La Bayamesa

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La Bayamesa is the title of the Cuban national anthem . The melody and text are by Pedro Figueredo , who wrote the poem in 1868 on the occasion of the Battle of Bayamo in which he took part. When the Mambises , the soldiers of the Cuban liberation movement against Spanish colonial rule, had to withdraw from Bayamo, the city's population moved with them and set their own houses on fire beforehand. Figueredo was captured and executed by the Spanish colonial forces two years later. La Bayamesa was the national anthem of the Republic in Arms ( República en Armas ) during the independence movement from 1868 to 1898 and was introduced as the national anthem of the Republic of Cuba after independence from Spain and the end of the US occupation in 1902 . The hymn was sung in public for the first time on November 8, 1868 by a group of twelve women in the town square (Parque Central) of Bayamo.

Memorial plaque for the first singers of the Cuban national anthem in Bayamo in 1868

Original text (Spanish)

Al combate, corred, bayameses,
Que la Patria os contempla orgullosa;
No temáis una muerte gloriosa,
Que morir por la Patria es vivir.

En cadenas vivir, es vivir
En afrenta y oprobio sumido;
Del clarín escuchad el sonido;
¡A las armas, valientes, corred!

translation

Video excerpt from Cuban television with Spanish subtitles.

On to the fight, hurry up, Bayamese,
for the fatherland sees you with pride,
do not fear a glorious death,
because to die for the fatherland means to live.

A life in chains is a life in the
midst of abuse and shame.
Hear the sound of the trumpet, take
up arms, you brave ones, run!

See also

Web links

Commons : La Bayamese  - Collection of images, videos and audio files