Argentina National Anthem — Himno Nacional Argentino

The anthem was born of revolution. Its opening — "Oíd, mortales, el grito sagrado: ¡Libertad, libertad, libertad!" ("Hear, mortals, the sacred cry: Freedom, freedom, freedom!") — proclaims the fall of colonial rule, with the "sound of broken chains" and "noble equality" enthroned in place of the old order.

The famous coda, "Sean eternos los laureles que supimos conseguir" ("May the laurels we won be eternal"), turns from triumph to resolve: to live "crowned with glory" or to "swear to die with glory". Together they capture the spirit of the independence struggle in the River Plate.

The lyrics were written by the poet Vicente López y Planes and set to music by the Catalan-born composer Blas Parera. The General Constituent Assembly (the "Assembly of the Year XIII") adopted the song on 11 May 1813, during the wars of independence. The original poem was long and fiercely anti-Spanish; in 1900, once Spain was an ally, a decree established that only the first quatrain and the final coda be performed on public occasions — the version still sung today.

Argentina celebrates 11 May as "Día del Himno Nacional Argentino" (National Anthem Day). As one of the earliest anthems in the Americas, it is a powerful symbol of the country's founding, sung at schools, state ceremonies and, with great fervour, before Argentina's football matches.

The "Himno Nacional Argentino" is the national anthem of Argentina, one of the oldest of the Americas' national anthems. The lyrics are by Vicente López y Planes and the music by Blas Parera, both from 1813.

It was adopted by the Assembly of the Year XIII on 11 May 1813. The full original poem is long; the version sung today uses the first quatrain and the final coda. Words and music are in the public domain.