Rota (poem)

The Rota played from the Gdańsk carillon tower

Rota ("The Oath") is an early 20th-century Polish poem,[1] as well as a celebratory anthem, once proposed to be the Polish national anthem. Rota's lyrics were written in 1908 by activist for Polish independence, poet Maria Konopnicka. The music was composed two years later by composer, conductor and concert organist, Feliks Nowowiejski.

History

Konopnicka's poem came into being as a protest against the German Empire's oppression and suppression of Polish culture in German-occupied western Poland — lands that from the late 18th century after the Partitions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to 1918 were under Prussian — and later, German — rule.[1]

Rota was first sung publicly during a patriotic demonstration in Kraków on July 15, 1910, held to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Polish-Lithuanian victory over the Teutonic Knights at the Battle of Grunwald. The anthem quickly became popular across partitioned Poland. Until 1918, Rota served as the anthem of the Polish Scouting movement. After Poland regained independence in 1918, Rota, in 1927, found itself under consideration for a time as a possible Polish national anthem.[1]

During the German occupation of Poland in World War II, on the eve of 11 November 1939 (Polish Independence Day), in Zielonka, a town at the outskirts of Warsaw, the scouts from the Polish Scouting Association put up posters with the text of the poem on the walls of the buildings. In reprisal, German occupying forces carried out an execution of 9 scouts and other inhabitants of the town. A monument commemorating the crime stands on its site today. In 2008, a film telling that story was made (11 listopada).

After 1989 Rota became the official anthem of the Polish People's Party. Until 2003, the melody of the anthem was played by the Gdańsk carillon tower and served as the signature theme of the television stations TVP Poznań and TVP Gdańsk. In 2010 Rota and its author Konopnicka were honored by special resolution of Polish Sejm[2] It also served as the anthem of the Polish National-Territorial Region.

Text

Rota
Polish text: English translation:
Nie rzucim ziemi, skąd nasz ród. We won't forsake the land we came from,
Nie damy pogrześć mowy. We won't let our speech be buried.
Polski my naród, polski lud, We are the Polish nation, the Polish people,
Królewski szczep piastowy. From the royal line of Piast.
Nie damy, by nas gnębił wróg. We won't let the enemy oppress us.

Tak nam dopomóż Bóg! So help us God!
Tak nam dopomóż Bóg! So help us God!

Do krwi ostatniej kropli z żył To the last blood drop in our veins
Bronić będziemy Ducha, We will defend our Spirit
Aż się rozpadnie w proch i w pył Till into dust and ash shall fall,
Krzyżacka zawierucha. The Teutonic Order's windstorm.
Twierdzą nam będzie każdy próg. Every doorsill shall be a fortress.

Tak nam dopomóż Bóg! So help us God!
Tak nam dopomóż Bóg! So help us God!

Nie będzie Niemiec pluł nam w twarz The German won't spit in our face,
Ni dzieci nam germanił, Nor Germanise our children,
Orężny wstanie hufiec nasz, Our host will arise in arms,
Duch będzie nam hetmanił. Spirit will lead the way.
Pójdziem, gdy zabrzmi złoty róg. We will go when the golden horn sounds.

Tak nam dopomóż Bóg! So help us God!
Tak nam dopomóż Bóg! So help us God!

Nie damy miana Polski zgnieść We won't have Poland's name defamed,
Nie pójdziem żywo w trumnę. We won't step alive into a grave.
Na Polski imię, na jej cześć In Poland's name, in its honor
Podnosim czoła dumne, We lift our foreheads proudly,
Odzyska ziemię dziadów wnuk. The grandson will regain his forefathers' land

Tak nam dopomóż Bóg! So help us God!
Tak nam dopomóż Bóg! So help us God!

See also

Notes and references

  1. 1 2 3 Maja Trochimczyk, "Rota" (the Oath), in the National Anthems of Poland including music recording in Real Audio format. The Polish Music Reference Center. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
  2. ↑ Uchwała w sprawie uczczenia pamięci Marii Konopnickiej
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