Lupang Hinirang is the national anthem of the Philippines. Its music was composed in 1898 by Julian Felipe in Spanish, with lyrics adapted from the poem Filipinas, written by a young poet-soldier named Jose Palma in 1899.

Originally written as incidental music, it did not have words when it was adopted as the National Anthem of the Philippines and subsequently played during the proclamation of Philippine independence on June 12, 1898. During the American occupation of the Philippines, the colonial government banned the song from being played with the passage of the Flag Law. The law was repealed in 1919 and the song was translated into English and would be legalized as the "Philippine Hymn." It was then translated into Filipino beginning in the 1940s with a 1966 version serving as the present anthem. Its use is governed by Republic Act No. 8491 or the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines of 1998. The national anthem, however, is known to many Filipinos simply as Bayang Magiliw ("beloved country"), from the first line of the anthem.

Official lyrics

Lupang Hinirang means "Chosen Land" in Filipino. Jose Palma's Filipinas was translated into Filipino by Julian Cruz Balmaceda, Ildefonso Santos, and Francisco Caballo. Minor revisions were made in 1962 and the lyrics were still used today.

Filipino[1]	Español	English [2]
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 'yo.	Tierra adorada Hija del sol de Oriente, Su fuego ardiente en ti latiendo está. Patria de Amores Del heroísmo cuna, Los invasores No te hollarán jamás. En tu azul cielo, entus auras, En tus montes, en tu mar, Esplende y late el poema De tu Amada Libertad To pabellón Que en las lides La Victoria iluminó, No verá nunca apagados Sus estrellas y su sol. Tierra de dichas, del sol y de amores, Den tu regazo deuce es vivir. Es una Gloria para tus hijos, Cuando te ofended, por ti morir.	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. Ever within thy skies and through thy clouds, And oe'r 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 star alight O never shall its shinning field Be dimmed by tyrants 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.

History

The Lupang Hinirang began as an instrumental march which General Emilio Aguinaldo commissioned for use in the proclamation of Philippine independence from Spain. This task was given to Julian Felipe and was to replace a march which Aguinaldo did not find to be satisfactory. The title of the new march was Marcha Filipina Magdalo ("Magdalo Philippine March") and was later changed to Marcha Nacional Filipina ("Philippine National March") upon its adoption as the national anthem of the First Philippine Republic on June 11 1898, a day before the date when Philippine independence was to be proclaimed. It was played by the San Francisco de Malabon marching band during the proclamation on June 12, 1898.

In August 1899, a young poet-soldier named José Palma wrote the poem Filipinas in Spanish. It became the lyrics of the national hymn.

In the 1920s, the time signature was changed to 4/4 to facilitate its singing and the key was changed from the original C major to G.^[3]

During the 1920s, with the repeal of the Flag Law, which banned the use of all Filipino national symbols, the American colonial government decided to translate the national hymn from Spanish to English. The first translation was written around that time by Paz Marquez Benitez of the University of the Philippines, who was also a famous poet during that time. The most popular translation, called the "Philippine Hymn", was written by Senator Camilo Osías and an American, Mary A. Lane. The "Philippine Hymn" was legalized by an act of the Philippine Congress in 1938.

Filipino translations started appearing during the 1940s, the most popular being O Sintang Lupa ("O Beloved Land") by Julian Cruz Balmaceda, Ildefonso Santos, and Francisco Caballo. O Sintang Lupa was approved as the national anthem in 1948. Finally, during the term of President Ramon Magsaysay, Education Secretary Gregorio Hernandez formed a commission to revise the Tagalog words. On May 26, 1956, the National Anthem, Lupang Hinirang, was finally sung in Filipino. Minor revisions were made in 1966, and it is this final version which is in use today. The Filipino lyrics have been confirmed by a new national symbols law (Republic Act No. 8491 or the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines) in 1998, but not the English and Spanish words.

A translation of Lupang Hinirang was used by Felipe Padilla de Leon as his inspiration for Awit sa Paglikha ng Bagong Pilipinas, commissioned by the government of the Japanese Occupation of the Philippines during World War II, and adapted during the Martial Law period under Ferdinand Marcos.

In the late 1990s, the Chief Executive Officer of the GMA Network, Menardo Jimenez, proposed that various recording artists record their respective versions of the National Anthem; this is, however, prohibited by law.<ref name="ambeth" />

Lupang Hinirang was not the first Filipino national anthem to be composed. The composer and revolutionist Julio Nakpil composed Marangal na Dalit ng Katagalugan (Honorable Hymn of Katagalugan), which became the official anthem of the Katipunan independence movement against Spain. It is considered a national anthem because Andres Bonifacio, the chief founder of the Katipunan, converted the organization into a revolutionary government - with him as president - known as the Republika ng Katagalugan (Tagalog Republic) just before hostilities erupted. The Katipunan or Republika ng Katagalugan was superseded by Aguinaldo's Republica Filipina. The anthem, later renamed Himno Nacional, was never adopted by Aguinaldo for unspecified reasons. It should be noted that Katagalugan, in its usage in the anthem, meant the Philippines and not just the Tagalog Filipinos.^[4]

Usage and legal regulation

Article XVI, Section 2 of the present Philippine Constitution specifies that "The Congress may, by law, adopt a new name for the country, a national anthem, or a national seal, which shall be truly reflective and symbolic of the ideals, history, and traditions of the people. Such law shall take effect only upon its ratification by the people in a national referendum."^[5] At present, the 1998 Republic Act (R.A.) 8491.^[6] (the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines) regulates the usage of the Philippine national anthem. It also contains the complete lyrics of Lupang Hinirang.<ref name="ra8491" />

R.A. 8491 specifies that Lupang Hinirang "shall be in accordance with the musical arrangement and composition of Julian Felipe." However, when literally followed, this means that the national anthem should only be performed by a pianist or by a brass band, as these were the only versions that were produced by Julian Felipe. Moreover, because the original version was composed in duple time (i.e. in a time signature of 2/4) as compared to the present quadruple time (4/4), it is uncertain if this will either slow down or even double the music's speed, making it difficult for singers to keep up with the music.<ref name="ambeth" /> Regardless of this, the national anthem is still sung with the lyrics. R.A. 8491 also states that Lupang Hinirang "shall always be sung in the national language" regardless if performed inside or outside the Philippines.

The National Anthem is usually played during public gatherings in the Philippines or in foreign countries where the Filipino audience is sizable. R.A. 8491 also provides that it be played at other occasions as may be allowed by the National Historical Institute. R.A. 8491 prohibits its playing or singing for mere recreation, amusement, or entertainment except during the following occasions:

1. International competitions where the Philippines is the host or has a representative;
2. Local competitions;
3. During the "signing off" and "signing on" of radio broadcasting and television stations; and
4. Before the initial and last screening of films and before the opening of theater performances.

R.A. 8491 specifies fine or imprisonment penalties for any person or juridical entity which violates its provisions. Public or government official or employee who fail to observe the regulations of R.A. 8491 may face administrative sanctions, besides the penalties imposed by the same law. This warning also applies to persons connected with government-held corporations, public schools, and state colleges and universities.

The original Spanish text: Filipinas

by José Palma; became official in 1899

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

¡Tierra de Amores
Del heroísmo cuna,
Los invasores
No te hollarán jamás.

En tu azul cielo, en tu auras,
En tus montes y en tu mar,
Esplende y late el poema
De tu Amada Libertad

Tu pabellón
Que en las lides
La Victoria iluminó,
No verá nunca apagados
Sus estrellas ni su sol.

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

Translations

Some English sources erroneously translate Lupang Hinirang as "Beloved Land"; however, "Beloved Land" is a translation of the first line of Filipinas, which would be "Tierra adorada".

English: The Philippine Hymn

This translation was made by Senator Camilo Osias and Mary A. Lane and was made official by an act of the Philippine Congress in 1938. As such, it is the canonical English translation of Filipinas and is being taught in Philippine schools (along with the official Filipino text and the original Spanish lyrics).

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 shores.

Even within thy skies and through thy clouds,
And o'er thy hills and seas.
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 fields,
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.

Filipino: O Sintang Lupa

O Sintang Lupa (O Beloved Land) was composed by Julian Cruz Balmaceda, Ildefonso Santos, and Francisco Caballo and served as the official translation from 1948 - 1956.

O sintang lupa,
Perlas ng Silanganan;
Diwang apoy kang
Sa araw nagmula.

Lupang magiliw
Pugad ng kagitingan,
Sa manlulupig
'Di ka papapaslang.

Sa iyong langit, simoy, parang
Dagat at kabundukan,
Laganap ang tibok ng puso
Sa paglayang walang hanggan.

Sagisag ng watawat mong mahal.
Ningning at tagumpay;
Araw't bituin niyang maalab
Ang s'yang lagi naming tanglaw.

Sa iyo Lupa ng ligaya't pagsinta,
Tamis mabuhay na yakap mo,
Datapwa't langit ding kung ikaw ay apihin
Ay mamatay nang dahil sa 'yo.

Media

Notes

External links

• Different versions of the Philippine National Anthem
• Text of the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines (Republic Act 8491)
• Information on Marangal na Dalit ng Katagalugan
• Philippines "Lupang Hinirang" (Beloved land)

•  • [ e] National symbols of the Philippines
Official	Flag Coat of arms "Lupang Hinirang" Cariosa Carabao Philippine Eagle Bangus Sampaguita Narra Anahaw Mango Sipa Barong and Baro't saya Jos Rizal
Unofficial	"Bayan Ko" "Pilipinas Kong Mahal" Blessed Virgin Mary Juan de la Cruz