Length: 42 words
Anthem lyrics (use the arrow on the left to collapse this section):
Al combate corred, bayameses,
que la patria os contempla orgullosa.
No temáis una muerte gloriosa,
que morir por la Patria es vivir.
En cadenas vivir, es vivir
en afrenta y oprobio sumido.
Del clarín escuchad el sonido.
¡A las armas valientes corred!
Historical context:
The Cuban national anthem is “La Bayamesa,” a name that refers to the eastern Cuban city of Bayamo where it was written and first played in 1868.The song focuses on the island’s struggle for independence against Spain and originally contained additional verses from those currently sung. They were removed from the song in 1902 as being insulting to Spain and Spaniards—basically, they called the Spanish troops cowards that fled from battle. (Other Latin American nations have made similar modifications to their anthems, such as that of Uruguay, which originally expressed virulently anti-Brazil and anti-Portuguese sentiments.)
Performance: