The lyrics were composed by Andrei Mureșanu[2] and published during the 1848 revolution, initially with the name "Un răsunet" ('An Echo'), as a lyrical response to Vasile Alecsandri's poem "Către Români" ('To Romanians'), later known as "Deșteptarea României" ('The Awakening of Romania'), from which Mureșanu took inspiration for many of the themes and motifs of his own lyrics, a fact that is reflected in the overall similarity between the two poems. The original text was written in the Romanian Cyrillic alphabet. It was first sung in late June in the same year in the city of Brașov, on the streets of the Șcheii Brașovului neighborhood[3] and it became immediately the revolutionary anthem.
Since then, this patriotic song has been sung during all major Romanian conflicts, including during the 1989 anti-communist revolution. After the revolution, it became the national anthem on 24 January 1990, replacing the communist-era national anthem "Trei culori" ('Three Colours').
29 July, the National Anthem Day (Ziua Imnului național), is an annual observance in Romania.[4]
The anthem was also used on various solemn occasions in the Moldavian Democratic Republic during its brief existence between 1917 and 1918.[1] Between 1991 and 1994, "Deșteaptă-te, române!" was the national anthem of Moldova before it was subsequently replaced by "Limba noastră" ('Our Language').
The melody was originally a sentimental song called "Din sânul maicii mele" composed by Anton Pann after hearing the poem.[5] In 1848 Andrei Mureșanu wrote the poem "Un răsunet" and asked Gheorghe Ucenescu, a Șcheii Brașovului Church singer, to find him a suitable melody.[5] After Ucenescu sang him several lay melodies, Mureșanu chose Anton Pann's song instead.
After the Communist Party abolished the monarchy on 30 December 1947, "Deșteaptă-te române!" and other patriotic songs closely associated with the previous regime were outlawed.[citation needed]Nicolae Ceaușescu's government permitted the song to be played and sung in public, but it was not given state recognition as the national anthem of the Socialist Republic of Romania.
The song was officially adopted as the national anthem on 24 January 1990, shortly after the Romanian Revolution of December 1989.[6][7]
The overall message of the anthem is a "call to action"; it proposes a "now or never" urge for change present in many national anthems like the French revolutionary song "La Marseillaise" – hence why Nicolae Bălcescu called it the "Romanian Marseillaise".
Another anthem
"Hora Unirii" ('Hora of the Union'), written by poet Vasile Alecsandri, which was sung a great deal on the occasion of the Union of the Principalities (1859) and on other occasions. "Hora Unirii" is sung on the Romanian folk tune of a slow but energetic round dance joined by the whole attendance (hora).
Lyrics
Romania's national anthem has eleven stanzas. Today, only the first, second, fourth, and last are sung on official occasions, as established by Romanian law. At major events such as the National Holiday on 1 December, the full version is sung, accompanied by 21-gun salute when the President is present at the event.
Deșteaptă-te, române, din somnul cel de moarte, În care te-adânciră 𝄆 barbarii de tirani 𝄇! Acum ori niciodată, croiește-ți altă soarte,[b] La care să se-nchine 𝄆 și cruzii tăi dușmani 𝄇.
Acum ori niciodată să dăm dovezi la[c] lume Că-n aste mâni mai curge 𝄆 un sânge de roman 𝄇, Și că-n a noastre piepturi păstrăm cu fală-un nume Triumfător în lupte, 𝄆 un nume de Traian 𝄇!
Înalță-ți lata frunte și caută-n giur de tine,
Cum stau ca brazi în munte 𝄆 voinici sute de mii 𝄇;
Un glas ei mai așteaptă și sar ca lupi în stâne,
Bătrâni, bărbați, juni, tineri, 𝄆 din munți și din câmpii 𝄇!
Priviți, mărețe umbre, Mihai, Ștefan, Corvine, Româna națiune[d], 𝄆 ai voștri strănepoți 𝄇, Cu brațele armate, cu focul vostru-n vine, „Viața-n libertate 𝄆 ori moarte!” strigă toți 𝄇.
Pre voi vă nimiciră a pizmei răutate
Și oarba neunire 𝄆 la Milcov și Carpați 𝄇!
Dar noi, pătrunși la suflet de sfânta libertate,
Jurăm că vom da mâna, 𝄆 să fim pururea frați 𝄇!
O mamă văduvită de la Mihai cel Mare
Pretinde de la fii-și 𝄆 azi mână d-ajutori 𝄇,
Și blastămă cu lacrămi în ochi pe orișicare,
În astfel de pericul 𝄆 s-ar face vânzători 𝄇!
De fulgere să piară, de trăsnet și pucioasă,
Oricare s-ar retrage 𝄆 din gloriosul loc 𝄇,
Când patria sau mama, cu inima duioasă,
Va cere ca să trecem 𝄆 prin sabie și foc 𝄇!
N-ajunse iataganul barbarei semilune,
A cărui plăgi fatale 𝄆 și azi le mai simțim 𝄇;
Acum se vâră cnuta în vetrele străbune,
Dar martor ne e Domnul 𝄆 că vii nu o primim 𝄇!
N-ajunse despotismul cu-ntreaga lui orbie,
Al cărui jug din seculi 𝄆 ca vitele-l purtăm 𝄇;
Acum se-ncearcă cruzii, în oarba lor trufie,
Să ne răpească limba, 𝄆 dar morți numai o dăm 𝄇!
Români din patru unghiuri, acum ori niciodată
Uniți-vă în cuget, 𝄆 uniți-vă-n simțiri 𝄇!
Strigați în lumea largă că Dunărea-i furată
Prin intrigă și silă, 𝄆 viclene uneltiri 𝄇!
Preoți, cu crucea-n frunte căci oastea e creștină, Deviza-i libertate 𝄆 și scopul ei preasfânt 𝄇. Murim mai bine-n luptă, cu glorie deplină, Decât să fim sclavi iarăși[e] 𝄆 în vechiul nost' pământ 𝄇!
[a.ˈkum orʲ ni.t͡ʃo.ˈda.tə ǀ sə dəm do.ˈvezʲ la ˈlu.me ǀ] [kə‿n ˈas.te mɨnʲ mai̯ ˈkur.d͡ʒe ǀ 𝄆 un ˈsɨn.d͡ʒe de ro.ˈman 𝄇 ǁ] [ʃi kə‿n a ˈno̯as.tre ˈpjep.turʲ ǀ pəs.ˈtrəm ku ˈfa.lə‿wn ˈnu.me ǀ] [tri.uɱ.fə.ˈtor ɨn ˈlup.te ǀ 𝄆 un ˈnu.me de tra.ˈjan 𝄇 ǁ]
[ɨ.ˈnal.t͡sə‿t͡sʲ ˈla.ta ˈfrun.te ǀ ʃi ˈkaw.tə‿n d͡ʒur de ˈti.ne ǀ]
[kum staw ka brazʲ ɨn ˈmun.te ǀ 𝄆 voj.ˈnit͡ʃʲ ˈsu.te de mi 𝄇 ǁ]
[un ɡlas jej maj aʃ.ˈte̯ap.tə ǀ ʃi sar ka lupʲ ɨn ˈstɨ.ne ǀ]
[bə.ˈtrɨnʲ bər.ˈbat͡sʲ ʒunʲ ˈti.nerʲ ǀ 𝄆 din munt͡sʲ ʃi din kɨm.ˈpi 𝄇 ǁ]
Awaken thee, Romanian, wake up from thy deathly trance Into which thou wert sucked by tyrannic barbarians. Thee awaiteth a new fate, now or never is the chance To caustic shame and chagrin put all thine enemies.
Now or never let us prove our traditions to the world That through our veins still floweth the blood of the Roman; Within our minds and essence a name we highly applaud, Triumphant in war we are, for the name of Trajan.[note 1]
Lift up thy broad forehead and notice all around thee,
Standing like mountain fir trees, a hundred thousand braves;
An order do they await, ready to attack like wolves,
From mountains high and plains wide, old heroes and young braves!
Behold, marvelous shadows: Michael, Stephen, Corvinus,[f] The Romanian nation, thy children are fearless. With weapons armed in thy hands, thy hearts fervid and aflame, "Live in liberty or death," we all clamour to fame.
Thou wert vanquished, destroyed by the evils of thine envy
At Milcov, the Carpathians, by blind disunity!
But we, whose souls were pierced by sacramental liberty,
Swear that forever we will join in fraternity!
A widowed mother from time of Michael the Almighty[note 2]
Of her sons a helping hand she demandeth today,
Whosoever, her eyes filled with tears, spewing blasphemy,
In times of such great peril, a proven snitch at bay!
Of thunder and of lightning, of brimstone should they crumble,
Anyone who escapeth from this glorious calling,
When homeland and our mothers, with a heart sorrowful,
Will ask us to traverse through swords and fire blazing!
Have we not had enough of the cruel crescent's yataghan
Whose fatal wounds we still feel to this very day?
Now, the knout[note 3] is intruding on our ancestral lands,
But the Lord is our witness; thus, we'll toss it away!
Have we not had enough of despotism's eye blinding,
Whose yoke we have, for ages, all like cattle carried?
Now the cruel ones are trying, in their arrogance blinding,
To take away our language, but only dead we'd cede it!
Romanians of the four rims, 'tis either now or never,
To unite in reflection, to band in emotion!
Proclaim to the whole world that the Danube hath been stolen
Through intrigue and coercion, through sly machination!
O Priests, rise thy cross holy, for this army is Christian, Our motto is liberty blessed with sacred mission. Better to die in battle in utmost pride and glory, Than to once again be slaves in our noble country.
Отбрось оковы, сердце румынского народа, Восстань от векового, от мертвенного сна! Уже настало время зажечь огонь свободы И за свои страданья врагам воздать сполна!
Уже настало время низвергнуть гнет тирана, Принесший столько горя и зла краям родным. Пусть целый мир узнает: мы — правнуки Траяна, И чести славных предков вовек не посрамим!
Как сосны вековые, стоят стеной солдаты,
Готовы с грозным кличем помчаться на врага,
Разя за край родимый, за гордые Карпаты:
Без родины свободной нам жизнь не дорога.
О Михай, Штефан, Матьяш, великие владыки, Не стыдно нам, потомкам, в глаза вам посмотреть: В руках мечи сверкают, огнём пылают лики, Как гром, призыв суровый: «Свобода или смерть!»
Погибель принесли вам кровавые раздоры,
Сердца сковала ваши жестокая вражда,
Но мы клянемся смело: ни реки и ни горы
Не смогут разделить нас, мы — братья навсегда!
Мать Михая-героя, вдова, стоит пред нами,
На славный подвиг ратный благословляет нас,
Но будет ею проклят с презреньем и слезами,
Кто дрогнет и отступит в тяжелый этот час.
Мы за тебя готовы пройти сквозь сталь и пламя,
Румыния, веди нас, сражаться нам вели!
Пусть тех, кто сердцем будет с коварными врагами,
Господь огнём и серой сотрет с лица земли!
Довольно мы страдали от черных ятаганов,
Нам не страшны удары позорного кнута.
Вставайте же, румыны! Долой ярмо тиранов!
Свобода, честь отчизны навек для нас свята.
Пусть враг нас хочет сделать скотиной бессловесной,
Похитить речь родную и мудрость наших книг,
На смертный бой пойдем мы, ряды смыкая тесно,
И не пленит захватчик свободный наш язык!
Сыны земли румынской, забудем разногласья,
Единой силой встанем за милый отчий край,
И о злодействе новом заявим громогласно:
В руках убийц коварных великий наш Дунай!
Благословенна будет грядущая расплата, Священный, вечный подвиг — спасти страну свою. Мы вызволим отчизну из рабства супостатов Или падем со славой в отчаянном бою!
^The Roman emperor Trajan conquered Dacia, covering roughly the same territory as modern Romania, for the Roman Empire.
^Michael briefly ruled the principalities of Wallachia, Moldavia and Transylvania, covering roughly the same territory as modern Romania.
^Mureșanu Andrei, 21 June 1848. РъсȢnет. Фоаіе пеnтрȢ minтe, inimъ ші лiтератȢръ (Foaiе pentru minte, inimă și literatură). Brașov, România. Volume 25, p. 200.
^criss4000 (2009-12-10). "Imnul Romaniei (Romanian Anthem)". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2022-02-26. Retrieved 2022-02-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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