Deșteaptă-te, române!

"Deșteaptă-te, române" [deʃˈte̯aptəte roˈmɨne] ( listen) (variously translated as "Awaken thee, Romanian!", "Awaken, Romanian!", or "Wake Up, Romanian!") is Romania's national anthem.

The lyrics were composed by Andrei Mureșanu (1816–1863) and the music was popular (it was chosen for the poem by Gheorghe Ucenescu, as most sources say^[1]). It was written and published during the 1848 revolution, initially with the name "Un răsunet" ("An echo"). It was first sung in late June in the same year in the city of Brașov, on the streets of Șchei quarter.^[2] It was immediately accepted as the revolutionary anthem and renamed "Deșteaptă-te, române".

Since then, this song, which contains a message of liberty and patriotism, has been sung during all major Romanian conflicts, including during the 1989 anti-Ceauşist revolution. After that revolution, it became the national anthem, replacing the communist-era national anthem "Trei culori" ("Three colors").

July 29 is now "National Anthem Day" (Ziua Imnului național), an annual observance in Romania.^[3]

The song was also used on various solemn occasions in the Moldavian Democratic Republic, during its brief existence, between 1917 and 1918.^[4] Betweenn 1991 and 1994 it was the national anthem of Moldova as well, but was subsequently replaced by the current Moldovan anthem, "Limba noastră" ("Our language").

History of the anthem

Since the uprisings of 1848, "Deșteaptă-te române" has been the most enduring national anthem of Romania. In the days following the state coup of August 23, 1944, when Romania turned against Nazi Germany and participated in the war along with the Allies, the song received heavy radio broadcast.

After the seizure of power by the communists on December 30, 1947, "Deşteaptă-te române" and other patriotic songs closely associated with the previous regime were outlawed. Ceaușescu's government permitted the song to be played and sung in public, but it was not given state recognition as the national anthem.

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 Marseillaise. This is the reason why Nicolae Bălcescu called it the "Romanian Marseillaise".

Another anthem

Besides this anthem, the Romanians also have "Hora Unirii" ("The Unity Hora (dance)"), written in 1855 by the poet Vasile Alecsandri (1821–1890), which was sung a great deal on the occasion of the Union of the Principalities (1859) and on all occasions when the Romanians aspired to union and harmony among themselves. "Hora Unirii" is sung on the Romanian folk tune of a slow but energetic round dance joined by the whole attendance. The round dance (hora) is itself an ancient ritual, symbolizing spiritual communion, equality and the Romanians' wish for a common life.

Original verses in Romanian

Romania's national anthem has eleven stanzas, although only the 1^st, 2^nd, 4^th, and 11^th are sung on official occasions, as established by Romanian law. At major events, such as the National Holiday, the full version is sung, accompanied by 21 artillery shots when the President is present at the event.

Other translations

Note that, in accordance with Romanian law, there are no official translations of the anthem.

A more poetic translation

1

Awaken thee, Romanian, wake up from deadly slumber

The scourge of inauspicious barbarian tyrannies

And now or never to a bright horizon clamber

That shall to shame put all your enemies.

2

It's now or never that we prove to the world

That in these veins still flows Roman blood

And in our hearts for ever we glorify a name

Triumphant in battles, the name of Traian.

4

Behold, imperial shadows, Michael, Stephen, Corvinus

At the Romanian nation, your mighty progeny

With arms like steel and hearts of fire impetuous

"Live in liberty, or die" that's what they all decree.

11

Priests, raise the cross, as this army's Christian

Give it liberty and it's sanctified scope

We'd die better in battle, with honorary glory

Than live again enslaved on our ancestral land.

Alternate translation

1

Romanian, awaken your Spirit from the sleep of Death

Impressed upon you by Tyrannies of barbarians;

Now or never, fashion a new Fate,

Stronger than your foes', Fate for them to bow to.

2

Now or never, our legacy prove to all,

That through our veins still flows the Blood of Ancient Rome

That in our chests we proudly hail a Name,

Triumphant in battle, the Name of Trajan.

3

Raise your strong brow and gaze around you

As trees stand in a forest, brave youths, a hundred thousand

An order they await, ready to pounce, as wolves among the sheep

Old men, and young, from mountains high and open plains.

4

Gaze mightily, glorious shadows, Michael, Stephen, Corvine

The Romanian nation, your descendants,

With weapons in their hands, with your Fire burning

"Life in Liberty or Death", all shout together.

5

You were vanquished by the evils of envy

By the blind disunity at the Milcov and Carpathians

But we, our Spirit touched by saintly Liberty,

Swear allegiance, to be forever Brothers.

6

A widowed mother from the time of Michael the Great

Asks of her sons a helping hand today

And curses, with tears in her eyes, whosoever

In times of such great danger, proves to be a traitor.

7

May lightning bolts, thunder and brimstone kill

Whoever retreats from the glorious battle

When motherland or mother, with a tender heart,

Will ask us to pass through sword and flame.

8

Is not enough the yatagan of the barbaric crescent

Whose fatal wounds we feel burning today;

Now, the knout intrudes on our ancestral lands,

But with God as witness, we will fight it to the Death

9

Is not enough the despotism and its unseeing eye

Which for centuries enslaved us, as cattle?

Now, attempt the cruel, in their blind haughtiness,

To steal our Language, but we will fight them to the Death

10

Romanians of the four corners, now or never,

Be United in your Thoughts, United in your Feelings

Shout out to the world that the Danube is stolen

Through intrigue and coercion, malicious plots.

11

Priests, with the Cross before you, as the army is Christian,

The motto is Liberty and its goal eternal

Better dead in battle, in full glory

Than be enslaved again in our ancestral homeland.

Notes

External links

Sound files can be found as well in the anthem pages of:

• The Romanian Ministry of Defense
• The President of Romania