Online Encyclopedia
Mazurek Dabrowskiego
Mazurek Dąbrowskiego (Dąbrowski's Mazurka) is the Polish national anthem written by Józef Wybicki in 1797.
At first called the 'Song of the Polish Legions in Italy' (Pieśń Legionów Polskich we Włoszech), it also has the informal name Jeszcze Polska nie zginęła, from its first line, which is sometimes erroneously taken to be the Polish state motto.
The song gained much popularity in Poland and became one of the most popular hymns during the November Uprising of 1830 and January Uprising of 1863. During the Revolutions of 1848 it became popular throughout Europe as one of the revolutionary anthems in Berlin, Vienna, Prague and Paris. This led Czech poet Samuel Tomaik to write new words for the anthem that were later accepted by the First Congress of the Pan-Slavic Movement in Prague as the Pan-Slavic Anthem. In 1945 the translation of this anthem became the national anthem of Yugoslavia - Hej Sloveni. Other famous versions of the anthem include Shumi Maritsa , the national anthem of Bulgaria between 1886 and 1944.
Lyrics
| Jeszcze Polska nie zginęła, | Poland has not yet perished, |
| Kiedy my żyjemy. | as long as we live. |
| Co nam obca przemoc wzięła, | Whatever foreign force took from us, |
| Szablą odbierzemy. | we'll retake by sabre. |
| Marsz, marsz, Dąbrowski, | March, March, Dąbrowski, |
| Z ziemi włoskiej do Polski, | from Italian land to Poland. |
| Za twoim przewodem | Under your lead, |
| Złączym się z narodem. | we'll unite with the nation. |
| Przejdziem Wisłę, przejdziem Wartę, | We'll cross Vistula, we'll cross Warta, |
| Będziem Polakami, | We'll be Polish people. |
| Dał nam przykład Bonaparte, | Bonaparte showed us an example |
| Jak zwyciężać mamy. | how we should win. |
| Marsz, marsz, Dąbrowski... | March, March, Dabrowski... |
| Jak Czarniecki do Poznania | Like Czarniecki to Poznań, |
| Po szwedzkim zaborze, | after Swedish occupation, |
| Dla ojczyzny ratowania | To save fatherland, |
| Wrócim się przez morze. | we'll return across the sea. |
| Marsz, marsz, Dąbrowski... | March, March, Dabrowski... |
| Już tam ojciec do swej Basi | And over there, a father tells his Basia, |
| Mówi zapłakany: | crying: |
| "Słuchaj jeno, pono nasi | "Listen, it sounds like ours |
| Biją w tarabany." | are drumming the military drums." |
| Marsz, marsz, Dąbrowski... | March, March, Dabrowski... |
Notes and historical context
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- See also Partitioned Poland
- Dąbrowski - Henryk Dąbrowski, one of the leaders of the Polish Legions , he was not, however, the author of this anthem.
- Poland has not yet perished as long as we live - i.e. Poland is not just a country, but something constituted by all Polish people (Poland had been split up and divided between its neighbours in the 25 years preceding the writing of these verses - cf. Partitions of Poland). While this doesn't seem a strange idea nowadays, it was quite an unusual one at the time of writing.
- sabre - the traditional weapon of the Polish cavalry, still used in the Napoleonic era.
- Czarniecki - Stefan Czarniecki, one of the leaders of the Polish war against Swedish occupation.
- across the sea - after the liberation of Poland, Czarnecki fought in Denmark.
- Italian land, Bonaparte - the Polish Legions were created by Napoleon Bonaparte in Italy. The Legionists believed that they would ultimately fight for the independence of Poland, which remained occupied at that time.
- Basia - a popular Polish name (a diminutive of Barbara).