Lupang Hinirang
Lupang Hinirang is the national anthem of the Philippines. It started out as a instrumental march commissioned by Emilio Aguinaldo, the then Philippine President, to Julian Felipe, for use in the proclamation of Philippine independence on June 12, 1898. The title of the march was Marcha Filipina Magdalo. Later the title was changed to Marcha Nacional Filipina upon its adoptation as the national march. Then, in August 1899, a young poet-soldier named Jose Palma wrote the poem Filipinas in Spanish. It became the words of the national hymn.During the 1920s, with the repeal of the Flag Law, the American Colonial Government decided to translate the national hymn from Spanish to English. Camilo Osias, and an American, A.L. Lane, did the translation.
Finally, during the term of Pres. Ramon Magsaysay, the national anthem was translated by Julian Cruz Balmaceda and Ildefonso Santos to the native language, Tagalog. On May 26, 1956, the National Anthem, Lupang Hinirang was finally sung in Filipino. Minor revisions were made in 1962, and it is this final version which is in use today.
Following are the versions of the national anthem in the three languages, Tagalog, English, and Spanish, along with the authors or the translators.
Bayang magiliw
Lupang Hinirang,
Sa dagat at bundok,
Ang kislap ng watawat mo'y
Lupa ng araw, ng luwalhati't pagsinta,Lyrics
Tagalog: Lupang Hinirang
by Julian Cruz Balmaceda and Ildefonso Santos
Perlas ng Silanganan,
Alab ng puso,
Sa dibdib mo'y buhay.
Duyan ka ng magiting,
Sa manlulupig,
Di ka pasisiil.
Sa simoy at sa langit mong bughaw,
May dilag ang tula
At awit sa paglayang minamahal.
Tagumpay na nagniningning,
Ang bituin at araw niya
Kailan pa ma'y di magdidilim.
Buhay ay langit sa piling mo;
Aming ligaya, na pag may mang-aapi
Ang mamatay nang dahil sa iyo.
