Italian Anthem
Fratelli d'Italia [official title: Il Canto degli Italiani ]
The music was composed by Michele Novaro in 1847 (born: 12/23/1818 in Genova - died: 10/21/1885 in Genova)
Michele Novaro
The Lyrics to the songe were written by Goffredo Mameli , a very young poet (born: 9/5/1827 in Genova died: 7/6/1849 in Rome) and patriot, who played a major role in the risorgimento.
Goffredo Mameli
The song is also known as “L’Inno di Mameli”. Beginning in 1861, when Italy became a united nation, the song was known as the “March of the House of Savoy” and it became the official Anthem in 1948 when Italy finally was proclaimed a Republic.
“Fratelli d’Italia, l’Italia s’è desta” translates to “Italian Brothers, Italy has Arisen”. The words are meant to remind the battles for freedom waged by the Lombard towns, the Florentine republic, the Genovese, together with the young Balilla, against the Austrians, and the Sicilians against the French in the so-called Sicilian Vespers.
There are different versions of how Mameli actually came to write the anthem. One reports that Mameli took the anthem to the musician Michele Novaro a friend, who lived in Turin.
Novaro composed the music, and Mameli returned to Genoa where he presented words and music to his friends. Shortly thereafter, Fratelli D’Italia was played for the first time, at a popular assembly. The tune began to run like wildfire throughout the peninsula. It was on everyone’s lips, in defiance of the Austrian, Bourbon and Papal police.
The other and equally persuasive story goes that one evening in 1847, in the house of the American consul, the center of discussion was the uprisings of the day. Urged by many of the consul’s guests, Mameli improvised a few lines on the spot and later wrote the rest. A few days later a friend took the poem to Turin and read it aloud at a nobleman’s party. The composer Michele Novaro, who was a guest at the same party, tried a few notes on the piano and then, went home to compose the sequel. The anthem was sung for the first time the next day by a group of political exiles in the Caffè della Lega Italiana of Turin.
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Fratelli d’Italia | Italian brothers
L’Italia s’è desta | Italy has arisen
Dell’elmo di Scipio | With Scipio’s helmet
S’è cinta la testa | binding her head.
Dov’è la Vittoria? | Where is Victory?
Le porga la chioma; | Let her bow down,
Chè schiava di Roma Iddio la creò | For God has made her the slave of Rome
Stringiamoci a coorte, | Let us gather in legions
Siam pronti alla morte: | Ready to die
Italia chiamò | Italy has called
Noi siamo da secoli | We for centuries
Calpesti e derisi | downtrodden and ridiculed
Perchè non siam popolo, | Because we are not a people
Perchè siam divisi; | Because we are divided
Raccolgaci un’unica Bandiera, un speme | Let one flag, one hope
Di fonderci insieme; | Bring us together
Già l’ora suonò. | The hour has struck
Stringiamoci a coorte, | Let us gather in legions
Siam pronti alla morte: | We are ready to die
Italia chiamò | Italy has called
Uniamoci, amiamoci; | Let us unite and love one another
L’unione e l’amore | the union and love
Rivelano ai popoli | Reveal to peoples
Le vie del Signore | The ways of the Lord
Giuriamo far libero | Let us swear to free
Il suolo natío | Our native soil
Uniti per Dio | united under God
Chi vincer ci può?. | Who can conquer us
Stringiamoci a coorte, | Let us gathe|r in legions
Siam pronti alla morte: | We are ready to die
Italia chiamò | Italy called
Dall’Alpi a Sicilia | From the Alps to Sicily
Dovunque è Legnano | Everywhere it is Legnano
Ogni uom di Ferruccio: | Every man of Ferruccio
Ha il cuor e la mano. | has the heart and the hand
I bimbi d’Italia | The children of Italy
Si chiamano Balilla: | Are called Balilla
Il suon d’ogni squilla | Every trumpet blast
I vespri suonò. | Sounded the Vespers
Stringiamoci a coorte | Let us gather in legions