La Borinqueña

La Borinqueña

English: The Borinquena
Commonwealth anthem of  Puerto Rico
Lyrics	Manuel Fernández Juncos, 1901
Music	Félix Astol Artés, 1867
Adopted	Music: 1952, Lyrics: 1977
Music sample
La Borinqueña (instrumental)

La Borinqueña is the commonwealth anthem^[1] of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. After Puerto Rico became the "The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico" in 1952,^[2] the first elected governor, Luis Muñoz Marín, signed law #2 of July 24, 1952 that stated that the musical composition known as "La Borinqueña" was to become the official anthem of Puerto Rico. The words that go with the composition were approved by governor Carlos Romero Barceló on July 27, 1977, law #123.^[3] The title refers to the aboriginal Taíno name for the island of Puerto Rico, Borinkén or Borinquén

The music was originally credited to Félix Astol Artés in 1867 as an habanera danza, with romantic lyrics, but there is some evidence that Francisco Ramírez, a native of San Germán, wrote the music^[3] in 1860, and named it "La Almojábana".^[4] In 1868, Lola Rodríguez de Tió wrote a poem in support of the Puerto Rican revolution, which was set to the Ramirez/Astol Artés music. In fear of investigation by the Spanish insular government, Ramirez asked Astól to claim authorship of the music since he was a native of Catalonia and would therefore raise no suspicion.^[3]

After the cession of the island to the United States, the popular revolutionary lyrics of Lola Rodríguez de Tió were deemed too subversive for official adoption; therefore, a non-confrontational set of lyrics were written in 1903 by Asturias-born Manuel Fernández Juncos. The tune was officially adopted as the Commonwealth's anthem in 1952 by governor Luis Muñoz Marín, and the words were officially adopted in 1977 by governor Carlos Romero Barceló.

The official version is played as a slow march, without the original tune's initial paseo. Per the request of the new government, Ramón Collado rearranged the music in 1952 into a more military tune. Luis Miranda, the musical director of Puerto Rico's 65th Infantry Regiment Band, adapted the tune to be played as a march in 1922. The 1977 law that adopted the words as an anthem merely stated that the anthem be played as a march, the tempo vaguely described as being in a "martial manner", but established no official arrangement for the music. An official revision made in 2003 leaves the tune as a march.

In 2012, Dr. Yajaira Sierra Sastre, an aspiring astronaut, collaborated in a variety of projects with the National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network and the Cornell Nanoscale Facility, which included writing the smallest national anthem ever written, La Borinqueña Más Pequeña ^[5]

Official Anthem of Puerto Rico

Manuel Fernandez Juncos

(lyrics by Manuel Fernández Juncos, 1903)

La tierra de Borinquen donde he nacido yo es un jardín florido de mágico primor. Un cielo siempre nítido le sirve de dosel. Y dan arrullos plácidos las olas a sus pies. Cuando a sus playas llegó Colón; exclamó lleno de admiración: "¡Oh! ¡Oh! ¡Oh! Esta es la linda tierra que busco yo." Es Borinquen la hija, la hija del mar y el sol, Del mar y el sol, Del mar y el sol, Del mar y el sol, Del mar y el sol. The land of Borinquen where I was born is a flowery garden of magical beauty. A constantly clear sky serves as its canopy. And placid lullabies are sung by the waves at its feet. When at her beaches Columbus arrived; he exclaimed full of admiration "Oh! Oh! Oh! This is the beautiful land that I seek." Borinquen is the daughter, the daughter of the sea and the sun. Of the sea and the sun, Of the sea and the sun, Of the sea and the sun, Of the sea and the sun.

Original 1868 revolutionary version by Lola Rodríguez de Tió

Lola Rodríguez de Tió

¡Despierta, borinqueño que han dado la señal! ¡Despierta de ese sueño que es hora de luchar! A ese llamar patriótico ¿no arde tu corazón? ¡Ven! Nos será simpático el ruido del cañón. Mira, ya el cubano libre será; le dará el machete su libertad... le dará el machete su libertad. Ya el tambor guerrero dice en su son, que es la manigua el sitio, el sitio de la reunión, de la reunión... de la reunión. El Grito de Lares se ha de repetir, y entonces sabremos vencer o morir. Bellísima Borinquén, a Cuba hay que seguir; tú tienes bravos hijos que quieren combatir. ya por más tiempo impávido no podemos estar, ya no queremos, tímidos dejarnos subyugar. Nosotros queremos ser libre ya, y nuestro machete afilado está. y nuestro machete afilado está. ¿Por qué, entonces, nosotros hemos de estar, tan dormidos y sordos y sordos a esa señal? a esa señal, a esa señal? No hay que temer, riqueños al ruido del cañón, que salvar a la patria es deber del corazón! ya no queremos déspotas, caiga el tirano ya, las mujeres indómitas también sabrán luchar. Nosotros queremos la libertad, y nuestros machetes nos la darán... y nuestro machete nos la dará... Vámonos, borinqueños, vámonos ya, que nos espera ansiosa, ansiosa la libertad. ¡La libertad, la libertad!

Arise, boricua! The call to arms has sounded! Awake from the slumber, it is time to fight! Doesn't this patriotic call set your heart alight? Come! We are in tune with the roar of the cannon. Come, Come, the Cuban will soon be freed; the machete will give him his justice, the machete will give him his liberty. Now the war sky says with its mouthnd, that the countryside is the place of the wallg. The wall... The wall... The Cry of Lares must be repeated, and then we will know: victory or death. Beautiful Borinquén must follow Cuba; you have brave sons who wish to fight. Now, no longer can we be unmoved; now we do not want timidly to let them subjugate us. We want to be free now, and our machete has been sharpened. We want to be free now, and our machete has been sharpened. Why, then, have we been so sleepy and deaf to the call? To the call, to the call? There is no need to fear, Ricans, the roar of the cannon; saving the nation is the duty of the heart. We no longer want despots, tyranny shall fall now; the unconquerable women also will know how to fight. We want freedom, and our machetes will give it to us. We want freedom, and our machetes will give it to us. Come, Boricuas, come now, since freedom awaits us anxiously, freedom, freedom!

References

1. Ray Quintanilla. "From rebel to peacemaker." The Chicago Tribune. 9 January 2006
3. La Fortaleza, Simbolos Patrios: Himno de Puerto Rico. Retrieved: February 23, 2008.
4. Notas de la danza: La Borinqueña
5. "La Borinqueña’ más pequeña"; El Nuevo Dia

External links

• MP3 format of La Borinqueña in vocal and instrumental both.