Els Segadors is the official anthem

National anthem

A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people.- History :Anthems rose to prominence...

 of Catalonia

Catalonia

Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...

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History

Though the original song dates in the oral tradition to 1640, its modern lyrics were written by Emili Guanyavents, who won a controversial competition in 1899. The music was standardized by Francesc Alió in 1892. The song is based on the events of 1640 known as Corpus de Sang, the event that started the Catalan Revolt

Catalan Revolt

The Catalan Revolt affected a large part of the Catalan Principality of Catalonia between the years of 1640 and 1659. It had an enduring effect in the Treaty of the Pyrenees , which ceded the county of Roussillon and the northern half of the county of Cerdanya to France , thereby splitting the...

 or Guerra dels Segadors (Reapers' War) where Catalans fought against the Count-Duke of Olivares

Gaspar de Guzmán, Count-Duke of Olivares

Don Gaspar de Guzmán y Pimentel Ribera y Velasco de Tovar, Count-Duke of Olivares and Duke of San Lúcar la Mayor , was a Spanish royal favourite of Philip IV and minister. As prime minister from 1621 to 1643, he over-exerted Spain in foreign affairs and unsuccessfully attempted domestic reform...

, the chief minister of King Philip IV of Spain

Philip IV of Spain

Philip IV was King of Spain between 1621 and 1665, sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, and King of Portugal until 1640...

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The Catalan government adopted "Els Segadors" as the anthem of Catalonia in 1993.

Lyrics

 
 









 






 

Catalan Catalan language Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island... :	English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... :
Catalunya triomfant,	Catalonia triumphant,
tornarà a ser rica i plena.	shall again be rich and bountiful.
Endarrera aquesta gent	Drive away these people,
tan ufana i tan superba.	Who are so conceited and so contemptful.
Refrain Refrain A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
Bon cop de falç!	Strike with your sickle!
Bon cop de falç, defensors de la terra!	Strike with your sickle, defenders of the land!
Bon cop de falç!	Strike with your sickle!
Ara és hora, segadors.	Now is the time, reapers.
Ara és hora d'estar alerta.	Now is the time to stand alert.
Per quan vingui un altre juny,	For when another June comes,
esmolem ben bé les eines.	Let us sharpen well our tools.
Refrain
Que tremoli l'enemic,	May the enemy tremble,
en veient la nostra ensenya.	upon seeing our symbol.
Com fem caure espigues d'or,	Just as we cut golden ears of wheat,
quan convé seguem cadenes.	when the time calls we cut off chains.
Refrain

External links

• Generalitat de Catalunya: National Symbols (official page in English, with official version recordings in mp3 formats)
• History of the anthem