangre de hermanos
tu glorioso pendón bicolor.

Brille hermosa la paz en tu cielo,
nada empañe tu gloria inmortal,
¡que el trabajo es tu digno laurel
y el honor es tu enseña triunfal!

Hail to thee (English translation)

Hail to thee, Nicaragua! On thy land
roars the voice of the cannon no more,
nor does the blood of brothers now stain
thy glorious bicolor banner.

Let peace shine beautifully in thy sky,
and nothing dim thine immortal glory,
for work is thy well earned laurel
and honor is thy triumphal emblem!

External links

• MP3 file of "Salve a ti, Nicaragua"