Il Canto degli Italiani

Il Canto degli Italiani
English: The Song of the Italians
Holographic copy of 1847 of "Il Canto degli Italiani"

National anthem of Italy
Also known as«Inno di Mameli» (English: "Mameli's Hymn")
«Fratelli d'Italia» (English: "Brothers of Italy")
LyricsGoffredo Mameli, 1847
MusicMichele Novaro, 1847
Adopted12 October 1946 (de facto)
1950 (by Trust Territory of Somaliland)
4 December 2017 (de jure)
Relinquished1960 (by Trust Territory of Somaliland)
Preceded by"Marcia Reale" (1946)
Audio sample
Italian Navy Band instrumental version (one verse and chorus)
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"Il Canto degli Italiani"[N 1] (say: il KAN-toh del-i-tal-YAN-ee, meaning "The Song of the Italians") is the Italian national anthem.[1] The words were written by Goffredo Mameli in the autumn of 1847 in Genoa when he was just twenty years old. The author of the song died shortly after. The words were later set to music by Michele Novaro in the same year. The song was successful during the Risorgimento because of hopes in the unification of the Italy.

After the unification in 1861, however, the "Marcia Reale" was adopted as Savoy's official anthem. "Il Canto degli Italiani" became the anthem of Italy after 1946, when Italy became a republic.[2]

In 2012, a bill was pass in making schools to teach the line "Fratelli d'Italia" in the anthem.[3]

Lyrics

While the official lyrics are in Italian, the anthem has been translated into other regional languages, such as Neapolitan and Venetian.

Words of the song in Italian Pronunciation of these words using the IPA Meaning of these words in English

𝄆 Fratelli d'Italia,
l'Italia s'è desta,
dell'elmo di Scipio
s'è cinta la testa.
Dov'è la Vittoria?
Le porga la chioma,[N 2]
ché schiava di Roma
Iddio la creò. 𝄇

Coro:
𝄆 Stringiamoci a coorte,
siam pronti alla morte.
Siam pronti alla morte,
l'Italia chiamò! 𝄇
Sì!

𝄆 Noi fummo da secoli
calpesti, derisi,
perché non siam popolo,
perché siam divisi.
Raccolgaci un'unica
bandiera, una speme:
di fonderci insieme
già l'ora suonò. 𝄇

Coro

𝄆 Uniamoci, amiamoci,
l'unione e l'amore
rivelano ai popoli
le vie del Signore.
Giuriamo far libero
il suolo natio:
uniti, per Dio,
chi vincer ci può? 𝄇

Coro

𝄆 Dall'Alpi a Sicilia
dovunque è Legnano,
ogn'uom di Ferruccio
ha il core, ha la mano,
i bimbi d'Italia
si chiaman Balilla,
il suon d'ogni squilla
i Vespri suonò. 𝄇

Coro

𝄆 Son giunchi che piegano
le spade vendute:
già l'Aquila d'Austria
le penne ha perdute.
Il sangue d'Italia,
il sangue Polacco,
bevé, col cosacco,
ma il cor le bruciò. 𝄇

Coro

𝄆 Evviva l'Italia,
dal sonno s'è desta,
dell'elmo di Scipio
s'è cinta la testa.
Dov'è la vittoria?!
Le porga la chioma,
ché schiava di Roma
Iddio la creò. 𝄇

Coro[1][4]

𝄆 [fra.ˈtɛl.li di.ˈtaː.lja ǀ]
[li.ˈtaː.lja ˌsɛ‿d.ˈde.sta ǀ]
[del.ˈlel.mo di‿ʃ.ˈʃiː.pjo]
[ˌsɛ‿t.ˈt͡ʃin.ta la ˈtɛ.sta ǁ]
[do.ˈvɛ‿l.la vit.ˈtɔː.rja ǀ]
[le ˈpɔr.ɡa la ˈkjɔː.ma ǀ]
[ke ˈskjaː.va di ˈroː.ma]
[id.ˈdiː.o la kre.ˈɔ ǁ] 𝄇

[ˈkɔː.ro]
𝄆 [strin.ˈd͡ʒam(o).t͡ʃ‿a‿k.ko.ˈor.te ǀ]
[ˌsjam‿ˈpron.tj‿al.la ˈmɔr.te ǁ]
[ˌsjam‿ˈpron.tj‿al.la ˈmɔr.te ǀ]
[li.ˈtaː.lja kja.ˈmɔ ǁ] 𝄇
[ˈsi]

𝄆 [ˌnoi̯‿ˈfum.mo da (s.)ˈsɛː.ko.li]
[kal.ˈpe.sti ǀ de.ˈriː.zi ǀ]
[per.ˈke‿n.non ˌsjam‿ˈpɔː.po.lo ǀ]
[per.ˈke‿s.ˌsjam di.ˈviː.zi ǁ]
[rak.ˈkɔl.ɡa.t͡ʃi(‿)u.ˈnuː.ni.ka]
[ban.ˈdjɛː.ra(‿)u.na ˈspɛː.me ǀ]
[di ˈfon.der.t͡ʃ‿in.ˈsjɛː.me]
[ˌd͡ʒa‿l.ˈloː.ra swo.ˈnɔ ǁ] 𝄇

[ˈkɔro]

𝄆 [u.ˈnjaː.mo.t͡ʃi(‿)a.ˈmjaː.mo.t͡ʃi ǀ]
[lu.ˈnjoː.n(e)‿e‿l.la.ˈmoː.re]
[ri.ˈveː.la.no(‿)ai̯ ˈpɔː.po.li]
[le ˈviː.e del siɲ.ˈɲoː.re ǁ]
[d͡ʒu.ˈrjaː.mo ˌfar‿ˈliː.be.ro]
[il ˈswɔː.lo na.ˈtiː.o ǀ]
[u.ˈniː.ti ǀ per ˈdiː.o ǀ]
[ˌki‿v.ˈvin.t͡ʃer t͡ʃi ˈpwɔ ǁ] 𝄇

[ˈkɔro]

𝄆 [dal.ˈlal.pj‿a‿s.si.ˈt͡ʃiː.lja]
[do.ˈvuŋ.kw(e)‿ˌɛ‿l.leɲ.ˈɲaː.no ǀ]
[oɲ.ˈɲwɔm di fer.ˈrut.t͡ʃo]
[ˌa‿i̯l ˈkɔː.re(‿)ˌa‿l.la ˈmaː.no ǀ]
[i ˈbim.bi di.ˈtaː.lja]
[si ˈkjaː.man ba.ˈlil.la ǀ]
[il ˈswɔn ˌdoɲ.ɲi‿ˈskwil.la]
[i ˈvɛ.spri swo.ˈnɔ ǁ] 𝄇

[ˈkɔro]

𝄆 [ˌson‿ˈd͡ʒuŋ.ki ke‿p.ˈpjɛː.ɡa.no]
[le ˈspaː.de ven.ˈduː.te ǀ]
[ˌd͡ʒa‿l.ˈlaː.kwi.la ˈdau̯.strja]
[le ˈpen.ne(‿)ˌa‿p.per.ˈduː.te ǁ]
[il ˈsaŋ.ɡwe di.ˈtaː.lja ǀ]
[il ˈsaŋ.ɡwe po.ˈlak.ko ǀ]
[be.ˈve ǀ kol ko.ˈzak.ko ǀ]
[ma‿i̯l ˈkɔr le bru.ˈt͡ʃɔ ǁ] 𝄇

[ˈkɔro]

𝄆 [ev.ˈviː.va li.ˈtaː.lja ǀ]
[dal ˈsɔn.no ˌsɛ‿d.ˈde.sta ǀ]
[del.ˈlel.mo di‿ʃ.ˈʃiː.pjo]
[ˌsɛ‿t.ˈt͡ʃin.ta la ˈtɛ.sta ǁ]
[do.ˈvɛ‿l.la vit.ˈtɔː.rja ǀ]
[le ˈpɔr.ɡa la ˈkjɔː.ma ǀ]
[ke ˈskjaː.va di ˈroː.ma]
[id.ˈdiː.o la kre.ˈɔ ǁ] 𝄇

[ˈkɔro]

Brothers of Italy,[N 3]
Italy has woken,[N 4]
bound Scipio's helmet[N 5]
Upon her head.[N 6]
Where is Victory?[N 7]
Let her bow down
Because as a slave of Rome[N 8]
God created her.[N 9]

Chorus:
Let us join in a cohort,[N 10]
we are ready for death.[5]
We are ready for death,
Italy has called.[N 11]
Let us join in a cohort,
We are ready for death.
We are ready for death,
Italy has called![N 12]

We were for centuries
downtrodden, derided,
because we are not one people,
because we are divided.[N 13]
Let one flag, one hope
gather us all.
The hour has struck
for us to unite.[N 14]

Chorus

Let us unite, let us love one another,
Union and love
Reveal to the peoples
The ways of the Lord.
Let us swear to set free
The land of our birth:
United, by God,
Who can overcome us?[N 15]

Chorus

From the Alps to Sicily,
Legnano is everywhere;[N 16]
Every man has the heart
and hand of Ferruccio[N 17]
The children of Italy
Are all called Balilla;[N 18]
Every trumpet blast
sounds the Vespers.[N 19]

Chorus

The mercenary swords
Are feeble reeds.[N 20]
Already the Eagle of Austria
Has lost its plumes.[N 21]
The blood of Italy,
the Polish blood[N 22]
It drank, along with the Cossack,[N 23]
But it burned its heart.[N 24]

Chorus

𝄆 Long live Italy,
she has awoken from her sleep,
she has girdled her head
with Scipio’s helmet.
Where is Victory?
It shall offer its mane to her,
for God created her
as Rome’s slave. 𝄇

Notes

  1. Also known as "Inno di Mameli" (say: IN-noh dee mə-MEL-ee, meaning "Anthem of Mameli", from the name of the author) and "Fratelli d'Italia" (say: frə-TEL-lee dee-TAL-yah, meaning "Brothers of Italy")
  2. Le porga la chioma can also mean "tender her hair" which is a reference to slaves of Rome being forced to cut their hair.
  3. The Italians belong to a single people and are therefore "brothers"
  4. "Italy has woken up", that is, it is ready to fight.
  5. Scipio is a famous Roman General. He is used as an example to show that Italy is strong and will not give up.
  6. Italy now wears Scipio's Helmet, showing that she is no longer under the control of the Austrians
  7. The Godess Victoria (Victory) will now give herself to the new nation in order to win and finish uniting the country.
  8. This means that with Rome's victory, the Godess Victoria is now a slave of Rome.
  9. Ancient Rome was great by God's design.
  10. The phrase "cohort" can also be translated more literally as "Let us tighten in a cohort". The cohort (in Latin cohors, cohortis) was a combat unit of the Roman army, tenth part of a Roman legion. This is a very strong military reference, reinforced by the appeal to the glory and military power of ancient Rome.
  11. This means that "Italy" has called for the people of Italy to fight against the people who oppose them in order to allow the country to become one.
  12. Sì! (meaning "Yes!") was not included in the first version of the song. But Italy's Government added it to the lyrics later.
  13. Italy was not yet a single country, but instead was made of many smaller countries instead. This made people treat the land as a place of conquest.
  14. The author hopes that the many countries could one day join together as a singular country under one flag
  15. The third verse refers to a group of people who are called "Young Italy". With the help of the Italian people, they were able to achieve their goal of a singular country.
  16. This references to the Battle of Legnano, where a group called the Lombard League defeated the Holy Roman Empire.
  17. Francesco Ferruccio is a symbol of the Siege of the city of Florence.
  18. The nickname of Giovan Battista who is rumored to have started a revolt by throwing a rock at an Austrian Soldier.
  19. The Sicilian Vespers who fought against the French who controlled their land.
  20. Mercenaries, who represent Austria, are not heroes, but weak as rushes.
  21. The Austrian Empire is in decline.
  22. Poland was also a country which was always conquered by the Austrians. They are both connected as they are both in similar situations. The Song of the Polish Legions in Italy, now the Polish anthem, references the Polish Legions who fought in Italy.
  23. The Russian Empire.
  24. A wish and an curse, if Austria drinks the blood of the people she oppressed, her empire will fall.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Italy – NationalAnthems.me
  2. Riconoscimento del «Canto degli italiani» di Goffredo Mameli quale inno nazionale della Repubblica (2017-12-04). Gazzetta Ufficiale.
  3. "INNO DI MAMELI, INSEGNAMENTO OBBLIGATORIO NELLE SCUOLE ITALIANE. LA CAMERA PPROVA IL DDL | Data 24 News | Sondaggio | Media | Politica". Archived from the original on 2014-11-13. Retrieved 2021-10-11.
  4. Simboli – Inno. Quirinale.it.
  5. Renga, Dana (5 July 2019). Mafia Movies: A Reader, Second Edition. p. 216. ISBN 978-1487520137.