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For all the right wing whackos and radio pundits who are all up in arms over people singing the National Anthem in Spanish: THE STATE DEPARTMENT COMMISSIONED THE SONG IN SPANISH LYRICS YEARS AGO:
If someone does not know the Engish language yet, they can sing the anthem in spanish to show their pride in our country.
Oh, and BTW, President Bush who said, ""I think the national anthem ought to be sung in English," sang the National Anthem in Spanish in 2000 while compagining for president.
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By Z. BYRON WOLF
May 1, 2006 — Several Republican senators are steamed at the notion of a new Spanish version of "The Star Spangled Banner."
Republican Sens. Lamar Alexander, Majority Leader Bill Frist, both from Tennessee, Johnny Isakson of Georgia, and Pat Roberts of Kansas submitted a nonbinding resolution on the Senate floor last week that said the national anthem and the Pledge of Allegiance "should be recited or sung in English."
The reason, they say, is that what binds Americans together is not race, ancestry or origin, but a common language — English.
And they argue that immigrants wanting to become citizens must renounce allegiance to their former country and swear allegiance to the laws and Constitution of the United States, and they must make that oath in English.
"We wouldn't recite the pledge in French or German or Russian or Hindi or even Chinese," said Alexander. "And we shouldn't sing the national anthem in Spanish, or any other foreign language. So, in this land of immigrants, let's all sing it together, as one American nation, in our common language, English."
Spanish Version Been Here a While
On the other side of the debate, supporters of the "Nuestra Himna" version of the national anthem point out that, according to the Library of Congress, the United States Bureau of Education commissioned a Spanish-language version of "The Star Spangled Banner" en espańol way back in 1919. That was before the English version became the official anthem in 1931.
The bureau called the song "La Bandera de las estrellas." You can find mention of "La Bandera de las estrellas" online at the Library of Congress' Performing Arts Digital Library interactive Web site.
Unfortunately, there's not a lot of accompanying information about the circumstances under which the song was translated. Oddly, the translation of Francis Scott Key's lyrics is credited to another three-named Francis — Francis Haffkine Snow.
I believe that part of the controversy regarding the "Nuestra Himna" version is that the lyrics have not only been translated into spanish but have also been changed. I read a specific comment that referred to the lines in Verse 2 which I have highlighted with bold font.
But what the heck, it's better than having people in America singing the Mexican anthem; then again some are probably doing that also.
An English translation of "Nuestro Himno," a Spanish-language version of the national anthem:
VERSE 1
The day is breaking, do you
see it? In the light of the dawn?
What we so acclaimed at
nightfall?
Its stars, its stripes,
flew yesterday
In the fierce battle
in a sign of victory,
The glow of battle, in step
with liberty
At night they said: "It's being
defended!"
CHORUS
Oh say!
The voice of your starry
beauty
is still unfolding
Over the land of the free
The sacred flag?
VERSE 2
Its stars, its stripes,
Freedom, we are equal
We are brothers, in our anthem.
In the fierce combat in a sign
of victory
The glow of battle, in step
with liberty My people keep fighting It's time to break the chains
At night they said: "It's being
defended!"
Oh say! Your starry beauty is
still unfolding.
Source: Associated Press
__________________
"Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please."
-Samuel Langhorne Clemens
Spanish National Anthem sung at Bush Inauguration in 2000!!!
On Friday, President Bush blasted the idea of singing the Star Spangled Banner in Spanish. But Bush’s highly-scripted 2001 inaugural ceremony actually featured a rendition of the national anthem sung in Spanish by Jon Secada. From Cox News Service, 1/18/01:
The opening ceremony reflected that sentiment. A racially diverse string of famous and once famous performers entertained Bush, soon-to-be First Lady Laura Bush, Vice President-elect Richard B. Cheney and his wife, Lynne, who watched on stage from a special viewing area. Pop star Jon Secada sang the national anthem in English and Spanish.
Apparently, Secada singing the anthem in Spanish was a regular feature of the Bush campaign. From the 8/3/00 Miami Herald:
The nominee, his wife Laura, erstwhile rival John McCain and his wife Cindy joined Bush on a platform where children sang the national anthem - in “Spanglish,” Secada explained.
This morning, ThinkProgress revealed that, according to Kevin Phillip’s book American Dynasty, Bush himself sang the national anthem in Spanish. Looks like Bush’s conviction that “the national anthem ought to be sung in English” was something he acquired very recently.
This morning, ThinkProgress revealed that, according to Kevin Phillip’s book American Dynasty, Bush himself sang the national anthem in Spanish. Looks like Bush’s conviction that “the national anthem ought to be sung in English” was something he acquired very recently.
He was for singing the Nat'l Anthem in Spanish before he was against singing the Nat'l Anthem in Spanish....
There's a term for that type of mind-changing, but it escapes me right now....
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