National Symbols: National Anthem

"Il Canto degli Italiani" ("The Song of the Italians")

Also Known As: "Inno di Mameli" ("Mameli's Hymn") and "Fratelli d'Italia" ("Brothers of Italy")

Date of Adoption: 1946 (unofficially); 2005 (officially)

Music by: Michele Novaro

Lyrics by: Goffredo Mameli

The Italian national anthem is popularly known as either "Inno di Mameli" ("Mameli's Hymn"), a reference to the anthem's author, or "Fratelli d'Italia" ("Brothers of Italy"), from the song's first line. The lyrics were written in 1847 during a period when most of Europe was fighting against imperial rule and pushing for democracy. Goffredo Mameli, a 20-year-old student in Genoa, wrote the song to commemorate the anniversary of a popular rebellion that led to the expulsion of the Austrians from Genoa and spread throughout the Italian peninsula, eventually leading to the creation of the Kingdom of Italy.

"Il Canto degli Italiani" was sung for the first time on December 10, 1847, during a demonstration at which the Italian tricolor flag was flown for the first time as well. The song's revolutionary theme calls on the country's citizens to unite together and fight those who seek to overtake the country. After World War II, Italy became a republic, and on October 12, 1946, "Il Canto degli Italiani" was provisionally chosen to be the country's new national anthem. This choice was not made official, however, until almost 60 years later.

Italian Lyrics
Fratelli d'Italia
L'Italia s'è desta,
Dell'elmo di Scipio
S'è cinta la testa.
Dov'è la Vittoria?
Le porga la chioma,
Ché schiava di Roma
Iddio la creò.

Stringiamci a coorte
Siam pronti alla morte
L'Italia chiamò.

Noi siamo da secoli
Calpesti, derisi,
Perché non siam popolo,
Perché siam divisi.
Raccolgaci un'unica
Bandiera, una speme:
Di fonderci insieme
Già l'ora suonò.

Stringiamci a coorte
Siam pronti alla morte
L'Italia chiamò.

Uniamoci, amiamoci,
l'Unione, e l'amore
Rivelano ai Popoli
Le vie del Signore;
Giuriamo far libero
Il suolo natìo:
Uniti per Dio
Chi vincer ci può?

Stringiamci a coorte
Siam pronti alla morte
L'Italia chiamò.

Dall'Alpi a Sicilia
Dovunque è Legnano,
Ogn'uom di Ferruccio
Ha il core, ha la mano,
I bimbi d'Italia
Si chiaman Balilla,
Il suon d'ogni squilla
I Vespri suonò.

Stringiamci a coorte
Siam pronti alla morte
L'Italia chiamò.

Son giunchi che piegano
Le spade vendute:
Già l'Aquila d'Austria
Le penne ha perdute.
Il sangue d'Italia,
Il sangue Polacco,
Bevé, col cosacco,
Ma il cor le bruciò.

Stringiamci a coorte
Siam pronti alla morte
L'Italia chiamò

English Translation

Italian Brothers,
Italy has awakened,
She has wreathed her head
With the helmet of Scipio.
Where is Victory?
She bows her head to you,
You, whom God created
As the slave of Rome.

Italian Brothers,
Italy has awakened,
She has wreathed her head
With the helmet of Scipio.
Where is Victory?
She bows her head to you,
You, whom God created
As the slave of Rome.

CHORUS:
Let us band together,
We are ready to die,
We are ready to die,
Italy has called us.

Let us band together,
We are ready to die,
We are ready to die,
Italy has called us! (Yes!)

We were for centuries
Downtrodden and derided,
because we are not one people,
because we are divided.
Let one flag, one hope
gather us all.
The hour has struck
for us to join together.

Let us unite and love one another,
Union and love
Show the people
The way of the Lord.
Let us swear to free
Our native soil;
United under God,
Who can defeat us?

CHORUS

From the Alps to Sicily,
Legnano is everywhere;
Every man has the heart
and hand of Ferruccio
The children of Italy
Are all called Balilla;
Every trumpet blast
sounds the Vespers.

Mercenary swords,
they're feeble reeds.
The Austrian eagle
Has already lost its plumes.
The blood of Italy
and the Polish blood
It drank, along with the Cossack,
But it burned its hear

CHORUS

Article written for World Trade Press by WTP Staff.
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