The Sunday night national radio hour in Mexico is not an exciting affair. A bit like NPR’s This American Life (minus the forced quirkiness), the weekly program gives government broadcasters a chance to clue listeners in to, for instance, a new health program in some state far, far away. Not surprisingly, most Mexicans tune out.
But in the program’s closing minutes, a palpable excitement sets in, and not simply because it’s finally giving way to the rock, ranchera, and reggaeton. No, the wave of enthusiasm is generated by the Mexican national anthem. The Mexican national anthem is no ordinary anthem. It doesn’t lull you to sleep with a tired chorus and confusing lyrics; no, it riles the blood. The Mexican anthem is a raft trip down a raging river, while the others are a gentle drift in a suburban reservoir.
Fittingly for such a song, the anthem has its genesis in Mexico’s turbulent 19th century. With the War of the Reform and the French invasion just around the corner, and the Mexican-American War just past, Mexico’s government took advantage of the relative calm of 1854 to begin encapsulating the national spirit in song. President Mariano Arista sponsored a contest in November 1853 to pen the lyrics to the anthem. The winner, Francisco Gonzalez Bocanegra, was announced in February of the following year. Arista followed that up with a contest for composers, choosing from 15 different compositions. In August of 1854, Jaime Nunó, a Spanish transplant, emerged as the winner with his song, “God and Freedom.” A month later, during Mexico’s independence day celebration on September 16th, the new anthem was released to the masses.
Not surprisingly, given the tumultuous state of affairs in Mexico at the time, the song penned by Gonzalez Bocanegra was a feverish call to arms, an exultation of the Mexico that had overcome a series of devastating conflicts. Fortunately, today Mexicans don’t need bloodshed to feel proud of their nation, but Gonzalez Bocanegra’s writing remains poignant:
Although I’d heard it many times before, it was the World Cup of soccer in 2006 that really made me appreciate the song fully. The Mexican team may have been a slight disappointment, but the nation’s anthem emerged as one of the world’s finest (although the all time anthem champ has to be France’s La Marseillaise). Unfortunately, as I write we still have another three years to wait before the next World Cup. That’s three more years before the next time I get to see an entire nation’s nervous pride captured in its soccer team, as it sings its national hymn in the tense moments before kick off. But thanks to Mexico’s national radio hour, I can scratch my Mexican anthem itch every Sunday night.
Mexican National Anthem
Mexicans, at the cry of war, prepare the steel and the steed, and may the earth shake at its core to the resounding roar of the cannon.
I
Gird, oh country, your brow with olive the divine archangel of peace, for your eternal destiny was writtenin the heavens by the hand of God.
But if some strange enemy should dare to profane your ground with his step,think, oh beloved country, that heaven has given you a soldier in every son.
Chorus II
War, war without truce to any who dare to tarnish the country’s coat-of-arms! War, war! Take the national pennants and soak them in waves of blood.
War, war! In the mountain, in the valley, the cannons thunder in horrid unison and the resonant echoes cry out union, liberty!
Chorus III
Oh country, ‘ere your children defenseless bend their neck to the yoke, may your fields be watered with blood, may they trod upon blood.
And may your temples, palaces and towers collapse with horrid clamor, and their ruins live on to say: This land belonged to a thousand heroes.
Chorus IV
Oh, country, country, your children swear to breathe their last in your honor, if the trumpet with warlike accent should call them to fight with courage.
For you the olive branches! A reminder for them of glory! A laurel of victory for you! For them a tomb with honor!
Chorus
Mexicans, at the cry of war, prepare the steel and the steed, and may the earth shake at its core to the resounding roar of the cannon.
Himno Nacional Mexicano
Mexicanos, al grito de guerra, El acero aprestad y el bridón; y retiemble en sus centros la tierra, Al sonoro rugir del cañón
Ciña oh patria! tus sienes de oliva De la Paz el arcángel divino,Que en el cielo tu eterno destino, Por el dedo de Dios se escribió
Más si osare un extraño enemigo, Profanar con su planta tu suelo, Piensa, oh patria querida, que el cielo, Un soldado en cada hijo te dio.
Guerra, guerra sin tregua al que intente De la patria manchar los blasones!
Guerra, guerra! Los patrios pendones En las olas de sangre empapad.
Guerra, guerra! En el monte, en el valle Los cañones horrísonos truenen
Y los ecos sonoros resuenen Con las voces de Unión! Libertad!
Antes, patria, que inermes tus hijos
Bajo el yugo su cuello dobleguen,
Tus campiñas con sangre se rieguen,
Sobre sangre se estampe su pie.
Y tus templos, palacios y torres, Se derrumben con hórrido estruendo, Y sus ruinas existan diciendo: De mil héroesla patria aquí fue.
Patria! patria! Tus hijos te juran, Exhalar en tus aras su aliento, Si el clarín con su bélico acento, Los convoca a lidiar con valor.
Para ti las guirnaldas de oliva! Un recuerdo para ellos de gloria! Un laurel para ti de victoria! Un sepulcro para ellos de honor!
Coro:
Mexicanos, al grito de guerra, El acero aprestad y el bridón y retiemble en sus centros la tierra, Al sonoro rugir del cañón.
