Brazil national anthem lyrics in English: Explaining Hino Nacional Brasileiro translation, history and more

Brazil national anthem lyrics in English: Explaining Hino Nacional Brasileiro translation, history and more originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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When the Ravens and Cowboys take to the field at Maracana Stadium in Rio on Sunday, they’ll do so soundtracked by a familiar tune among those of a Brazilian persuasion.

National anthems are a tried and tested part of the North American sports routines. That often isn’t the case elsewhere — the U.S.’s blend of jingoism and agitprop is unique even among Western countries. Nevertheless, the routine will take on a new flavor for Sunday’s game in Brazil.

The Hino Nacional Brasiliero, too, will take hold of the airwaves prior to Baltimore and Dallas’ tilt. The track alludes to Brazil’s past. And like many national anthems uttered by South American lips, its rendition is hardly for the faint of heart.

With that, here’s everything you need to know about Brazil’s national anthem.

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What does Brazil’s national anthem say?

The abridged version of Brazilian national anthem sung at sporting events references the Ipiranga, a river that rolls through Sao Paolo where Dom Pedro I declared the country’s independence from Portugal on Sept. 7, 1822.

The tune also elucidates Brazil’s significance, likening the South American country to “an intense dream, a vivid ray of love and hope.”

The song concludes on a dramatic note, calling on Brazilians to fight should the country raise “the strong mace of justice.”

The placid shores of the Ipiranga heard
The resounding shout of a heroic folk
And the sun of Liberty in shining beams
Shone in the homeland’s sky at that instant.

Giant by thine own nature,
Thou art beautiful, strong, a fearless colossus,
And thy future mirrors that greatness.

Adored land
Amongst a thousand others
art thou, Brazil,
O beloved homeland
Of the sons of this ground
Thou art kind mother
Beloved homeland, Brazil!

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Who wrote Brazil’s national anthem?

The lyrics behind Brazil’s national anthem were crafted by Joaquim Osorio Duque-Estrada in 1909. A poet and historian who embraced Parnassianism (philosophy claiming that art should be detached from political, social realities) across his career, Duque-Estrada played a leading role in Brazil’s literary world, serving as the Brazilian Academy of Letters’ chair from 1915 to his death in 1927.

Brazil’s national anthem history

The melody of the national anthem was composed by famed songwriter Francisco Manuel da Silva in 1831. Various sets of lyrics were proposed to accompany the tune, which — although not formally recognized as the national anthem in the early-1800s — proved a favorite among the Brazilian masses, rendering it the de facto national anthem in the South American nation.

Other anthems were crafted throughout the 19th century, with one — featuring melodies by Leopoldo Miguez and lyrics by Medeiros e Albuquerque — winning out upon the establishment of the First Brazilian Republic following the abolition of the constitutional monarchy of the Empire of Brazil in 1889. The decision to declare a new anthem caused rancor amongst the masses, prompting the head of the provisional government to rule that Da Silva’s epic was the official soundtrack to the Brazilian state.

Duque-Estrada’s lyrics were declared the anthem’s official text via presidential decree in 1922.