Asturias, patria querida

Asturias, patria querida

English: Asturias, Homeland Beloved
Flag of Asturias
Regional anthem of Asturias, Spain
Lyrics	Ignacio Piñeiro
Adopted	27 April 1984

"Asturias, Homeland Beloved" (Spanish: Asturias, patria querida; Asturian: Asturies, patria querida) is the regional anthem of the autonomous community of Asturias, Spain.

This adaptation of a much slower song from the neighbouring lands of Cantabria (Madre, cuando voy a leña) was appointed as official anthem after a contest in Oviedo in the 1890s. It has both a Spanish and an Asturian version. It is also a popular melody for bagpipers.

In the mid-2000s, it was discovered that the first song lyrics were written in Cuba. The father of the author had returned to his beloved Asturias to die, the author—Ignacio Piñeiro—dedicated the song to his father. The music was different; it is believed to be a melody that Upper Silesian miners from the area of Opole Silesia—that worked in Asturian coal mines at the beginning of the 20th century—had brought to Asturias. In fact, the song is still known in Poland, where it used to be taught as a patriotic song (with the lyrics brought back by Polish brigadistas).^[1][2]

A few versions of the anthem were created by the Republican side of the Spanish Civil War, therefore the anthem was seen as a miners song (it is said the miners' revolt in Asturias in 1934 was a wake-up call to the civil war) and as a left-wing song by right-wing people.

Lyrics

Current version

Spanish lyrics[3]	Asturian lyrics[3]	English translation
Asturias, Patria querida, Asturias de mis amores; ¡quién estuviera en Asturias en todas las ocasiones! Tengo de subir al árbol, tengo de coger la flor, y dársela a mi morena que la ponga en el balcón, Que la ponga en el balcón, que la deje de poner, tengo de subir al árbol y la flor he de coger.	Asturies, Patria querida, Asturies, de los mios amores ¡Ai, quién tuviere n'Asturies en toles ocasiones! Teo de xubir al árbol, teo de coyer la flor y dá-yl'a la mio morena, que la ponga nel balcón. Que la ponga nel balcón que la dexe de poner, teo de xubir al árbol y la flor teo de coyer.	Asturias, homeland beloved, Asturias of my loved ones. The one who'd be in Asturias On all occasions! I have to climb the tree, I have to pick the flower And give it to my brunette, To put on the balcony. May she put it on the balcony, May she stop putting it, I have to climb the tree and I have to pick the flower.

Polish version[4]^[relevant?]

English translation

Asturio, ziemio mych młodych lat, Asturio, ziemio jedyna, do mojej ziemi chcę wrócić wnet i wrócę, jeśli nie zginę. Wrócę i wejdę na drzewo i zerwę kwiat pełen rosy, i dam go mojej czarnulce, aby go wpięła we włosy. Asturio, ziemio mych młodych lat, Asturio, ziemio mych marzeń, o, bracie, gdybyś Asturię znał, rozumiałbyś, czemu płaczę. Wrócę, zobaczę Owiedo, chwycę karabin i granat, pójdę się bić za Asturię, moją ojczyznę kochaną.

Asturias, land of my young years, Asturias, the only land, I want to return to my land soon and I will come back if I don't die. I will come back and climb the tree and pick a flower full of dew, and I'll give it to my brunette to tie it in her hair. Asturias, land of my young years, Asturias, land of my dreams, oh brother, if you knew Asturias, you would understand why I am crying. I will come back, I will see Oviedo, I'll grab a rifle and a grenade I will go to fight for Asturias, my beloved homeland.

Asturian miners' strike version

Spanish lyrics	Asturian lyrics	English lyrics
Asturias, Tierra bravía, Asturias, de luchadores; No hay otra como mi Asturias para las revoluciones. Tengo de bajar a Oviedo empuñando mi fusil, y morirme disparando contra la Guardia Civil. Contra la Guardia Civil y los cobardes de Asalto, tengo de bajar a Oviedo y morirme disparando. Los obreros en Asturias demostraron su heroismo, venciendo a la clerigalla y al feroz capitalismo. Los de Lerroux y la CEDA son los verdugos de España, los que roban las conquistas del obrero que trabaja.	Asturies, Tierra bravida, Asturies, de lluchadores; nun hai otra como'l mio Asturies pa les revoluciones Tengo que baxar a Uviéu empuñando'l mio fusil y morreme disparando contra la Guardia Civil. Contra la Guardia Civil y los cobardes d'Asaltu; tengo que baxar a Uviéu y morreme disparando. Los obreros, n'Asturies, demostraronel so heroísmu venciendo a la clerigalla y al feroz capitalismu. Los de Lerroux y DEXAR son los verdugos d'España, los que roben les conquistes del obreru que trabaya.	Asturias, fierce land, Asturias, of fighters; There is no other like my Asturias when it comes to revolutions. I need to go down to Oviedo carrying my rifle, and die shooting at the Civil Guard. At the Civil Guard and at the cowards in the assault unit, I need to go down to Oviedo and die shooting. Workers in Asturias proved their heroism, defeating the clergy and vile Capitalism. Lerroux's people and the CEDA are the executioners of Spain, those who steal the conquests of the laborious worker.

See also

• Anthems of the autonomous communities of Spain

References

1. Alonso, María (2006-07-31). "'Asturias, patria querida' es un hijo de la emigración". La Nueva España (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2006-10-20. Retrieved 2022-10-02.
2. "El himno de Asturias suena a polaco en Avilés" Archived October 6, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, published in La Nueva España, accessible in "Polonia en España" (polonia-es.com).
3. "Official announcement from the Regional Government of Asturias" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-11-26. Retrieved 2010-09-19.
4. "Asturia - Utwory - Cyfrowa". Biblioteka Polskiej Piosenki (in Polish). Retrieved 2022-10-02.

• Fernando de la Puente documents Asturian anthem history in Asturies.com (in Asturian)
• Asturian Newspaper La Nueva España reports on news about anthem history (in Spanish).