National Anthem of Chile

History

First national anthem

The first Chilean national anthem dates back to 1819, when the government called for, on 13 January, the creation of music and lyrics for this purpose.

The composer Manuel Robles and the poet Bernardo de Vera y Pintado fulfilled this mandate and their "National Song" debuted on 20 August 1820 in the Domingo Arteaga theater, although other historians claim that it was played and sung during the festivities of September 1819.

In the beginning, everyone would stand for the song. The custom of always singing it at the theater slowly disappeared, until it was requested that it only be sung at the anniversary of the country.

The doctor Bernardo Vera, known in the history of the independence, was the author of the verses that were sung to Robles' music.

This first hymn was sung until 1828, when it was replaced with what is currently being sung.

Second national anthem

The second and current Chilean national anthem was composed by the Spanish composer Ramón Carnicer when he was exiled to England because of his liberal ideas. Chilean Minister in London Mariano Egaña, acting on the criticism that Robles' song received, asked Carnicer to compose a new hymn with Bernardo de Vera's original text.

The Spanish musician had probably written the work by 1827, the date he returned to Barcelona. His hymn debuted at the Arteaga Theater in Santiago on 23 December 1828.

Years later (likely in 1847), the Chilean government entrusted the young poet Eusebio Lillo with a new text that would replace the anti-Spain poem of Vera y Pintado, and after being analyzed by Andrés Bello, retained the original chorus ("Dulce patria, recibe los votos..."). The lyrics were slightly revised in 1909.

During the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, Verse III was officially incorporated because of the dictator's praise of the armed forces and the national police (Carabineros). After the end of Pinochet's regime in 1990, it was only sung at military events. Supporters from the former military junta also sing the anthem with Verse III in private ceremonies and rallies, causing controversy due to a growing general consensus on the crimes against humanity committed by the regime.

During the celebrations marking the 1990 return of democracy at Santiago's Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos, the anthem was played in its present form with the melody raised to F Major. This was the original melody of the second anthem by Carnicer, but it used the 1847 lyrics save for the original chorus of the 1819 anthem. This was the version that was played before broadcasts of Chilean presidential addresses from 1991 to 2000. In 2000, it was replaced by a more stylized version that was used until 2010. Afterward, the anthem was omitted from future addresses. Following the end of the dictatorship, television stations rarely used the anthem during sign-on and sign-off, and the practice fell off significantly during the 1990s. Radio stations in Chile continue to play the anthem on New Year's Eve by tradition to start the celebrations.

The anthem has also been translated into Mapudungun, the largest and most commonly spoken indigenous language in Chile, spoken by the Mapuche people.

Lyrics

Official lyrics

Below are the lyrics of the most played version; it corresponds to verse V of the full version and the chorus.

Full lyrics

According to Chilean Constitution [decree 260], only the fifth verse and the chorus are played officially as the National Anthem.

1973–1990 lyrics

The following lyrics were used during the military regime in the country. Both the 5th and 3rd verses were used.

Notes

References

References

1. (February 2023). "National anthem of Chile - Canción Nacional - Music and Lyrics".
2. (24 April 2019). "Himno Nacional de Chile (Versión en Mapudungun) - "Lof g'l" - con subtítulos".
3. (2009-12-01). "El primer Himno Nacional de Chile".
4. Gobierno de Chile. "Himno Nacional".
5. "HIMNO Y LETRA".