A Portuguesa

A Portuguesa

English: The Portuguese Hymn
Music sheet and lyrics (1957)
National anthem of Portugal
Lyrics	Henrique Lopes de Mendonça, 1890
Music	Alfredo Keil, 1890
Adopted	5 October 1910 (de facto) 19 July 1911 (de jure)
Audio sample
A Portuguesa (instrumental) file help

A Portuguesa (Template:Lang-en), Template:IPA-pt, is the national anthem of Portugal. It was composed by Alfredo Keil and written by Henrique Lopes de Mendonça during the resurgent nationalist movement ignited by the 1890 British ultimatum to Portugal concerning its African colonies. Used as the marching song of the failed republican rebellion of January 1891, in Porto, it was adopted as the national anthem of the newborn Portuguese Republic in 1911, replacing O Hino da Carta (Template:Lang-en), the anthem of the deposed constitutional monarchy.

History

On 11 January 1890, the United Kingdom issued an ultimatum demanding that Portugal refrain from occupying land lying between the Portuguese colonies of Angola, on the west coast of Africa, and Mozambique, on the east coast, thereby forming one contiguous polity (as proposed on the Pink Map). Despite a popular uproar, the Portuguese government was forced to accept Britain's demands. This contributed to the unpopularity of King Carlos I and the monarchy, and it garnered support for the increasingly-popular republican movement in Portugal.

The night after the ultimatum was accepted, the composer, Alfredo Keil, at the suggestion of a group of friends that included Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro and Teófilo Braga, wrote the melody for A Portuguesa as a patriotic protest march. Inspired by the outrage felt by the Portuguese people, the lyricist, Henrique Lopes de Mendonça, accepted Keil's request to create words to suit his melody. Mendonça said A Portuguesa was a song "where the fatherland's wounded soul would merge with its ambitions of freedom and revival"; he hoped it would be an anthem, embraced by the people, that could express their yearning for national vindication. Such expressions are epitomized by La Marsellaise, the Portuguese fado, and Hino da Maria da Fonte (Template:Lang-en). The march was quickly disseminated; several thousands of copies of the sheet music were freely distributed, together with fliers and posters. The song's popularity also spread across national borders, and verses were translated into other languages.

On several stages in Lisbon, A Portuguesa drew special attention. On 29 March 1890, the march was performed at the Great Patriotic Concert, held in the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos (Template:Lang-en), as well as in every other theatre in the capital. Beyond its use in cultural displays, A Portuguesa was also exploited for commercial gain. Several food products, like canned sardines and cookies, were named for this song.

However, the song was perceived as a political weapon, and it was soon converted into a republican hymn. This political co-option of the theme's original meaning forced both authors to disavow this vision and stress its purely non-partisan sentiments. On 31 January 1891, a republican-inspired rebellion broke out in the northern city of Porto and A Portuguesa was adopted by the rebels as their marching song. The rebellion was crushed, and the song was banned. However, it was never forgotten, and, on 5 October 1910, a new and stronger rebellion developed as A Portuguesa played in the background. A year later, the first session of the Constituent Assembly officially proclaimed it as the national anthem.

In 1956, the emergence of melodic variants of the anthem forced the government to create a committee whose aim was to define an official version. On 16 July 1957, the current version was proposed, and it was approved by the Council of Ministers.

Lyrics

Copy of the original 1890 music sheet

Portuguese lyrics	Approximate translation
First stanza
Heróis do mar, nobre povo, Nação valente, imortal, Levantai hoje de novo O esplendor de Portugal! Entre as brumas da memória, Ó Pátria, sente-se a voz Dos teus egrégios avós, Que há-de guiar-te à vitória!	Heroes of the sea, noble people, Brave, immortal nation, Raise today once again The splendour of Portugal! Amid the mists of memory, Oh Fatherland, feel the voice Of your distinguished forefathers, That shall lead you to victory!
Chorus
Às armas, às armas! Sobre a terra, sobre o mar, Às armas, às armas! Pela Pátria lutar! Contra os canhões, marchar, marchar!	To arms, to arms! On land, on sea, To arms, to arms! To fight for our Fatherland! Against the cannons, march, march!
Second stanza
Desfralda a invicta Bandeira, À luz viva do teu céu! Brade a Europa à terra inteira: Portugal não pereceu Beija o solo teu jucundo O Oceano, a rugir d'amor, E teu braço vencedor Deu mundos novos ao Mundo!	Hoist the undefeated Flag, In the lively light of your sky! May Europe cry out to the whole Earth: Portugal has not perished Kiss your merry ground The Ocean, roaring with love, And your victorious arm Gave new worlds to the World!
Chorus
Third stanza
Saudai o Sol que desponta Sobre um ridente porvir; Seja o eco de uma afronta O sinal do ressurgir. Raios dessa aurora forte São como beijos de mãe, Que nos guardam, nos sustêm, Contra as injúrias da sorte.	Salute the Sun that rises Over a gleeful future; Let the echo of an offense Be the sign for a comeback. Rays of this strong dawn Are like a mother's kisses, That keep us, sustain us, Against the injuries of fate.
Chorus

The anthem's official version consists of the first stanza and the chorus from Mendonça's poem only.

The last line of the chorus, "Contra os canhões marchar, marchar!" (Template:Lang-en), is an alteration of the original, "Contra os bretões marchar, marchar" (Template:Lang-en), a call to arms against the British Ultimatum.

Protocol

Within Portugal, the anthem is played at both civilian and military ceremonies where the country, flag, or head of state (the President of the Republic) is honoured. It is also played at receptions for foreign heads of state, following that of the visitor, and in ceremonies during official presidential visits to other countries.

The song's title

The title A Portuguesa means "the Portuguese (song)". In the same way, La Marseillaise, the national anthem of France, means "the song of Marseille"; the Belgian anthem, The Brabançonne, means "the song of Brabant"; and L'Internationale, the Socialist anthem, means "the international (song)". In each instance, the word "song" is implied but not stated.

See also

• British Ultimatum

External links

• A Portuguesa — A fan site dedicated to the anthem.