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.

Lyrics

Following are the versions of the national anthem in the three languages, Tagalog, English, and Spanish, along with the authors or the translators.

Tagalog: Lupang Hinirang

by Julian Cruz Balmaceda and Ildefonso Santos

Bayang magiliw
Perlas ng Silanganan,
Alab ng puso,
Sa dibdib mo'y buhay.

Lupang Hinirang,
Duyan ka ng magiting,
Sa manlulupig,
Di ka pasisiil.

Sa dagat at bundok,
Sa simoy at sa langit mong bughaw,
May dilag ang tula
At awit sa paglayang minamahal.

Ang kislap ng watawat mo'y
Tagumpay na nagniningning,
Ang bituin at araw niya
Kailan pa ma'y di magdidilim.

Lupa ng araw, ng luwalhati't pagsinta,
Buhay ay langit sa piling mo;
Aming ligaya, na pag may mang-aapi
Ang mamatay nang dahil sa iyo.

English: Beloved Country

by Camilo Osias and A.L. Lane

Land of the morning, child of the sun returning,
With fervor burning, thee do our souls adore.
Land dear and holy, cradle of noble heroes,
Ne'er shall invaders, trample thy sacred shore.

Even within thy skies and through thy clouds,
And o'er thy hills and sea.
Do we behold the radiance,
Feel the throb of glorious liberty.

Thy banner, dear to all our hearts,
Its sun and stars alight.
O, never shall its shining field,
Be dimmed by tyrant's might!

Beautiful land of love, O land of light,
In thine embrace 'tis rapture to lie.
But it is glory ever, when thou art wronged,
For us, thy sons, to suffer and die.

Spanish: Filipinas

by Jose Palma

Tierra adorada
Hija del sol de Oriente,
Su fuego ardiente en ti latiendo esta.

�Patria de amores!
Del heroismo cuna,
Los invasores
No te hallar�n jam�s.

En tu azul cielo, en tus auras,
En tus montes y en tu mar
Esplende y late el poema
De tu amada libertad.

Tu pabell�n, que en las lides
La victoria ilumin�,
No vera nunca apagados
Sus estrellas y su sol.

Tierra de dichas, del sol y de amores,
En tu regazo dulce es vivir.
Es una gloria para tus hijos,
Cuando te ofenden, por ti morir.