Himnusz
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2011) |
| English: Hymn | |
|---|---|
U.S. Navy Band instrumental version |
"Himnusz" (Hungarian pronunciation:
The lyrics of "Himnusz" are a
Title
The title in the original manuscript is "Hymnus" — a Latin word meaning "song of praise", and one which is widely used in languages other than English (e.g., French or German) to mean "anthem". The phonetic transcription "Himnusz" replaced the original Latin spelling over time, and as the poem gained widespread acceptance as the de facto anthem of Hungary, so too the word "himnusz" took on the meaning "national anthem" for other countries as well.
History
Although
In the early 1900s, various members of the Hungarian Parliament proposed making the status of Himnusz as the national anthem of Hungary within Austria-Hungary official, but their efforts never got enough traction for such a law to be passed.[3] Later, in the 1950s, Rákosi made plans to have the anthem replaced by one more suited to the Communist ideology, but the persons he had in mind for the task, poet Gyula Illyés and composer Zoltán Kodály, both refused.[4] It wasn't until 1989 that Erkel's musical adaptation of Himnusz finally gained official recognition as Hungary's national anthem, by being mentioned as such in the Constitution of Hungary.[2][3]
Official uses
The public radio station Kossuth Rádió plays Himnusz at ten minutes past midnight each day at the close of transmissions in the AM band, as do the state TV channels at the end of the day's broadcasts. Himnusz is also traditionally played on Hungarian television at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve.
Alternative anthems
"
Recognition is also given to the "Rákóczi March", a short wordless piece (composer unknown, but sometimes attributed to János Bihari and Franz Liszt) which is often used on state military occasions; and the poem Nemzeti dal written by Sándor Petőfi.
Another popular song is the "
Lyrics
The first stanza is officially sung at ceremonies.
Two English versions are given below; both are free translations of the Hungarian words. As Hungarian is a genderless language, masculine pronouns in the English translations are in fact addressed to all Hungarians regardless of gender.
| Hungarian original (Ferenc Kölcsey, 1823) |
IPA transcription[a] | English translation (Laszlo Korossy, 2003)[5] |
Poetic English translation (William N. Loew, 1881) |
|---|---|---|---|
I |
1 |
I Tokaj You dripped sweet nectar Our flag you often planted On the earthworks And under Mátyás' grave army whimperedVienna's "proud fort." IV Ah, but for our sins Anger gathered in Your bosom And You struck with Your lightning From Your thundering clouds Now the plundering Mongols' arrows You swarmed over us Then the Turks' slave yoke We took upon our shoulders. V How often came from the mouths Of Osman's barbarian nation Over the corpses of our defeated army A victory song! How often did your own son aggress My homeland, upon your breast, And you became because of your own sons Your own sons' funeral urn! VI The fugitive hid, and towards him The sword reached into his cave Looking everywhere he could not find His home in his homeland Climbs the mountain, descends the valley Sadness and despair his companions Sea of blood beneath his feet Ocean of flame above. VII Castle stood, now a heap of stones Happiness and joy fluttered, Groans of death, weeping Now sound in their place. And Ah! Freedom does not bloom From the blood of the dead, Torturous slavery's tears fall From the burning eyes of the orphans! VIII Pity, O Lord, the Hungarians Who are tossed by waves of danger Extend over it your guarding arm On the sea of its misery Long torn by ill fate Bring upon it a time of relief They who have suffered for all sins Of the past and of the future! |
I |
Himnusz sculpture
On 7 May 2006, a sculpture was inaugurated for Himnusz at Szarvas Square, Budakeszi, a small town close to Budapest. It was created by Mária V. Majzik, an artist with the Hungarian Heritage Award, depicting the full text of the poem in a circle, centered around a two metres high bronze figure of God, with 21 bronze bells in seven arches between eight pieces of stone, each four and a half metres high. The musical form of the poem can be played on the bells. The cost of its construction, 40 million forints (roughly 200,000 USD), was collected through public subscription.
Notes
- ^ See Help:IPA/Hungarian and Hungarian phonology.
References
- ^ "The Story Behind the Hungarian National Anthem". Jules S. Vállay. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
- ^ a b c "A Himnusz története" [History of Himnusz] (in Hungarian). Retrieved 2016-05-17.
- ^ a b "A Himnusz ügye az Országgyűlés előtt" [The matter of the anthem before Parliament] (in Hungarian). Retrieved 2016-05-17.
- ^ "Betiltották a Himnuszt" [Himnusz banned] (in Hungarian). 22 January 2010. Retrieved 2016-05-17.
- ^ "Isten Áldd Meg a Magyart!". laszlokorossy.net. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
External links
- Hungary: Himnusz - Audio of the national anthem of Hungary, with information and lyrics (archive link)
- National and historical symbols of Hungary Archived 2021-10-28 at the Wayback Machine has a page about the anthem, featuring a vocal sound file.
- Sheet Music is available at the Hungarian Electronic Library website.
- Hungarian Anthem on Music Keyboard 2.4