Polish national songs
Encyclopedia
This is a list of Polish national and patriotic songs.
Bogurodzica
(Mother of God)
Boże, coś Polskę (God Save Poland)
Czerwone maki na Monte Cassino
(Red Poppies on Monte Cassino)
Daj nam Boże doczekać tej pory, by do ataku nachylić propory (Let Us, O God, Live to Lower Our Pennons for Attack)
Gaude Mater Polonia
(Rejoice, Mother Poland)
Gdy naród do boju (When the Nation Fights)
Hymn do miłości Ojczyzny (O Sacred Love of the Beloved Country
)
Marsz Pierwszej Brygady
(March of the First Bigade)
Mazurek Dąbrowskiego (Dąbrowski's Mazurka, or Poland Is Not Yet Lost)
Morze, nasze morze (The Sea, Our Sea)
Mury
(Walls)
Warszawianka (The Song of Warsaw, 1831)
Warszawianka (The Song of Warsaw, 1905)
Rota (The oath) (1908)
Bogurodzica
Bogurodzica is the oldest Polish religious hymn. It was composed somewhere between the 10th and 13th centuries. The origin of the song is not clear....
(Mother of God)
- A religious hymnHymnA hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
to the Virgin Mary dating back to between 10th and 13th centuries. It was a de facto national anthem of medieval Poland, sung at royal coronations and on battle fields, including the Battle of GrunwaldBattle of GrunwaldThe Battle of Grunwald or 1st Battle of Tannenberg was fought on 15 July 1410, during the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War. The alliance of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, led respectively by King Jogaila and Grand Duke Vytautas , decisively defeated the Teutonic Knights, led...
in 1410 and the Battle of VarnaBattle of VarnaThe Battle of Varna took place on November 10, 1444 near Varna in eastern Bulgaria. In this battle the Ottoman Empire under Sultan Murad II defeated the Polish and Hungarian armies under Władysław III of Poland and János Hunyadi...
in 1444.
Boże, coś Polskę (God Save Poland)
- Originally written in 1816 by Alojzy FelińskiAlojzy FelinskiAlojzy Feliński was a Polish writer.-Life:In his childhood he met Tadeusz Czacki. He was educated by the Piarists in Dąbrownica, later in Włodzimierz. In 1778 he settled in Lublin, where he became a close companion of Kajetan Koźmian...
as Pieśń narodowa na pomyślność Króla (National Song to the King's Well-being). It was the official anthem of the Congress Kingdom of PolandCongress PolandThe Kingdom of Poland , informally known as Congress Poland , created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna, was a personal union of the Russian parcel of Poland with the Russian Empire...
reigned over by Russian emperors who were ex officio kings of Poland. Initially unpopular, it evolved in the early 1860s into an important religious and patriotic hymn. The final verse, which originally begged "Save, Oh Lord, our King", was substituted with "Return us, Oh Lord, our free Fatherland" while the melody was replaced with that of a Marian hymn. The resulting modern version has been sung in Polish churches ever since, with the final verse alternating between "Return..." and "Bless, Oh Lord, our free Fatherland", depending on Poland's political situation.
Czerwone maki na Monte Cassino
Czerwone maki na Monte Cassino
Czerwone maki na Monte Cassino is one of the best-known and most beloved Polish military songs of World War II...
(Red Poppies on Monte Cassino)
- A military song written by Feliks KonarskiFeliks KonarskiFeliks Konarski was a Polish poet, songwriter, and cabaret performer.-Early life:...
and composed by Alfred Schultz in 1944 to commemorate Polish soldiers fallen in the Battle of Monte CassinoBattle of Monte CassinoThe Battle of Monte Cassino was a costly series of four battles during World War II, fought by the Allies against Germans and Italians with the intention of breaking through the Winter Line and seizing Rome.In the beginning of 1944, the western half of the Winter Line was being anchored by Germans...
earlier that year.
Daj nam Boże doczekać tej pory, by do ataku nachylić propory (Let Us, O God, Live to Lower Our Pennons for Attack)
- Soldiers' song which originated in Prince Józef Poniatowski's division and gained some popularity at the end of the 18th century.
Gaude Mater Polonia
Gaude mater Polonia
Gaude Mater Polonia was probably the most popular medieval Polish anthem, written in the 13th-14th century in memory of saint Stanisław Szczepanowski, bishop of Kraków...
(Rejoice, Mother Poland)
- A religious hymn written in the 13th century by Wincenty of KielczaWincenty z KielczyWincenty of Kielcza born in the village of Kielcza, Silesia, was a Polish canon in Cracow, a poet writing in Latin, composer, member of the Dominican Order. He is famous for writing the popular hymn Gaude mater Polonia....
. It was penned in Medieval LatinMedieval LatinMedieval Latin was the form of Latin used in the Middle Ages, primarily as a medium of scholarly exchange and as the liturgical language of the medieval Roman Catholic Church, but also as a language of science, literature, law, and administration. Despite the clerical origin of many of its authors,...
to the melody of a Gregorian chantGregorian chantGregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainchant, a form of monophonic liturgical music within Western Christianity that accompanied the celebration of Mass and other ritual services...
, O salutaris Hostia. The hymn celebrates the canonization of Saint Stanislaus of SzczepanówStanislaus of SzczepanówStanislaus of Szczepanów, or Stanisław Szczepanowski, was a Bishop of Kraków known chiefly for having been martyred by the Polish king Bolesław II the Bold...
, bishop of Kraków and patron saint of Poland. In the Middle Ages, it was chanted on special occasions and after victorious battles. Today, it is performed at university ceremonies.
Gdy naród do boju (When the Nation Fights)
- A patriotic socialist song written in 1835 by Gustaw Ehrenberg to the melody of an aria from Wolfgang Amadeus MozartWolfgang Amadeus MozartWolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
's opera Don JuanDon JuanDon Juan is a legendary, fictional libertine whose story has been told many times by many authors. El burlador de Sevilla y convidado de piedra by Tirso de Molina is a play set in the fourteenth century that was published in Spain around 1630...
. The lyrics denounce the loyalist attitude of Polish magnates, noblemen and clergy during the failed November UprisingNovember UprisingThe November Uprising , Polish–Russian War 1830–31 also known as the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in the heartland of partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. The uprising began on 29 November 1830 in Warsaw when the young Polish officers from the local Army of the Congress...
of 1830. The song was popular with members of Polish socialist and agrarian movements and became an anthem of the Polish People's ArmyArmia LudowaArmia Ludowa was a communist partisan force set up by the Polish Workers' Party during World War II. Its aims were to support the military of the Soviet Union against German forces and aid the creation of a pro-Soviet communist government in Poland...
during World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Hymn do miłości Ojczyzny (O Sacred Love of the Beloved Country
O Sacred Love of the Beloved Country
"O Sacred Love of the Beloved Country" is a patriotic poem by the Polish Enlightenment author and poet, Ignacy Krasicki, published in 1774...
)
- Written in 1774 by Prince-Bishop Ignacy KrasickiIgnacy KrasickiIgnacy Krasicki , from 1766 Prince-Bishop of Warmia and from 1795 Archbishop of Gniezno , was Poland's leading Enlightenment poet , a critic of the clergy, Poland's La Fontaine, author of the first Polish novel, playwright, journalist, encyclopedist, and translator from French and...
for King Stanisław August Poniatowski's Corps of Cadets, it became in the latter's reign an unofficial national anthem of Poland. The lyrics convey the idea that love of Country gives meaning to poverty, wounds and death.
Marsz Pierwszej Brygady
My, Pierwsza Brygada
My, Pierwsza Brygada , also known as Marsz Pierwszej Brygady and Legiony to żołnierska nuta , was one of the best-known songs of the Polish Legions formed during World War I by Józef Piłsudski.Extolling the First Brigade of the Polish Legions the song is considered an important...
(March of the First Bigade)
- Soldiers' song written in 1917 by Andrzej Hałaciński and Tadeusz Biernacki to the melody of Marsz Kielecki (KielceKielceKielce ) is a city in central Poland with 204,891 inhabitants . It is also the capital city of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship since 1999, previously in Kielce Voivodeship...
March) composed by Andrzej Brzuchal-Sikorski in 1905. It was originally sung by soldiers of the First Brigade of the Polish LegionsPolish Legions in World War IPolish Legions was the name of Polish armed forces created in August 1914 in Galicia. Thanks to the efforts of KSSN and the Polish members of the Austrian parliament, the unit became an independent formation of the Austro-Hungarian Army...
commanded by Józef Piłsudski during World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. During Piłsudski's military dictatorship following the coup of May 1926May CoupThe May Coup d'État was a coup d'état successfully carried out in Poland by Marshal Józef Piłsudski between 12 and 14 May 1926. The coup overthrew the government of President Stanisław Wojciechowski and Prime Minister Wincenty Witos...
, the song was an unofficial national anthem of Poland. In 2007, it became the official anthem of the Polish Armed ForcesPolish Armed ForcesSiły Zbrojne Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej are the national defense forces of Poland...
.
Mazurek Dąbrowskiego (Dąbrowski's Mazurka, or Poland Is Not Yet Lost)
- Soldiers' song written in 1797 by Gen. Józef WybickiJózef WybickiJózef Rufin Wybicki was a Polish general, poet and political figure.-Life:He was a close friend of General Jan Henryk Dąbrowski, and in 1797 he wrote Mazurek Dąbrowskiego , which in 1927 was adopted as the Polish national anthem.During the Kościuszko Uprising, he was counselor of the Military...
in praise of Gen. Jan Henryk DąbrowskiJan Henryk Dabrowski-Biography:Dąbrowski was born to Jan Michal Dąbrowski and Sophie née von Lettow in Pierzchów, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth He grew up in Hoyerswerda, Electorate of Saxony, where his father served as a Colonel in the Saxon army...
, commander of the Polish Legions serving in ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
under Napoleon BonaparteNapoleon I of FranceNapoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
. In 1926 it became the official national anthemNational anthemA 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 Poland.
Morze, nasze morze (The Sea, Our Sea)
- Written at the turn of the 1930s by Adam Kowalski to praise the sailors of Poland's nascent navy and to celebrate the construction of GdyniaGdyniaGdynia is a city in the Pomeranian Voivodeship of Poland and an important seaport of Gdańsk Bay on the south coast of the Baltic Sea.Located in Kashubia in Eastern Pomerania, Gdynia is part of a conurbation with the spa town of Sopot, the city of Gdańsk and suburban communities, which together...
, a new port city on the Baltic SeaBaltic SeaThe Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
. It is now the official anthem of the Polish NavyPolish NavyThe Marynarka Wojenna Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej - MW RP Polish Navy, is the branch of Republic of Poland Armed Forces responsible for naval operations...
.
Mury
Mury (song)
Mury was a sung poetry protest song written by Polish singer Jacek Kaczmarski in 1978. In People's Republic of Poland, in the early eighties of 20th century it became a symbol of the opposition to the communist regime...
(Walls)
- A revolutionary song written in 1978 by Jacek KaczmarskiJacek KaczmarskiJacek Kaczmarski was a Polish singer, songwriter, poet and author.Kaczmarski was a voice of the Solidarity trade union movement in 1980s Poland, for his commitment to a free Poland, independent of Soviet rule. His songs criticized the ruling communist regime and appealed to the tradition of...
to the melody of Lluís LlachLluís LlachLluís Llach i Grande is a Catalan composer and songwriter.Though partially dependent on arrangers, like Manel Camp or Carles Cases in his early works, Llach's songwriting has largely evolved from the more basic early compositions to a vastly more complex harmonic and melodic writing...
's CatalanCataloniaCatalonia 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...
song L'EstacaL'EstacaL'Estaca is a song composed by the Catalan artist Lluís Llach in 1968.This song, which has been translated into several languages, has become so popular that in many countries it is considered a local song. It was composed during the dictatorship of General Franco in Spain and is a call for unity...
. It became an unofficial anthem of the Solidarity movement in the 1980s.
Warszawianka (The Song of Warsaw, 1831)
- Originally written in 1831 by Casimir DelavigneCasimir DelavigneJean-François Casimir Delavigne was a French poet and dramatist.-Biography:Delavigne was born at Le Havre, but was sent to Paris to be educated at the Lycée Napoleon. He read extensively...
in French as La Varsovienne, with melody composed by Karol KurpińskiKarol KurpinskiKarol Kazimierz Kurpiński was a Polish composer, conductor and pedagogue.Karol began his studies under his father, Marcin Kurpiński, an organist. At the age of 12, he became organist at a church in Sarnowa near Rawicz, where his uncle Karol Wański was a parish priest...
. The song praised the November UprisingNovember UprisingThe November Uprising , Polish–Russian War 1830–31 also known as the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in the heartland of partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. The uprising began on 29 November 1830 in Warsaw when the young Polish officers from the local Army of the Congress...
of 1830 and, translated into Polish by Karol Sienkiewicz, it became the most popular song of the uprising and is still performed by Polish military bands today.
Warszawianka (The Song of Warsaw, 1905)
- A revolutionary song written in 1879 by socialist Wacław Święcicki imprisoned in the Warsaw CitadelWarsaw CitadelCytadela is a 19th-century fortress in Warsaw, Poland. It was built by order of Tsar Nicholas I after the suppression of the 1830 November Uprising in order to bolster imperial Russian control of the city. It served as a prison into the late 1930s.- History :The Citadel was built by personal...
. First sung in the streets of Warsaw in 1885, it became particularly popular during the Revolution of 1905. Its popularity spread to Russia proper and from there to Germany, France and Spain, where it became known as A las barricadas (To the Barricades), the anarchist anthem of the Spanish Civil WarSpanish Civil WarThe Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
.
Rota (The oath) (1908)
- Great anthem against German oppresion and policy of germanisation, written by Maria KonopnickaMaria KonopnickaMaria Konopnicka nee Wasiłowska , was a Polish poet, novelist, writer for children and youth, a translator, journalist and critic, as well as an activist for women's rights and Polish independence.Maria Konopnicka also composed a poem about the execution of the Irish patriot, Robert...
, music composed 1910 by Feliks NowowiejskiFeliks NowowiejskiFeliks Nowowiejski was a Polish composer, conductor, concert organist, and music teacher. Nowowiejski was born in Wartenburg in East Prussia, German Empire...
, first publicly sung during patriotic demonstration July 15, 1910, in KrakówKrakówKraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
on 500'th anniversary of Polish victory in Battle of GrunwaldBattle of GrunwaldThe Battle of Grunwald or 1st Battle of Tannenberg was fought on 15 July 1410, during the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War. The alliance of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, led respectively by King Jogaila and Grand Duke Vytautas , decisively defeated the Teutonic Knights, led...
. Special modified version of Rota has been prepared against Soviet Union after WWII when Poland became dependent.