Poetry
Tautiška giesmė
Not translated into English
Vincas Kudirka · 1898
Opening lines
Lietuva, Tėvyne mūsų,
Tu didvyrių žeme,
Iš praeities Tavo sūnūs
Te stiprybę semia.
Lithuania, our Homeland,
You, land of heroes,
From your past may your sons
Draw strength.
Translation by Erostrate
Text quoted from lt.wikisource.org
Synopsis
National anthem: sixteen lines addressed to Lithuania, land of heroes. May her sons draw their strength from her past, may her children follow only the paths of virtue and work for her good and for that of mankind. May the sun of the country drive away the darkness, may light and truth guide everyone's steps, may love of Lithuania burn in hearts, and may unity flourish in the name of this country.
Context
The text was published with its score in the November-December 1898 issue of Varpas, the journal edited by the author, with the simple note that the music and words were by V. K. A choir conducted by Česlovas Sasnauskas sang it in Saint Petersburg during the author's lifetime, though the date of this first performance is not certain. According to Vincas Maciūnas, Kazys Grinius called it the national anthem in the obituary of his friend. A variant in which God replaces the sun has circulated, and its age remains disputed.
Who it is for
Sixteen lines that the whole country knows by heart; no published French translation has been found.
Prizes and reception
Anthem of the Republic from the early days of independence, set aside under the Soviet regime, restored in 1988; a score printed in Riga in 1906 already described it as the Lithuanian anthem.
Sources for this page 2
The pages consulted to check this page.