Ecuador National Anthem: English Translation, Original Lyrics And History

Sally Polly March 05, 2023 | 20:26

Take a look at its history, English translation, and original lyrics of The Ecuador National Anthem.

What Is The Ecuador National Anthem: English Translation, Original Lyrics And History. Photo: Getty Images

What Is The Ecuador National Anthem

"¡Salve, Oh Patria!" (English: "Hail, Oh Fatherland!") is the national anthem of Ecuador. The lyrics were written in 1865 by poet Juan León Mera, under request of the Ecuadorian Senate; the music was composed by Antonio Neumane. However, it was not officially adopted by the Congress until September 29, 1948.

A chorus and six verses make up the anthem, however only the second verse and the chorus (which comes before and after the verse) are sung. The poems tell the story of the unsuccessful insurrection against Bonapartist Spain in 1809 and the Ecuadorian War of Independence from 1820 to 1822, and are characterized by a strong anti-Spanish feeling.

History of Ecuador National Anthem

Between 1830 and 1832, José Joaqun de Olmedo penned a hymn (chorus and four lines) in praise of the young nation of Ecuador. Though General Juan José Flores offered up the idea, no one ever put it to music and it never caught on. The Gaceta del Gobierno del Ecuador No. 125, issued on December 28, 1833, featured a six-verse hymn named "Canción Ecuatoriana" (English: "Ecuadorian Song"). Although it was attributed to an unknown author and given a composition date of 1830, most historians don't take this as definitive. In 1838, the Government Press released a pamphlet titled Poesas by General Flores. Inside this publication was a song titled Canción Nacional (National Song), which consisted of a chorus and six lyrics. The third verse was revised for later printings. Nonetheless, it is the second Canción National that is well-known among historians.

The Argentine composer Juan José Allende and the Ecuadorian Army collaborated on a musical project for the lyrics of José Joaqun de Olmedo in 1865, but it was rejected by the National Congress. An Ambateo poet named Juan León Mera Martnez, who at the time served as the Senate's secretary, was commissioned by Senate president Nicolás Espinosa in November of this year to pen the words to the national anthem. With Congress's blessing, these words were forwarded to Guayaquil, where they would be set to music by Antonio Neumane. The hymn that would become the de facto national anthem was written here.

This version of Juan León Mera's lyrics was first published in the Quiteo weekly El South Americano on January 16, 1866. The national anthem was first played in 1870 by the 2nd Battalion and the Compaa Lrica de Pablo Ferreti under the direction of Antonio Neumane at the Plaza Grande (Plaza de la Independencia facing the Palace de Gobierno). C flat major was the musical key used. The introduction, consisting of 16 measures, was written by Domingo Brescia and Enrique Marconi in 1901. As of the year 2001, the hymn has been sung in the key of E major.

The Guayaquilean writer and diplomat Vctor Manuel Rendón proposed a new national hymn in 1913, with lyrics set to music by Antonio Neumane.

The National Congress adopted Juan León Mera's lyrics as the national anthem on September 29, 1948.

The Original Lyrics of the National Anthem of Ecuador

Salve, Oh Patria

¡Salve, Oh Patria, mil veces! ¡Oh Patria,

gloria a ti! Ya tu pecho rebosa

gozo y paz, y tu frente radiosa

más que el sol contemplamos lucir.

Indignados tus hijos del yugo

que te impuso la ibérica audacia,

de la injusta y horrenda desgracia

que pesaba fatal sobre ti,

santa voz a los cielos alzaron,

voz de noble y sin par juramento,

de vengarte del monstruo sangriento,

de romper ese yugo servil.

¡Salve, Oh Patria, mil veces! ¡Oh Patria,

gloria a ti! Ya tu pecho rebosa

gozo y paz, y tu frente radiosa

más que el sol contemplamos lucir.

Los primeros, los hijos del suelo

que, soberbio, el Pichincha decora,

te aclamaron por siempre señora

y vertieron su sangre por tí.

Dios miró y aceptó el holocausto

y esa sangre fue germen fecundo

de otros héroes que atónito el mundo

vió en tu torno a millares surgir.

¡Salve, Oh Patria, mil veces! ¡Oh Patria,

gloria a ti! Ya tu pecho rebosa

gozo y paz, y tu frente radiosa

más que el sol contemplamos lucir.

De estos héroes al brazo del hierro

nada tuvo invencible la tierra,

y del valle a la altísima sierra

se escuchaba el fragor de la lid.

Tras la lid, la victoria volaba,

libertad tras el triunfo venía,

y al león destrozado se oía

de impotencia y despecho rugir.

¡Salve, Oh Patria, mil veces! ¡Oh Patria,

gloria a ti! Ya tu pecho rebosa

gozo y paz, y tu frente radiosa

más que el sol contemplamos lucir.

Cedió al fin la fiereza española,

y hoy, oh Patria, tu libre existencia

es la noble y magnífica herencia

que nos dio el heroísmo feliz.

De las manos paternas la hubimos,

nadie intente arrancárnosla ahora,

ni nuestra ira excitar vengadora

quiera, necio o audaz, contra sí.

¡Salve, Oh Patria, mil veces! ¡Oh Patria,

gloria a ti! Ya tu pecho rebosa

gozo y paz, y tu frente radiosa

más que el sol contemplamos lucir.

Nadie, oh Patria, lo intente. Las sombras

de tus héroes gloriosos nos miran,

y el valor y el orgullo que inspiran

son augurios de triunfos por ti.

Venga el hierro y el plomo fulmíneo,

que a la idea de guerra y venganza

se despierta la heroica pujanza

que hizo al fiero español sucumbir.

¡Salve, Oh Patria, mil veces! ¡Oh Patria,

gloria a ti! Ya tu pecho rebosa

gozo y paz, y tu frente radiosa

más que el sol contemplamos lucir.

Y si nuevas cadenas prepara

la injusticia de bárbara suerte,

¡gran Pichincha! prevén tú la muerte

de la Patria y sus hijos al fin

Hunde al punto en tus hondas entrañas

cuanto existe en tu tierra, el tirano

huelle solo cenizas y en vano

busque rastro de ser junto a ti.

¡Salve, Oh Patria, mil veces! ¡Oh Patria,

gloria a ti! Ya tu pecho rebosa

gozo y paz, y tu frente radiosa

más que el sol contemplamos lucir.

National Anthem of Ecuador in English Translation

We Salute You, Our Homeland

We greet you, Oh Fatherland, a thousand times! Oh Fatherland,

glory to you! Your breast overflows

with joy and peace, and your radiant face

is brighter than the shining sun we see.

Your children were outraged by the yoke

That Iberian audacity imposed on you,

By the unjust and horrendous disgrace

Fatally weighing upon you.

They cried out a holy voice to the heavens,

that noble voice of a unbreakable pledge,

to defeat that monster of blood,

that this servile yoke would disappear.

We greet you, Oh Fatherland, a thousand times! Oh Fatherland,

glory to you! Your breast overflows

with joy and peace, and your radiant face

is brighter than the shining sun we see.

The first sons of the soil

Which Pichincha adorns proudly,

They declared you as their sovereign lady forever,

And shed their blood for you.

God observed and accepted the holocaust,

And that blood was the prolific seed

Of other heroes whom the world in astonishment

Saw rise up around you by the thousands.

We greet you, Oh Fatherland, a thousand times! Oh Fatherland,

glory to you! Your breast overflows

with joy and peace, and your radiant face

is brighter than the shining sun we see.

Of those heroes of iron arm

No land was invincible,

And from the valley to the highest sierra

You could hear the roar of the fray.

After the fray, Victory would fly,

Freedom after the triumph would come,

And the Lion was heard broken

With a roar of helplessness and despair.

We greet you, Oh Fatherland, a thousand times! Oh Fatherland,

glory to you! Your breast overflows

with joy and peace, and your radiant face

is brighter than the shining sun we see.

At last Spanish ferocity yielded,

And now, oh Fatherland, your free existence

Is the noble and magnificent heritage

Which the felicitous heroism gave us.:

It was given to us from our Fathers’ hands,

Let no one take it from us now,

Nor any daring fool wish to excite

Our vengeful anger against himself.

We greet you, Oh Fatherland, a thousand times! Oh Fatherland,

glory to you! Your breast overflows

with joy and peace, and your radiant face

is brighter than the shining sun we see.

May no one, oh Fatherland, try it. The shadows of

Your glorious heroes watch us,

And the valor and pride that they inspire

Are omens of victories for you.

Come lead and the striking iron,

That the idea of war and revenge

Wakes the heroic strength

That made the fierce Spanish succumb.

We greet you, Oh Fatherland, a thousand times! Oh Fatherland,

glory to you! Your breast overflows

with joy and peace, and your radiant face

is brighter than the shining sun we see.

And if new chains are prepared by

The barbaric injustice of fate,

Great Pichincha! May you prevent the death

Of the country and their children in the end;

Sink to the deep point in your gut

All that exists on your soil. Let the tyrant

Tread only ashes and in vain

Look for any trace of being beside you.

We greet you, Oh Fatherland, a thousand times! Oh Fatherland,

glory to you! Your breast overflows

with joy and peace, and your radiant face

is brighter than the shining sun we see.

Lyric videos of Ecuador National Anthem

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