Poland Is Not Yet Lost
U.S. Navy Band instrumental version (one verse) |
"Poland Is Not Yet Lost",[a][b] also known as the "Dąbrowski's Mazurka",[c] and the "Song of the Polish Legions in Italy",[d] is the national anthem of Poland.[1][2][3]
The original
The music is an unattributed
When Poland re-emerged as an independent state in 1918, "Mazurek Dąbrowskiego" became its de facto national anthem. It was officially adopted as the national anthem of Poland in 1927.
Etymology
It is also known by its original title, "Pieśń Legionów Polskich we Włoszech" (IPA: [pjɛɕɲ lɛˈɡʲɔnuf ˈpɔlskʲiɣ vɛ ˈvwɔʂɛx], "Song of the Polish Legions in Italy").[2][3] English translations of its Polish incipit ("Jeszcze Polska nie zginęła" [ˈjɛʂt͡ʂɛ ˈpɔlska ɲɛ zɡʲiˈnɛwa]) include: "Poland has not yet perished",[1] "Poland has not perished yet",[2] "Poland is not lost",[4] "Poland is not lost yet",[5] and "Poland is not yet lost".[6]
Lyrics
The original lyrics, authored by Wybicki, are a poem consisting of six
The main theme of the poem is the idea that was novel in the times of early
The chorus and subsequent stanzas include heart-lifting examples of military heroes, set as role models for Polish soldiers: Jan Henryk Dąbrowski, Napoleon, Stefan Czarniecki and Tadeusz Kościuszko.
Dąbrowski, for whom the anthem is named, was a commander in the failed 1794 Kościuszko Uprising against Russia. After the Third Partition in 1795, he came to Paris to seek French aid in re-establishing Polish independence and, in 1796, he started the formation of the Polish Legions, a Polish unit of the French Revolutionary Army.
Bonaparte was, at the time when the song was written, a commander of the Italian campaign of French Revolutionary Wars and Dąbrowski's superior. Having already proven his skills as a military leader, he is described in the lyrics as the one "who has shown us ways to victory." Bonaparte is the only non-Polish person mentioned by name in the Polish anthem.
Stefan Czarniecki was a 17th-century
Kościuszko, mentioned in a stanza now missing from the anthem, became a hero of the American Revolutionary War before coming back to Poland to defend his native country from Russia in the war of 1792 and a national uprising he led in 1794. One of his major victories during the uprising was the Battle of Racławice where the result was partly due to Polish peasants armed with scythes. Alongside the scythes, the song mentioned other types of weaponry, traditionally used by the Polish szlachta, or nobility: the sabre, known in Polish as szabla, and the backsword.
Basia (a female name, diminutive of Barbara) and her father are fictional characters. They are used to represent the women and elderly men who waited for the Polish soldiers to return home and liberate their fatherland. The route that Dąbrowski and his legions hoped to follow upon leaving Italy is hinted at by the words "we'll cross the Vistula, we'll cross the Warta", two major rivers flowing through the parts of Poland that were in Austrian and Prussian hands at the time.
Modern official Polish lyrics[9] | IPA transcription[e] | English translation | Wybicki's lyrics[7] (original spelling) |
English translation |
---|---|---|---|---|
I |
1 |
I |
I |
I |
Refren: |
[ˈrɛf.rɛn] |
Chorus: |
Refren: |
Chorus: |
II |
2 |
II |
II | |
III |
3 |
III |
III |
III |
|
|
|
IV |
|
IV |
4 |
V |
V | |
|
|
|
VI |
VI |
Music
The melody of the Polish anthem is a lively and rhythmical
The composer of "Mazurek Dąbrowskiego" is unknown. The melody is most probably Wybicki's adaptation of a folk tune that had already been popular during the second half of the 18th century. The composition used to be erroneously attributed to Michał Kleofas Ogiński who was known to have written a march for Dąbrowski's legions. Several historians confused Ogiński's "Marche pour les Légions polonaises" ("March for the Polish Legions") with Wybicki's mazurka, possibly due to the mazurka's chorus "March, march, Dąbrowski", until Ogiński's sheet music for the march was discovered in 1938 and proven to be a different piece of music than Poland's national anthem.[7]
The first composer to use the anthem for an artistical music piece is always stated to be Karol Kurpiński. In 1821 he composed his piano/organ Fugue on "Jeszcze Polska nie zginęła" (it was published in 1821 in Warsaw; the first modern edition by Rostislaw Wygranienko was printed only in 2009).[11][12] However, Karol Lipiński used it in an overture for his opera Kłótnia przez zakład composed and staged in Lviv c. 1812.[13]
Wojciech Sowiński was the next who arranged "Mazurek Dąbrowskiego" for the piano. The arrangement, accompanied by the lyrics in Polish and French, was published 1829 in Paris.[7] German composers who were moved by the suffering of the November Uprising wove the mazurek into their works. Examples include Richard Wagner's Polonia Overture and Albert Lortzing's Der Pole und sein Kind.
The current official musical score of the national anthem was arranged by Kazimierz Sikorski and published by the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. Sikorski's harmonization allows for each vocal version to be performed either a cappella or together with any of the instrumental versions. Some orchestra parts, marked in the score as ad libitum, may be left out or replaced by other instruments of equivalent musical scale.[2]
In 1908,
The anthem was quoted by Edward Elgar in his symphonic prelude Polonia, composed in 1915.
Regulations
The national anthem is, along with the
History
Origin
In 1795, after a prolonged decline and despite last-minute attempts at constitutional reforms and armed resistance, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was ultimately partitioned by its three neighbors: Russia, Prussia and Austria. A once vast and powerful empire was effectively erased from the map while monarchs of the partitioning powers pledged never to use the name "Poland" in their official titles. For many, including even leading representatives of the Polish Enlightenment, this new political situation meant an end of the Polish nation.[16] In the words of Hugo Kołłątaj, a notable Polish political thinker of the time, "Poland no longer belonged to currently extant nations,"[f] while historian Tadeusz Czacki declared that Poland "was now effaced from the number of nations."[g]
Meanwhile, Polish patriots and revolutionaries turned for help to
In early July 1797, Wybicki arrived in Reggio Emilia where the Polish Legions were then quartered and where he wrote the Song of the Polish Legions soon afterwards. He first sung it at a private meeting of Polish officers in the Legions' headquarters at the episcopal palace in Reggio. The first public performance most probably took place on 16 July 1797 during a military parade in Reggio's Piazza del Duomo (Cathedral Square). On 20 July, it was played again as the Legions were marching off from Reggio to Milan, the Cisalpine capital.[7]
With its heart-lifting lyrics and folk melody, the song soon became a popular tune among Polish legionaries. On 29 August 1797, Dąbrowski already wrote to Wybicki from
Rising popularity
The song became popular in Poland as soon as late 1797 and quickly became an object of variations and modifications. A variant from 1798 introduced some stylistic changes, which have since become standard, such as replacing nie umarła ("not dead") with nie zginęła ("not perished") or do Polski z ziemi włoski ("to Poland from the Italian land") with z ziemi włoskiej do Polski ("from the Italian land to Poland"). It also added four new stanzas, now forgotten, written from the viewpoint of Polish patriots waiting for General Dąbrowski to bring freedom and human rights to Poland.
The ultimate fate of the Polish Legions in Italy was different from that promised by Wybicki's song. Rather than coming back to Poland, they were exploited by the French government to quell uprisings in Italy, Germany and, later, in
"Poland Is Not Yet Lost" was one of the most popular patriotic songs in the duchy, stopping short of becoming that entity's national anthem. Among other occasions, it was sung in Warsaw on 16 June 1807 to celebrate the battle of Friedland, in Kraków as it was liberated by Prince Józef Poniatowski on 19 July 1809, and at a ball in Warsaw on 23 December 1809, the birthday of Frederick Augustus, King of Saxony and Duke of Warsaw. On the occasion of Dąbrowski's name day on 25 December 1810 in Poznań, Dąbrowski and Wybicki led the mazurka to the tune of "Poland Is Not Yet Lost". Although the melody of Wybicki's song remained unchanged and widely known, the lyrics kept changing. With the signing of a Franco-Russian alliance at Tilsit in 1807, the fourth stanza, specifically mentioning Russians as Poland's enemies, was removed. The last stanza, referring to Kościuszko, who had grown suspicious of Napoleon and refused to lend his support to the emperor's war in Poland, met the same fate.[7]
The blow struck with such skill, with such force unsurpassed,
That the strings rang out boldly, like trumpets of brass,
And from them to the heavens that song wafted, cherished,
That triumphal march: Poland has never yet perished!
...March Dąbrowski to Poland! – The audience entire
Clapped, and all "March Dąbrowski!" cried out as a choir.
Adam Mickiewicz,
Pan Tadeusz (Book Twelve, Love and Friendship!)[17]
The anthem is mentioned twice in
With Napoleon's defeat and the Congress of Vienna in 1815 came a century of foreign domination over Poland interspersed with occasional bursts of armed rebellion. Poland Is Not Yet Lost continued to be sung throughout that period, especially during national uprisings. During the November Uprising against Russia in 1830–1831, the song was chanted in the battlefields of Stoczek, Olszynka Grochowska and Iganie. In peacetime, Polish patriots performed it at homes, official functions and political demonstrations. New variants of the song, of various artistic value and length of life, abounded. At least 16 alternative versions were penned during the November Uprising alone. At times, Dąbrowski's name was replaced by other national heroes: from Józef Chłopicki during the November Uprising to Józef Piłsudski during the First World War to Władysław Sikorski during the Second World War. New lyrics were also written in regional dialects of Polish, from Silesia to Ermland and Masuria.[7] A variant known as Marsz Polonii ("March Polonia") spread among Polish immigrants in the Americas.
Mass political emigration following the defeat of the November Uprising, known as the
Choice of national anthem
When Poland re-emerged as an independent state after World War I in 1918, it had to make a decision about its national symbols. While the coat of arms and the flag were officially adopted as soon as 1919, the question of a national anthem had to wait. Apart from "Poland Is Not Yet Lost", there were other popular patriotic songs which could compete for the status of an official national anthem.
In the Middle Ages, the role of a national anthem was played by hymns. Among them were
The official anthem of the Russian-controlled Congress Kingdom of Poland was "Pieśń narodowa na pomyślność Króla" (pronounced [pjɛɕɲ narɔˈdɔva na pɔˈmɨɕlnɔɕt͡ɕ ˈkrula] "National Song to the King's Well-being") written in 1816 by Alojzy Feliński and Jan Kaszewski. Initially unpopular, it evolved in the early 1860s into an important religious and patriotic hymn. The final verse, which originally begged "Save, Oh Lord, our King", was substituted with "Return us, Oh Lord, our free Fatherland" while the melody was replaced with that of a Marian hymn. The result, known today as Boże, coś Polskę (from the first lines "Boże! Coś Polskę przez tak liczne wieki / Otaczał blaskiem potęgi i chwały...", "Lord! Who for so many ages enclosed Poland with the light of power and glory..."), has been sung in Polish churches ever since, with the final verse alternating between "Return..." and "Bless, Oh Lord, our free Fatherland", depending on Poland's political situation.
A national song that was particularly popular during the November Uprising was "
At the inauguration of the UN in 1945, no delegation from Poland had been invited.
Over 60 years later, on 2005-09-22,
Influence
During the European
The line "Poland is not lost yet" has become proverbial in some languages. For example, in German, noch ist Polen nicht verloren is a common saying meaning "all is not lost".[26]
Additionally, the Italian anthem, Il Canto degli Italiani, contains a reference to the Partitions of Poland by Prussia, Austria and Russia, due to the close relations between the two countries.
Notes
- ^ Polish: Jeszcze Polska nie zginęła, [ˈjɛʂt͡ʂɛ ˈpɔlska ɲɛ zɡʲiˈnɛwa]
- ^ Name "Poland Is Not Yet Lost", which is the first verse of the song, is the name officially used in English language, although, in Polish language, the song is primarily known by the name Mazurek Dąbrowskiego (English: Dąbrowski's Mazurka) instead.
- ^ Polish: Mazurek Dąbrowskiego, Polish pronunciation: [maˈzurɛɡ‿dɔmbrɔfˈskʲɛɡɔ]
- ^ Polish: Pieśń Legionów Polskich we Włoszech
- ^ See Help:IPA/Polish and Polish phonology.
- ^ Polish: (Polska) przestała należeć do narodów aktualnie będących.[16]
- ^ Polish: Polska wymazana jest z liczby narodów.[16]
- ^ Polish: Żołnierze do Twojej pieśni coraz więcej gustu nabierają.[7]
- ^ United Nations Charter during the United Nations Conference on International Organization.[19] A Polish delegation was not permitted to be seated.[18]: 12 [20] The Provisional Government of the Republic of Poland did not recognize the Polish government-in-exile. By 1945-06-05, both the U.S and U.K Governments withdrew their recognition of the Polish government-in-exile as the legitimate government of Poland.[21]: 33 [20] Poland was the 51st nation to sign the United Nations Charter on 1945-10-15.[22]
References
- ^ CIA. 12 February 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2013. (Archived 2013 edition)
- ^ a b c d e f g h Pałłasz, Edward. "The Polish National Anthem". Poland – Official Promotional Website of the Republic of Poland. Warsaw, PL: Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Archived from the original on 23 February 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
- ^ a b c d Trochimczyk, Maja (2000). "Mazurek Dąbrowskiego". National Anthems of Poland. Los Angeles: Polish Music Center. USC Thornton School of Music. Archived from the original on 26 February 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
- ^ J. S. Zielinski (vocalist: tenor vocal); LeRoy Shield (director); J. Miller (director); Orkiestra Kapałka (Musical group) (14 November 1927). "Jeszcze Polska nie zginela". Encyclopedic Discography of Victor Recordings (database). Santa Barbara, California: University of California, Santa Barbara Library. Matrix BVE-40866. Archived from the original on 10 April 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
- OCLC 3635257.
[...] the well-known Mazurka, 'Poland is not lost yet.'
- from the original on 18 October 2007. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
- ^ OCLC 123224727.
- ISBN 0-19-925340-4. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
- ^ a b c Ustawa z dnia 31 stycznia 1980 r. o godle, barwach i hymnie Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej oraz o pieczęciach państwowych [Emblem, Colors and Anthem of the Republic of Poland, and State Seals Act], Dz. U. z 1980 r. Nr 7, poz. 18 (1980-01-31)
- ^ Trochimczyk, Maja (2000). "Mazur (Mazurka)". Polish Dance in Southern California. Los Angeles: Polish Music Center. USC Thornton School of Music. Archived from the original on 26 February 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
- ^ Kosińska, Małgorzata (October 2006). "Karol Kurpiński". Culture.pl. Warsaw, PL: Adam Mickiewicz Institute. Archived from the original on 17 October 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
- ISMN979-0-9013342-6-7.
- ISBN 978-1-4422-3803-9.
- ^ Konstytucja Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej [Constitution of the Republic of Poland], Dz. U. z 1997 r. Nr 78, poz. 483 (1997-04-02). For English translation see: Constitution of the Republic of Poland Archived 18 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Mazurek Dšbrowskiego za trudny? Chcš zmienić tonację - Społeczeństwo - rp.pl". Archived from the original on 24 February 2018. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
- ^ OCLC 16228048.
- OCLC 224592497. Archived from the originalon 2 January 2007. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
- ^ OCLC 01768016. Archived from the original(PDF) on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
- ^ See empty representatives signature area For Poland in: United Nations (26 June 1945). Charter of the United Nations and Statute of the International Court of Justice (PDF). San Francisco: United Nations. signature area. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
- ^ OCLC 52520112. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
- ^
Rojek, Wojciech (2004). "The Government of the Republic of Poland in Exile, 1945–92". In OCLC 52553891.
- ^ United Nations (28 September 2009). "Founding Member States". UN Member States on the Record. New York: United Nations. Dag Hammarskjöld Library. Archived from the original on 9 March 2013. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
- ISSN 0740-5944.
- ^ Kwaśniewski, Aleksander (22 September 2005). "Participation of the President of the Republic of Poland in an academic conference: 'The United Nations: an...[Assessment and Prospects]'". President.pl. Warsaw, PL. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
- ^ "Poland: Mazurek Dąbrowskiego". NationalAnthems.me. [s.l.]: [s.n.] Archived from the original on 26 March 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2011.
- ^ "Duden – Polen – Rechtschreibung, Bedeutung, Definition". Duden. Archived from the original on 21 June 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
Further reading
- "Poland". NationalAnthems.info. n.d. Archived from the original on 22 March 2008. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
- Herter, Joseph (August 1999). "History: Edward Elgar's Polonia". Polish Music Newsletter. 5 (8). Los Angeles: Polish Music Center, University of Southern California. ISSN 1098-9188. Archived from the originalon 1 September 2000. Retrieved 19 July 2008.
External links
- Poland: "Mazurek Dąbrowskiego" (Poland Is Not Yet Lost), Audio, information, lyrics (archive link)
- Museum of the National Anthem at Będomin – A museum dedicated to the National Anthem (Polish)
- The Polish National Anthem – The promotional website "Polska" features a page on the anthem with an instrumental version.
- Hymn Polski – The website for the Center for Citizenship Education features a page on the anthem than includes vocal and instrumental versions.
- Virtual Library of Polish Literature – A copy of the oldest known recording of the anthem, 1926 by Ignacy Dygas, is available here.
- Russian-Records.com – Edison phonograph cylinder record performed by Stanisław Bolewski. It is probably the oldest recording of the anthem.