CATALAN LYRICS

Catalunya, triomfant,
tornarŕ a ser rica i plena!
Endarrera aquesta gent
tan ufana i tan superba! 

CHORUS:
Bon cop de falç!
Bon cop de falç, defensors de la terra!
Bon cop de falç! 

Ara és hora, segadors!
Ara és hora d'estar alerta!
Per quan vingui un altre juny
esmolem ben bé les eines!

CHORUS

Que tremoli l'enemic
en veient la nostra ensenya:
com fem caure espigues d'or,
quan convé seguem cadenes!

CHORUS

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ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Triumphant, Catalonia,
Will once again be rich and full!
We must not be the prey
Of those proud and arrogant invaders!

CHORUS:
Let us swing the sickle!
Let us swing the sickle, defenders of our land!
Let us swing the sickle!

Now it is moment, oh reapers!
Now it is moment, to be alert!
Awaiting the arrival of another June
Let us sharpen our tools!

CHORUS

May our enemy tremble
On seeing our noble flag:
Just as we reap the golden corn,
May we also cut free of the chains! 

CHORUS

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Catalonia
"Els Segadors" (The Reapers)

Words by:Emili Guanyavents
Music by:Francesc Alió
Adopted:1899

Catalonia is a region of Spain; like several other Spanish regions, it has its
own language, culture, and anthem.

Els Segadors has been the national anthem of Catalonia since the end of the
19th century. The current lyrics were written in 1899. It uses elements which
have their origin in the oral tradition, and which had been previously
collected by the writer and philologist Manuel Milŕ i Fontanals in 1882. The
music was composed in 1892, adapting the melody of a previously existing song.
This hymn is thus a reflection of an original song which has its origin in the
historical events of 1639 and 1640: the War of the Catalans against King Philip
IV, a war in which the peasants played a key role.

The hymn has the characteristics of a passionate call in favour of the defence
of the freedom of the Catalan soil. It is solemn and firm, and unites the will
of the people in favour of the survival of a nation which proclaims its full
national character.

Els Segadors was declared the Catalan national anthem by an Act of the Catalan
Parliament dated 25 February 1993.

Special thanks to:Jaume Olle for providing some of this information.

See also: Spain.

