The Rota was first published in 1908 in the magazine "Przodownicy". It was presented to the public for the first time in 1910 at the celebrations in Krakow on the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Tannenberg (1410) .
The poem consists of four stanzas. Three of them form a canon for one of the most famous Polish patriotic songs with the same title, for which Feliks Nowowiejski composed the melody.
From 1918 the Rota was the hymn of the Polish scouts and after the restoration of the Republic of Poland in November 1918 it was also up for debate as the Polish national anthem. But the song of the Polish legions, the Mazurek Dąbrowskiego , who were fighting for the freedom of their fatherland under Napoleon Bonaparte , prevailed.
The “Rota” is sung to this day at gatherings of national patriotic groups, but also often during processions on Corpus Christi . The first two verses of the third stanza have become one of the most popular idioms.
In the fifth line of the third stanza, the "sound of the golden horn" refers to the work "Wesele" (in German: wedding) by Stanisław Wyspiański . The horn is used as a symbol for general encouragement to start the Polish fight.
text
Original Polish text
German translation
1.
Nie rzucim ziemi skąd nasz ród,
Nie damy pogrześć mowy,
Polski my naród, polski lud,
Królewski szczep piastowy.
Never damy, by nas gnębił wróg!
Tak nam dopomóż Bóg!
Tak nam dopomóż Bóg!
2.
Do krwi ostatniej kropli z żył
Bronić będziemy ducha,
Aż się rozpadnie w proch iw pył
Krzyżacka zawierucha.
Twierdzą nam będzie każdy próg.
Tak nam dopomóż Bóg!
Tak nam dopomóż Bóg!
3.
Never będzie Niemiec pluł nam w twarz,
Ni dzieci nam germanił!
Orężny wstanie hufiec nasz,
Duch będzie nam hetmanił.
Pójdziem, gdy zabrzmi złoty róg.
Tak nam dopomóż Bóg!
Tak nam dopomóż Bóg!
4.
Nie damy miana Polski zgnieść,
Nie pójdziem żywo w trumnę
A w Polski imię, na jej cześć
Podnosim czoła dumne.
Odzyska ziemię dziadów wnuk.
Tak nam dopomóż Bóg!
Tak nam dopomóż Bóg!
1.
We do not give up our fatherland.
We do not let our language perish.
We are the Polish nation, the Polish people,
the royal Piast heirs.
We don't let the enemy torment us.
God the Lord help us to do this!
God the Lord help us to do this!
2.
Up to the last drop of blood
we will defend the spirit,
Until
the crusader pack was crushed to powder and dust .
Every threshold (of the house) is our fortress defense!
God the Lord help us to do this!
God the Lord help us to do this!
3.
The German will not spit in
our faces, Not Germanize our children
, Our armed host will be resurrected,
The Spirit will lead us.
Wherever the golden horn sounds, that's where we set off.
God the Lord help us to do this!
God the Lord help us to do this!
4.
We will not let Poland's dignity be crushed.
We do not climb the coffin alive.
And in the name of Poland, and its respect,
we
stand proud forehead
The grandson of the grandfathers will regain the country. God the Lord help us!
God the Lord help us to do this!
