Amhrán na bhFiann
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Categories: National anthems | National symbols of the Republic of Ireland | Irish songs | Entities with Irish names
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Amhrán na bhFiann (instrumental) Image:United States Navy Band - Amhrán na bhFiann.ogg Problems listening to the file? See media help. Amhrán na bhFiann (pronounced /ˈəuɾˠaːn̪ˠ nˠə ˈvʲiːən̪ˠ/) is the national anthem of Ireland. The song is also known by its English language title, The Soldier's Song, and as The National Anthem of Ireland (Irish: Amhrán Náisiúnta na hÉireann). Nowadays, the Irish language version of the song is usually sung. The Irish version is a translation of the earlier English version. The music was composed (as A Soldier's Song) by Peadar Kearney and Patrick Heeney, and the original English lyrics were authored by Kearney and subsequently translated into Irish by Liam Ó Rinn. The national anthem consists of the chorus only of Amhrán na bhFiann; the original also has several verses. The Presidential Salute played when the President of Ireland arrives at an official engagement, consists of the first four bars of the national anthem immediately followed by the last five.[1] It is played without lyrics.
AdoptionThe Soldier's Song was composed in 1907, with lyrics by Peadar Kearney and music by Kearney and Patrick Heeney. The lyrics were first published in Irish Freedom by Bulmer Hobson in 1912. The Irish language lyrics were the work of Liam Ó Rinn (1888 - 1950), who was also involved in drafting the Irish language version of both the 1922 Irish Free State Constitution and the 1937 Irish Constitution. The Irish lyrics were first published in An tÓglach (the magazine of the Irish Defence Forces) on 3 November 1923.[2] The Soldier's Song/Amhrán na bhFiann was popular among Irish republicans, and was sung by rebels in the General Post Office (GPO) during the Easter Rising of 1916, and afterwards in British internment camps. The song became the official state anthem in 1926. God Save the King was the official anthem of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until the independent Irish Free State was established in 1922. The continued use of God Save the King by some Irish people caused annoyance to the new Irish state and, on one occasion, Governor-General James McNeill refused to attend a public function in Trinity College when he learned that the university intended to play the anthem during his visit. Even after the adoption of Amhrán na bhFiann as the official anthem of the Irish Free State in July 1926, a minority continued to sing the British anthem, and to pray for the King and Queen in Church of Ireland services, for a number of years. In 1934, the Irish state acquired the copyright of the song for the sum of £1,200.[3] Political implicationsThe song is regarded by many nationalists as the national anthem of the whole island of Ireland, and it is therefore sung, for example, at Gaelic Athletic Association matches held in Northern Ireland as well as in the Republic of Ireland. Unionists, however, reject this use of Amhrán na bhFiann. At international games played by the all-island rugby union team, the specially-commissioned song Ireland's Call is used; Amhrán na bhFiann is only used within the Republic. Ireland's Call has also been adopted by all-Ireland teams in some other sports. The Irish version is a free translation of the English; in particular, “Sinne Fianna Fáil” is not a literal translation of “Soldiers are we”. Fianna Fáil — literally the Fianna (band of warriors) of Fál, but variously translated as "Soldiers of Destiny", "Warriors of Destiny" or "Soldiers of Ireland" — was an alternative name given to the Irish Volunteers in the 1913 – 1922 period. The initials “FF” appeared on the Volunteer badge, and were adopted by the Army of the Irish Free State.[4] Fianna Fáil was later chosen by Éamon de Valera as the name of his new political party in 1926. Some versions of Amhrán na bhFiann substitute “Sinne Laochra Fáil” for “Sinne Fianna Fáil” (laochra also translates as warriors) in order to avoid any association of the anthem with the political party. In recent years, a number of Irish newspapers and columnists have proposed replacing Amhrán na bhFiann with a new national anthem, arguing that the current wording is excessively militant and anti-British. Those who favour its retention argue that it is no more militant than the British, French or American national anthem. ArrangementAmhrán na bhFiann is usually sung or played in march time. Different tempos may be used, however, and the verse and chorus are occasionally played. Radio Telefís Éireann (RTÉ), the Irish national broadcasting company, played an orchestral version in a slow tempo at the close of transmission from 1962 onwards. At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, when Michelle Smith won three gold medals in swimming, the verse and chorus were played in a lively tempo. LyricsThe lyrics are those of an Irish rebel song, exhorting all Irish people to participate in the struggle to end the hegemony ("despot" over "slave") of the English ("Saxon foe") in Ireland ("Inisfail"). There are allusions to earlier Irish rebellions, and to support from Irish emigrants abroad ("a land beyond the wave")
Complete lyricsThe anthem consists only of the chorus of the song. The original has three verses, set to a slightly different tune. The lyrics of the verses are as follows:
Footnotes
External links Wikisource has original text related to this article:
Media files
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