Els Segadors facts for kids
| English: The Reapers | |
|---|---|
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| National anthem of |  Catalonia |
| Lyrics | Emili Guanyavents, 1899 |
| Music | Francesc Alió, 1892 |
| Adopted | 1993 |
Els Segadors (pronounced "els suh-guh-THORS") means "The Reapers". It is the official song of Catalonia, a special region in Spain. This song is a very important symbol for the Catalan people.
Contents
The Story of the Song
The story of "Els Segadors" began a long time ago, around 1640. It started as a folk song based on real events. These events happened during the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648).
At that time, Catalonia was part of Spain. The Spanish king's chief minister, the Count-Duke of Olivares, made unfair demands on the Catalans. This led to a big uprising known as the Reapers' War.
The original song described how Catalan farmers, called reapers, fought back. They were upset about how they were being treated. The song tells how they marched into Barcelona and even killed the viceroy, who was the king's representative. It ended by telling Catalans to take up arms and fight.
How the Song Became Modern
In the 1800s, an old version of the song was written down in a book of folk traditions. Later, in 1892, Francesc Alió created the music for the song.
Then, in 1899, Emili Guanyavents wrote the modern words we know today. He won a competition to simplify the song into three main parts. Some people didn't like these new words at first. This was because Guanyavents gave the song a more revolutionary feel.
A Symbol of Catalonia
From the early 1900s, "Els Segadors" became a very important symbol for Catalonia. It grew even more popular during the Second Spanish Republic and the Spanish Civil War.
During the time of Francisco Franco (1939-1975), Catalan symbols, including "Els Segadors", were banned. People could not sing it in public. But Catalans still used other songs to show their identity.
After many years, the Catalan government officially made "Els Segadors" the national anthem of Catalonia. This happened on February 25, 1993. A new law in 2006 confirmed this decision.
Song Words
Modern Words
Here are the modern words of "Els Segadors" in Catalan and their English translation.
| Catalan Original (Official) | Poetic English Translation |
|---|---|
|
I |
I |
Other Versions
"Els Segadors" has been recorded and performed by different artists. For example, the composer Jordi Savall made a version that mixed the old story with the modern words.
In 2017, an American heavy metal band called A Sound of Thunder released their own version. It used both English and Catalan words.
See also
- Catalan nationalism
- Anthems of the autonomous communities of Spain
- Gernikako Arbola (anthem)
