# Salve, Oh Patria

"¡Salve, Oh Patria!" (English: "Hail, Oh Fatherland!") is the national anthem of Ecuador. The lyrics were written in 1865 by poet Juan León Mera, under request of the Ecuadorian Senate; the music was composed by Antonio Neumane. However, it was not officially adopted by the Congress until September 29, 1948.
The anthem consists of a chorus and six verses, of which only the second verse and the chorus (before and after the verse) are actually sung. The verses are marked by a strong anti-Spanish sentiment and narrate the failed 1809 uprising against Bonapartist Spain and the 1820–1822 Ecuadorian War of Independence.

## History

From 1830 to 1832, José Joaquín de Olmedo wrote a national anthem (chorus and four verses) as an homage to the nascent Ecuadorian state. This composition, suggested by General Juan José Flores, was not set to music and did not gain popularity. In 1833, a hymn titled "Canción Ecuatoriana" (English: "Ecuadorian Song"), of six verses, was published in the Gaceta del Gobierno del Ecuador No. 125 of December 28. A composition date of 1830 was given, but most historians do not consider this definitive, because it was by an anonymous author. In 1838, a Canción Nacional (National Song), of a chorus and six verses, appeared included in the pamphlet Poesías by General Flores, which was published by the Government Press. In a later editions, there were changes to the third verse. Even so, for historians, it is the second Canción Nacional that is known.
In 1865, the Argentine musician Juan José Allende, in collaboration with the Ecuadorian Army, presented to the National Congress a musical project for the lyrics by José Joaquín de Olmedo, but it was not well received. In November of this year, at the express request of the president of the Senate, Nicolás Espinosa, the Ambateño poet Juan León Mera Martínez, who was then the secretary of the Senate, wrote and submitted the lyrics of the National Anthem. These lyrics were then sent, with Congressional approval, to Guayaquil, so that Antonio Neumane would set them to music. This is the hymn that would later be officialized as the definitive national anthem.
On January 16, 1866, the complete version of the lyrics by Juan León Mera were published in the Quiteño weekly El Sud Americano. In 1870, the national anthem premiered in the Plaza Grande (Plaza de la Independencia facing the Palacio de Gobierno), performed by the 2nd Battalion and the Compañía Lírica de Pablo Ferreti, directed by Antonio Neumane. The music was in the key of B flat major. The current introduction of 16 measures was composed by Domingo Brescia and Enrique Marconi in 1901. Today, the hymn is performed in the key of E major from 2001 onward.
In 1913, the Guayaquileño writer and diplomat Víctor Manuel Rendón submitted a new hymn with lyrics adapted from the music of Antonio Neumane, but ultimately the Legislature rejected the proposal.
On September 29, 1948, the National Congress declared Juan León Mera's verses an official anthem.
A new official version was adopted on March 21, 2001, arranged by Álvaro Manzano.

## Lyrics

As a full performance can last up to three minutes, in many instances only a sub-90 second rendition of the chorus is performed at public events like soccer games.

### Official lyrics

| Spanish original | English translation |
| Coro: ¡Salve, Oh Patria, mil veces, oh Patria! ¡Gloria a ti, gloria a ti! Ya tu pecho, tu pecho, rebosa, gozo y paz ya tu pecho rebosa; 𝄆 Y tu frente, tu frente radiosa, Más que el sol contemplamos lucir. 𝄇 II: Los primeros, los hijos del suelo que, soberbio, el Pichincha decora, te aclamaron por siempre señora y vertieron su sangre por ti. Dios miró y aceptó el holocausto y esa sangre fue germen fecundo de otros héroes que atónito el mundo vió en tu torno a millares surgir. 𝄆 ¡A millares surgir! 𝄇 Coro | Chorus: Hail, Oh Fatherland, a thousand times! Oh Fatherland, Glory be to you! Glory be to you! Now your breast, your breast, overflows, Now your breast overflows with joy and peace; 𝄆 And your forehead, your radiant forehead we contemplate shining more than the Sun. 𝄇 II: The firsts, the sons of the soil Which Pichincha superbly adorns, Declared you as their sovereign lady forever, And shed their blood for you. God observed and accepted the holocaust, And that blood was the fertile germ Of other heroes whom the world in astonishment Saw rise up around you by the thousands. 𝄆 Rise up by the thousands! 𝄇 Chorus |

### Full lyrics

| Spanish original | English translation |
| Coro: ¡Salve, Oh Patria, mil veces, oh Patria! ¡Gloria a ti, gloria a ti! Ya tu pecho, tu pecho, rebosa, gozo y paz ya tu pecho rebosa; 𝄆 Y tu frente, tu frente radiosa, Más que el sol contemplamos lucir. 𝄇 I Indignados tus hijos del yugo que te impuso la ibérica audacia, de la injusta y horrenda desgracia que pesaba fatal sobre ti, santa voz a los cielos alzaron, voz de noble y sin par juramento, de vengarte del monstruo sangriento, de romper ese yugo servil. Coro II (verso oficial) Los primeros, los hijos del suelo que, soberbio, el Pichincha decora, te aclamaron por siempre señora y vertieron su sangre por tí. Dios miró y aceptó el holocausto y esa sangre fue germen fecundo de otros héroes que atónito el mundo vió en tu torno a millares surgir. Coro III De estos héroes al brazo del hierro nada tuvo invencible la tierra, y del valle a la altísima sierra se escuchaba el fragor de la lid. Tras la lid, la victoria volaba, libertad tras el triunfo venía, y al león destrozado se oía de impotencia y despecho rugir. Coro IV Cedió al fin la fiereza española, y hoy, oh Patria, tu libre existencia es la noble y magnífica herencia que nos dio el heroísmo feliz. De las manos paternas la hubimos, nadie intente arrancárnosla ahora, ni nuestra ira excitar vengadora quiera, necio o audaz, contra sí. Coro V Nadie, oh Patria, lo intente. Las sombras de tus héroes gloriosos nos miran, y el valor y el orgullo que inspiran son augurios de triunfos por ti. Venga el hierro y el plomo fulmíneo, que a la idea de guerra y venganza se despierta la heroica pujanza que hizo al fiero español sucumbir. Coro VI Y si nuevas cadenas prepara la injusticia de bárbara suerte, ¡gran Pichincha! prevén tú la muerte de la Patria y sus hijos al fin Hunde al punto en tus hondas entrañas cuanto existe en tu tierra, el tirano huelle solo cenizas y en vano busque rastro de ser junto a ti. Coro | Chorus: We greet you, Oh Fatherland, a thousand times! Oh Fatherland, glory to you! Your breast overflows with joy and peace, and your radiant face is brighter than the shining sun we see. I Your children were outraged by the yoke That Iberian audacity imposed on you, By the unjust and horrendous disgrace Fatally weighing upon you. They cried out a holy voice to the heavens, that noble voice of a unbreakable pledge, to defeat that monster of blood, that this servile yoke would disappear. Chorus II (official verse) The first sons of the soil Which Pichincha proudly adorns, Declared you as their sovereign lady forever, And shed their blood for you. God observed and accepted the holocaust, And that blood was the prolific seed Of other heroes whom the world in astonishment Saw rise up around you by the thousands. Chorus III Of those heroes of iron arm No land was invincible, And from the valley to the highest sierra You could hear the roar of the fray. After the fray, Victory would fly, Freedom after the triumph would come, And the Lion was heard broken With a roar of helplessness and despair. Chorus IV At last Spanish ferocity yielded, And now, oh Fatherland, your free existence Is the noble and magnificent heritage Which the felicitous heroism gave us.: It was given to us from our Fathers' hands, Let no one take it from us now, Nor any daring fool wish to excite Our vengeful anger against himself. Chorus V May no one, oh Fatherland, try it. The shadows of Your glorious heroes watch us, And the valor and pride that they inspire Are omens of victories for you. Come lead and the striking iron, That the idea of war and revenge Wakes the heroic strength That made the fierce Spanish succumb. Chorus VI And if new chains are prepared by The barbaric injustice of fate, Great Pichincha! May you prevent the death Of the Fatherland and her children in the end; Sink to the deep point in your gut All that exists on your soil. Let the tyrant Tread only ashes and in vain Look for any trace of being beside you. Chorus |