La Canzone degli Italiani (The Song of the Italians) is the Italian national anthem; its lyrics were written by Goffredo Mameli, its music was composed by Michele Novaro. The anthem is popularly known as Fratelli d'Italia (Brothers of Italy), from its first line; also Inno di Mameli and Canto degli Italiani are used.

In 1847, Goffredo Mameli, a poet, wrote La Canzone degli Italiani; this poem expressed the popular struggle for the unification and independence of Italy, and therefore experienced a wide spread and success during all the Risorgimento (lit. Resurgence, the Italian unification process in the 19th century). After the unification (1861), the anthem of the Savoy royal house was also adopted as a national anthem. When, in 1946, Italy became a republic, La Canzone degli Italiani was chosen as a temporary national anthem. The choice of anthem was never revised, and La Canzone degli Italiani has now been a temporary anthem for over 50 years.

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,
che schiava di Roma
Iddio la creò.

(CHORUS)
Stringiamci a coorte,
siam pronti alla morte.
Siam pronti alla morte,
l'Italia chiamò.
Stringiamci a coorte,
siam pronti alla morte.
Siam pronti alla morte,
l'Italia chiamò!

Noi fummo da secoli
calpesti, derisi,
perché non siam popoli,
perché siam divisi.
Raccolgaci un'unica
bandiera, una speme:
di fonderci insieme
già l'ora suonò.

CHORUS

Uniamoci, uniamoci,
l'unione e l'amore
rivelano ai popoli
le vie del Signore.
Giuriamo far libero
il suolo natio:
uniti, per Dio,
chi vincer ci può?

CHORUS

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.

CHORUS

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.

CHORUS

Partial English Translation

Brothers of Italy,
Italy has awakened,
The Helm of Scipio
Has worn on her head

Where is Victory?
Let she (Victory) bow her head (lit. hair) to her (Italy),
Because a slave of Rome
she (Victory) was made by God.

Let us form as cohort,
Be ready to die,
Be ready to die,
Italy called.

Criticism

Recently in Italy there have been some discussion about replacing Fratelli d'Italia with another anthem. The music of Fratelli d'Italia is viewed by some (both by laymen and experts) as poor, especially when compared with the renonwed Italian classical music tradition (for example, Giuseppe Verdi or Giacomo Puccini). The lyrics, far from being universal, refer to very specific episodes of Italian history; while they were commonplace in the 19th century, they're almost meaningless now. Nevertheless, Fratelli d'Italia is immediately recognizable to anyone in Italy, and it seems hard that Italians will allow it to be replaced without questioning.

External link

• From Quirinale, residence of the Head of State, lyrics and music (in Italian)