Deşteaptă-te, române! facts for kids
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| Lyrics | Andrei Mureșanu, 1848 |
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| Music | Anton Pann, 1848 |
"Deșteaptă-te, române!" (which means "Wake up, Romanian people!" or "Wake up, Romanians!" in Romanian) is the Romanian national anthem. A national anthem is a special song that represents a country and its people. This song became Romania's national anthem in 1990.
Before that, it was also the national anthem for a short time in the Moldavian Democratic Republic (from 1917 to 1918) and the Moldavian Republic (from 1991 to 1994).
What the Anthem Says
The lyrics of "Deșteaptă-te, române!" were written by Andrei Mureșanu in 1848. The music was composed by Anton Pann. This song is very important because it was written during a time when Romanians wanted more freedom and to unite their lands.
The anthem encourages Romanians to "wake up" from a "sleep of death." This means to become aware and fight for their rights and freedom. It reminds them of their brave ancestors, like the ancient Romans and the legendary Trajan.
The song also calls on famous Romanian heroes like Michael, Stephen, and Corvinus. It tells their descendants (the Romanian people) to be as brave as they were. The main message is about choosing "Life in freedom or death!" This shows how much they valued liberty.
The anthem talks about overcoming challenges and staying united. It reminds people to protect their language and land. The final part of the song says that it's better to "die in battle, in full glory, than to once again be slaves upon our ancient ground!" This shows a strong desire for independence and a willingness to fight for it.
Here are the parts of the song that are usually sung:
- Wake up, Romanian [people], from your sleep of death
- Into which you have been sunk by the barbaric tyrants
- Now, or never, make a new fate for yourself,
- To which even your cruel enemies will bow.
- Now or never let us give proof to the world
- That in these veins a Roman blood still flows,
- That in our chests we hold a name with pride,
- Victorious in battles, the name of Trajan!
- Behold, great shadows, Michael, Stephen, Corvinus,
- The Romanian Nation, your great-grandchildren,
- With weapons in their arms, with your fire in their veins,
- "Life in freedom or death!" shout all.
- Priests, lead with your crucifixes, for our army is Christian,
- The motto is Liberty and its goal is holy,
- Better to die in battle, in full glory,
- Than to once again be slaves upon our ancient ground!
Fun Facts
- July 29 is celebrated as "National Anthem Day" (in Romanian, Ziua Imnului național).
- The music for the anthem is usually played in a musical key called E minor or F minor.
- In the past, the anthem was sometimes known as Un răsunet, which means 'An echo'.
See also
In Spanish: Deșteaptă-te, române! para niños
