The Star-Spangled Banner

"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. Francis Scott Key wrote the words to it in 1814, after seeing British ships attacking Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland during the War of 1812.

The words are set to the music of a British drinking song called "To Anacreon in Heaven". The song has 4 stanzas, but only the first one is usually sung.

Lyrics 
Although the United States does not have an official language, English is the most used language in everyday life; thus, the official lyrics are in English. However, through the years, "The Star-Spangled Banner" has been translated into other languages. These languages are spoken by people living in the United States, who trace their roots to other parts of the globe. These languages include Spanish, German, Yiddish, Czech, Polish, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and Arabic.

It has also been translated into languages spoken by native Americans, such as Navajo. A fairly well-known Navajo version called "Dah Naatʼaʼí Sǫʼ bił Sinil" was translated by singer and former beauty pageant titleholder Radmilla Cody.

English original 
The full poem consists of four stanzas with a total of thirty-two lines. But usually, just the first stanza is sung and is the most well-known among Americans.

O say can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner, O long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country, should leave us no more?
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave,
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation.
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the Heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: 'In God is our trust.'
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Spanish version 
Three versions of "The Star-Spangled Banner" have been translated into the Spanish language. The first one was done by Francis Haffkine Snow for the United States Bureau of Education.

The second one was done by a Peruvian American musician named Clotilde Arias, for a competition held by then-president Franklin D. Roosevelt, as a part of his Good Neighbor policy in an effort to promote American ideals in Latin America. This musician was the winner of this contest and her Spanish version was accepted by the United States Department of State in 1946.

Another version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" in Spanish is a single by many recording artists and singer-songwriters. It is probably the most well-known version. This version is titled "Nuestro Himno" (meaning "Our Anthem"), written by Adam Kidron and Eduardo Reyes. Kidron started the whole idea because he wanted to show support for Hispanic immigrants in the U.S. In 2006, a change to U.S. immigration policy ticked off many people in the United States. "Nuestro Himno" was created in response to this change. The song was released on April 28, 2006 for their album Somos Americanos (meaning "We are Americans"). Many artists including Andy Andy, Autoridad de la Sierra, Aventura, Ivy Queen, Wyclef Jean, Kalimba, Kany, LDA, N Klabe, Patrulla 81, Pitbull, Ponce Carlos, Rayito, Reik, Frank Reyes, Tony Sunshine, Olga Tañón, Gloria Trevi, Voz a Voz and Yemọja were involved in the making of this song. It was recorded in many cities including New York City, Miami, Los Angeles, San Juan, Mexico City, and Madrid. The first verse is based on the first verse of the version by Francis Haffkine Snow in 1909. Although it quickly gained popularity, there have been some people who disliked this idea. Such people included then-president George W. Bush, who did not approve of foreigners changing the national anthem into a language other than English, as well as by a relative of Francis Scott Key—the original author of the national anthem.

German version 
In 1861, a version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" was translated by German American poet and immigrant named Niclas Müller.

O, sagt, könnt ihr seh'n bei der Dämmerung Schein,
Was so stolz wir begrüßten in Abendroths Gluten?
Dess Streiffen und Sterne, durch Kämpfender Reih'n,
Auf dem Walle wir sahen so wenniglich fluten;
Die Raketen am Ort und die Bomben vom Fort,
Sie zeigten bei Nacht, daß die Flagge noch dort.
O sagt, ob das Banner mit Sternen besäet
Über'm Lande der Frei'n und der Tapfern noch weht?

Am Strand, kaum geseh'n durch den Nebel jetzt noch,
Wo des Feinds stolzer Haufen in Schweigsamkeit waltet;
Was ist's, daß der Wind, auf dem Thurme so hoch,
Wenn er günstig d'ran bläst, halb verdeckt, halb entfaltet?
Und jetzt faßt es den Strahl, wie er fällt in das Thal,
Und glanzet in Herrlichkeit jetzt auf dem Pfahl.
O das ist das Banner mit Sternen besäet,
Das noch über den Frei'n und den Tapferen weht!

Und wo ist der Schwarm, der vermaß sich so sehr,
Daß des Krieges Gewühl und Verwirrung der Schlachten,
Kein Land, keine Heimath gewähre uns mehr?
Ihr Blut hat verwischet ihr freventlich Trachten.
Und umsonst hat gesucht sklav und Miethling die Flucht
Beim Schrecken des Kampfs und der tödtlichen Wucht.
Und siegreich das Banner mit Sternen besäet,
Über'm Lande der Frei'n und der Tapfern noch weht!

Und so soll es sein stets, wo Männer die Hand
Sich reichen, entgegen des Aufruhrs Gewalten;
Mit Frieden und Sieg mag gesegnet das Land
Dann preisen die Macht, die uns einig erhalten;
Denn der Sieg muß uns sein, wo die Sache so rein;
Und das sei der Wahlspruch: "Auf Gott trau allein!"
Und siegreich das Banner mit Sternen besäet
Über'm Lande der Frei'n und der Tapfern noch weht!

French version 
A version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" was translated into French by a Cajun named David Émile Marcantel.

O dites, voyez-vous
Dans la lumière du jour
Le drapeau qu'on saluait
À la tombée de la nuit ?
Dont les trois couleurs vives
Pendant la dure bataille
Au-dessus des remparts
Inspiraient notre pays.
Et l'éclair des fusées,
Des bombes qui explosaient,
Démontraient toute la nuit
Que le drapeau demeurait.
Est-ce que la bannière étoilée
Continue toujours à flotter
Au-dessus d'une nation brave,
Terre de la liberté ?

Navajo version 
A Navajo version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" was performed by model and singer Radmilla Cody. It is titled "Dah Naatʼaʼí Sǫʼ bił Sinil" in the Navajo language, under her first album Within the Four Directions.

Yá shoo danółʼį́į́ʼ
Hayoołkááł biyiʼdę́ę́ʼ
Baa dahwiiʼniihgo átʼé
Dah naatʼaʼí éí yéigo nihił nilíinii.

Noodǫ́ǫ́z dóó bizǫʼ disxǫs
Naabaahii yitaayá
Bitsʼą́ą́ honiyéeʼgo deiníłʼį́
Nihichʼįʼ ínidída ndi baa ííníidlį́

Áh, hoolʼáágóó bineʼ neidą́
Báhádzid dahólǫ́ǫ ndi
Éí yeeʼ bee tʼáá sih hasin
Tʼóó nihá dah siłtzoos ndi

Tʼóó shį́į́ éí sǫʼ bił sinilgo
Dah naatʼá, áh hoolʼáa doo
Nihikéyah bikʼihígíí
Kʼad hózhǫ́ náhásdlį́į́ʼ

Yiddish version 
A Yiddish version titled "Di Shtern-Batsirte Fon" was translated by a Jewish American poet named Dr. Avrom Aisen, on the hundredth anniversary of Scott Key's death. It was published in 1943 by the Educational Alliance located New York City.

Samoan version 
Samoan is a language spoken in American Samoa, the American part of the Pacific island of Samoa.

Aue! Se'i e vaai, le malama o ataata mai
Na sisi a'e ma le mimita, i le sesega mai o le vaveao
O ai e ona tosi ma fetu, o alu a'e i taimi vevesi tu
I luga o 'Olo mata'utia, ma loto toa tausa'afia
O roketi mumu fa'aafi, o pomu ma fana ma aloi afi
E fa'amaonia i le po atoa, le fu'a o lo'o tu maninoa
Aue! ia tumau le fe'ilafi mai, ma agiagia pea
I eleele o sa'olotoga, ma nofoaga o le au totoa.

Media

References

Other websites 

 Library of Congress article
 National Museum of American History  article
 Maryland Online Encyclopedia article
 British Attack on Ft. McHenry Launched from Bermuda 
 Encyclopedia Smithsonian article on "The Star-Spangled Banner" 
 "Star-Mangled Banner: A look at some controversial, and botched, renditions of our national anthem"
 "The Star-Spangled Banner" by John A. Carpenter 
 Easybyte—free easy piano arrangement of "The Star-Spangled Banner / Anacreon in Heaven"
 "Stars and Stripes Forever"  City Pages, July 4, 2001
 "The Toughest 2 Minutes"

1814
19th-century American songs
Songs about the United States
Symbols of the United States
1810s songs
North American anthems