Catalan people
The lyrics of "El Gran Carlemany" give a short account of Andorra's history "in a first-person narrative". It recounts the traditional Andorran legend that Charlemagne reconquered the region from the Moors between 788 and 790, after the Catalan people had guided his army through the rugged valleys, which Charlemagne compensated with granting Andorra its independence, and its first borders were delineated that same year. It formed part of the "Marca Hispanica", a buffer zone formed by Charlemagne in order to protect his state (the Carolingian Empire). According to legend, he was responsible for restructuring the country, reintroducing Christianity to its people and overseeing the construction of monasteries. Because of these accomplishments, he was given "a mythical aura" and is regarded as the founder of Andorra. The hymn begins with "El gran Carlemany mon pare" ("Great Charlemagne my father"), and memorializes this view and celebrates the country's status as "the only remaining daughter of the Carolingian empire," since it is the only remnant of the Marca Hispanica.