| English: The Great Charlemagne | |
|---|---|
 | |
National anthem of Andorra | |
| Lyrics | Juan Benlloch i Vivó |
| Music | Enric Marfany Bons |
| Adopted | 8 September 1921 |
| Audio sample | |
"El gran Carlemany" (pronounced [əl ˈɣɾaŋ ˌkaɾləˈmaɲ]; "The Great Charlemagne") is the national anthem of the Principality of Andorra. Enric Marfany Bons composed the music, while the lyrics were authored by Joan Benlloch i Vivó, written in a first-person narrative from the point of view of Andorra. It was adopted as the national anthem on 8 September 1921, which is also the national day of Andorra. The lyrics make reference to several key aspects of Andorran culture and history, such as the heritage of the Carolingian Empire.
History
"El Gran Carlemany" was composed by Enric Marfany Bons (1871–1942), who was a priest. The lyrics to the song were penned by Juan Benlloch i Vivó (1864–1926), who served as the Bishop of Urgell from 1906 to 1919. This position also made him an ex officio Co–Prince of Andorra. The song was officially designated as the country's national anthem on 8 September 1921, when it was sung at the country's cathedral for the first time. The day it was adopted – 8 September – is the National Day of Andorra. This coincides with the feast day of Our Lady of Meritxell, the country's patron saint, who is mentioned in the lyrics.
Lyrics
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 memorialises 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.
| Catalan original | North-Western Catalan IPA | Spanish translation | French translation | English translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
El gran Carlemany, mon pare, |
|
El gran Carlomagno, mi padre, |
Le Grand Charlemagne mon père |
The great Charlemagne, my father, |
Notes
- See Help:IPA/Catalan and Catalan phonology.
- Sometimes written me, which is the forma plena ("full form") of the weak (unstressed) first person singular personal pronoun, usually appended with a hyphen to verbs ending in a consonant when they are infinitives, gerunds or positive imperatives, while em is the forma reforçada ("reinforced form"), usually used before verbs starting with a consonant when they are conjugated or negative imperatives, but in some varieties of Catalan, it is replaced with the full form.
- Sometimes written dues, which, although the feminine form in other varieties of Catalan, is not used in the Northwestern Catalan of Andorra.
References
- Xavier Maugendre (1996). L'Europe des hymnes dans leur contexte historique et musical. Editions Mardaga. p. 145. ISBN 978-2-87009-632-1.
- ^ Augustin (2008), p. 99.
- Lichfield, John (2 September 2006). "The Not-so-Rough Guide to Andorra – The land that Europe forgot". The Independent. London. pp. 26–27. Retrieved 7 May 2014. (subscription required)
- ^ "Andorra". The World Factbook. CIA. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
- "Country's Profile – Andorra". Sochi2014.com. Sochi 2014 Olympics. Archived from the original on 6 April 2014. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
- Principat D'Andorra, 1278–1978: È Centenari de la Signatura Dels Pareatges – Recull Oficial D'informació. Casa de la Vall. 1978.
- ^ Geyer, Helen (November 2013). "Sprachpolitik und-praxis in Andorra" (PDF). Interlinguistische Informationen (in German). 20. Diputació de Girona: 68. ISSN 1432-3567. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
- Principat D'Andorra, 1278–1978: È Centenari de la Signatura Dels Pareatges : Recull Oficial D'informació. Casa de la Vall. 1978.
- ^ Shelley, Fred M. (23 April 2013). Nation Shapes: The Story Behind the World's Borders. ABC–CLIO. p. 8. ISBN 9781610691062.
- Pineda, Enric Bassegoda (2010). "Carlemany No Va Conquerir Girona". Revista de Girona (in Catalan). 261. Diputació de Girona: 39. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
- Gale Group; Moshe Y. Sachs (1984). Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations. Gale Group. p. 9. ISBN 9780471886228.
- McDonogh, Gary (28 September 2010). Iberian Worlds. Routledge. ISBN 9781135936969.
- "The anthem of the Principality of Andorra". www.consellgeneral.ad. Archived from the original on 13 November 2007. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
- "SYMBOLES PRINCIPAUTE ANDORRE Andorra Ambassade Andorre Culture Andorre tourisme". www.andorra.be. Archived from the original on 28 April 2005. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
- "Himno nacional del Principado de Andorra". www.andorramania.net. Archived from the original on 12 June 2006. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
- "National Anthems & Patriotic Songs - Andorran National Anthem - El Gran Carlemany lyrics + Spanish translation". lyricstranslate.com. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
- "National Anthems & Patriotic Songs - Andorran National Anthem - El Gran Carlemany lyrics + French translation". lyricstranslate.com. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
- Freedman, Paul H. (1999). Images of the Medieval Peasant. Stanford University Press. p. 366. ISBN 978-0-8047-3373-1.
- Escholier, Raymond (1962). Mes Pyrénées de Gavarnie au Canigou (in French). Arthaud. p. 165.
- "Gramàtica essencial de la llengua catalana - Institut d'Estudis Catalans". geiec.iec.cat. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
- Davies, Norman (27 October 2011). Vanished Kingdoms: The History of Half-Forgotten Europe. Penguin Books Limited. p. 67. ISBN 978-0-14-196048-7.
- El camí de Sant Jaume i Catalunya: actes del Congrés Internacional celebrat a Barcelona, Cervera i Lleida, els dies 16, 17 i 18 d'octubre de 2003 (in Catalan). Publicacións de l'Abadia de Montserrat. 2007. p. 104. ISBN 978-84-8415-820-2.
- Jornada, Associaó d'amics del professor Antoni M. Badia i Margarit (2005). Els mètodes en dialectologia: continuïtat o alternativa? (in Catalan). Institut d'Estudis Catalans. p. 165. ISBN 978-84-7283-798-0.
In Ibizan and Western Catalan, on the other hand, after a period of coexistence, dos has triumphed as the feminine ...
