Asturias, patria querida
"Asturias, patria querida" / "Asturies, patria querida", translating to "Asturias, Beloved Homeland", is the regional anthem of the autonomous community of Asturias, Spain.
This adaptation of a much slower song from the neighbouring lands of Cantabria was appointed as official anthem after a contest in Oviedo in the 1890s. It has both a Spanish and an Asturian version. It is also a popular melody for bagpipers.
In the mid-2000s, it was discovered that the first song lyrics were written in Cuba. The father of the author had returned to his beloved Asturias to die, the author—Ignacio Piñeiro—dedicated the song to his father. The music was different; it is believed to be a melody that Upper Silesian miners from the area of Opole Silesia—that worked in Asturian coal mines at the beginning of the 20th century—had brought to Asturias. In fact, the song is still known in Poland, where it used to be taught as a patriotic song.
A few versions of the anthem were created by the Republican side of the Spanish Civil War, therefore the anthem was seen as a miners song and as a left-wing song by right-wing people.
Lyrics
Current version
| Polish version | English translation |
Asturias, the only land, I want to return to my land soon and I will come back if I don't die. I will come back and climb the tree and pick a flower full of dew, and I'll give it to my brunette to tie it in her hair. Asturias, land of my young years, Asturias, land of my dreams, oh brother, if you knew Asturias, you would understand why I am crying. I will come back, I will see Oviedo, I'll grab a rifle and a grenade I will go to fight for Asturias, my beloved homeland. |
Asturian miners' strike version
| Spanish lyrics | Asturian lyrics | English lyrics |