Sicilian Anthems

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This page is under construction.
  
  
There are several compositions that have been considered to be Sicilian national anthems. One is the rousing duet Suoni La Tromba from Act II of Vincenzo Bellini's opera, I Puritani. It was first perfomed in Paris on January 25, 1835. The libretto is by Count Carlo Pepoli. It takes place during the English civil war of the 1640s. Here is a little bit of the text, along with my own English translation. It is followed by a small audio file.

Suoni la tromba e intrepido
io pugnerò da forte:

bello è affrontar la morte
gridando libertà.
 
Amor di patria impavido
mieta i sanguigni allori,
poi terga i bei sudori
e i pianti la pietà.

All'alba!
 
Sia voce di terror
Patria, vittoria e onor!
Sound the trumpet and boldly
will I strike with strength:

fitting it is to confront death
proclaiming "liberty".

Defiant love of country
reaps the bloodied result.
then wipe away the worthy sweat
and the tears of compassion.

To dawn!

Be the voice of terror
My country, victory and honor!
Here's a 34 second audio extract from the duet closing Act II.
 
In a letter Bellini wrote to Filippo Santocanale in Naples, on 14 May, 1835 he says he cannot change the text of this duet to comply with the Bourbon censor since the librettist is presently in London. Here are a few sentences plucked from the letter and my English translation.
 
... Si desidera che io faccia cambiare qualche verso non ammissibile dalla vostra censura, dall'istesso poeta del libro: egli si trova in questo momento a Londra, e quindi mi è impossibile per ora contentarli; ... ... It is desired that I have the poet of the libretto modify some text not acceptable to your censor: he is presently in London, thus it is not possible to fulfill that requirement just now; ...
 
This next composition is entitled Rose Di Sicilia. It was written in Italian by Attilio Castrogiovanni while he was imprisoned in Catania in the 1940s and was set to music by his sister. A Sicilian version of the text is in the left column and my loose translation is in the right column. I have not yet found the original Italian version.

Di l'Etna fumanti
l'agresti abituri
si schiuinu memori
d'un tempu chi fu.
Arricordanu li patri
a li figli vinturi
di li patri li santi
sicanii virtù.

O libbira Terra,
ritaggiu di l'avi,
arrisviglia l'ignavi
da lu longu tirpuri.
Rinnova di li vespiri
l'urgogliu e la fidi:
si lotta, si cridi,
si vinci e si mori.

Un Populu feru
risurgi e s'avanza,
conquista, nun domu,
la so' Libbirtà;
di li giuvini cori
l'ardenti spiranza
prurumpi sincera
di centu citati.

O libbira Terra, ...

Palermu risurgi
ed aìsa un vissillu,
Catana e Missina
arrispunninu olà,
Geruni a Drepanu
già lancia nu' squillu,
già Nisa è ridesta,
Girgenti verrà.

O libbira Terra, ...

Un innu di guerra,
frati me', risoni,
la Matri nni chiama...
cu resta e nun va?
Sicilia, Sicilia,
semu tutti liuna,
giurammu ed avirrai
la to Libbirtà:

O libbira Terra, ...

From smoking Etna
the bitter dwellers
memory rumbled
of a time that was.
Remembering their fathers
their venturesome children
their forefathers
of Sican virtue.

O Land of Liberty,
with wings clipped,
awaken the unwary
from their long torpor.
Renew the pride and
the faith of the vespers:
one fights, one believes,
one wins and one dies.

A strong people
resurges and advances,
conquers, subdues not
its liberty;
from young hearts
the ardent hope
fervently bursts forth
from a hundred cities.

O Land of Liberty, ...

Palermo surges once more
and raises a banner,
Catania e Messina
join in,
Hiero at Trapani
already trumpets,
Caltanisetta is reawakened,
Agrigento will join.

O Land of Liberty, ...

A hymn of war,
my brothers, arise,
your mother calls you...
who will hold back?
Sicilia, Sicilia,
we are all lionhearted,
pledge with us and you will gain
your liberty:

O Land of Liberty, ...
This most recent hymn was commissioned by President Cuffaro and is now the official anthem of the autonomous Region of Sicily. It was composed by Maestro Vincenzo Spampinato and is entitled Madreterra.

Madreterra
Sei tu il sorriso che fa ritornare
sei la Montagna di cui senti il cuore
con l'universo non ti cambierei!
Madreterra di Uomini e Dei
 
Sei tu l'inverno che riesce a scaldare
l'estate antica che fa innamorare
sei la cometa che io seguirei
Madreterra di Uomini e Dei

Sicilia terra mia triangolo di luce in mezzo al mondo
Sicilia terra mia un sole onesto che non ha tramonto!
Sicilia sei così... il paradiso è qui!

Tra le tue braccia è nata la Storia
sulla tua bocca « Fratelli d'Italia »!
e per difenderti io morirei
Madreterra di Uomini e Dei

Sicilia terra mia triangolo di pace per il mondo
Sicilia terra mia tu « rosa aulentissima » nel tempo
Sicilia terra mia bandiera liberata in mezzo al vento
Sicilia sei così... il paradiso è qui!


Motherland
You're the smile that beckons return
you're the Mountain for wich the heart throbs
unchangable with the universe!
Motherland of man and God
 
You're the winter that becomes summer
the old time summer that fosters love
you're the comet that I would follow
Motherland of man and God

Sicily my native land triangle of light midst the world
Sicily my native land a veritable sun that does not set!
Sicily that you are... paradice is here!

History is born within your arms
on your lips the hymn « Fratelli d'Italia »!
to defend you I would die
Motherland of man and God

Sicily my native land triangle of peace for the world
Sicily my native land you're the « rosa aulentissima » of our time
Sicily my native land windblown banner of liberty
Sicily that you are... paradice is here!

This audio file is an extract of the last two lines of the chorus and orchestra.

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