Romania National Anthem — Deșteaptă-te, române!
"Deșteaptă-te, române!" ("Awaken Thee, Romanian!") is the national anthem of Romania. Its words come from a poem written by Andrei Mureșanu during the revolutionary year of 1848, set to a melody attributed to Anton Pann. Sung during the 1989 revolution that overthrew communism, it was adopted as the national anthem in 1990. A powerful call to action, it summons Romanians to awaken from a "sleep of death" and invokes the nation's great historical heroes. This page gathers the anthem's Romanian lyrics, English translation, meaning and history.
Deșteaptă-te, române! Romanian Lyrics
Original (Romanian) version
Deșteaptă-te, române, din somnul cel de moarte,
În care te-adânciră barbarii de tirani!
Acum ori niciodată, croiește-ți altă soarte,
La care să se-nchine și cruzii tăi dușmani.
Acum ori niciodată să dăm dovezi la lume
Că-n aste mâni mai curge un sânge de roman,
Și că-n a noastre piepturi păstrăm cu fală-un nume
Triumfător în lupte, un nume de Traian!
Înalță-ți lata frunte și caută-n giur de tine,
Cum stau ca brazi în munte voinici sute de mii;
Un glas ei mai așteaptă și sar ca lupi în stâne,
Bătrâni, bărbați, juni, tineri, din munți și din câmpii!
Priviți, mărețe umbre, Mihai, Ștefan, Corvine,
Româna națiune, ai voștri strănepoți,
Cu brațele armate, cu focul vostru-n vine,
„Viața-n libertate ori moarte!” strigă toți.
Și oarba neunire la Milcov și Carpați!
Dar noi, pătrunși la suflet de sfânta libertate,
Jurăm că vom da mâna, să fim pururea frați!
O mamă văduvită de la Mihai cel Mare
Pretinde de la fii-și azi mână d-ajutori,
Și blastămă cu lacrămi în ochi pe orișicare,
În astfel de pericul s-ar face vânzători!
De fulgere să piară, de trăsnet și pucioasă,
Oricare s-ar retrage din gloriosul loc,
Când patria sau mama, cu inima duioasă,
Va cere ca să trecem prin sabie și foc!
N-ajunse iataganul barbarei semilune,
A cărui plăgi fatale și azi le mai simțim;
Acum se vâră cnuta în vetrele străbune,
Dar martor ne e Domnul că vii nu o primim!
N-ajunse despotismul cu-ntreaga lui orbie,
Al cărui jug din seculi ca vitele-l purtăm;
Acum se-ncearcă cruzii, în oarba lor trufie,
Să ne răpească limba, dar morți numai o dăm!
Români din patru unghiuri, acum ori niciodată
Uniți-vă în cuget, uniți-vă-n simțiri!
Strigați în lumea largă că Dunărea-i furată
Prin intrigă și silă, viclene uneltiri!
Deviza-i libertate și scopul ei preasfânt.
Murim mai bine-n luptă, cu glorie deplină,
Decât să fim sclavi iarăși în vechiul nost' pământ!
English Translation version
Awaken thee, Romanian, from your deadly slumber,
Into which you were sunk by the barbaric tyrants!
Now or never, forge a new destiny for yourself,
To which even your cruel enemies will bow.
Now or never, let us give proof to the world
That in these hands still flows Roman blood,
And that in our chests we proudly hold a name
Triumphant in battles, the name of Trajan!
Raise your broad forehead and look around you,
How hundreds of thousands of strong men stand like fir trees in the mountains;
They are just waiting for a voice and will pounce like wolves on the sheepfolds,
Elders, men, youths, boys, from the mountains and the plains!
Look on, magnificent shadows, Michael, Stephen, Corvinus,
At the Romanian nation, your great-grandchildren,
With armed arms, with your fire in their veins,
"Life in liberty or death!" they all shout.
You were vanquished by the evils of envy
And blind disunity at the Milcov and the Carpathians!
But we, our souls pierced by holy liberty,
Swear that we will join hands, to be brothers forever!
A widowed mother since the time of Michael the Great
Claims from her sons today a helping hand,
And curses, with tears in her eyes, anyone
Who, in such peril, would become traitors!
May they perish by lightning, thunder, and brimstone,
Whoever would retreat from the glorious place,
When the fatherland or the mother, with a tender heart,
Will ask us to pass through sword and fire!
The yataghan of the barbaric crescent was not enough,
Whose fatal wounds we still feel today;
Now the knout is thrusting into our ancestral hearths,
But the Lord is our witness that we shall not accept it alive!
Despotism with all its blindness was not enough,
Whose yoke we have borne like cattle for centuries;
Now the cruel ones, in their blind arrogance, attempt
To snatch away our language, but we will surrender it only dead!
Romanians from the four corners, now or never
Unite in thought, unite in feelings!
Proclaim to the wide world that the Danube is stolen
Through intrigue and force, by treacherous machinations!
Priests, lead with the cross, for the army is Christian,
Its motto is liberty and its goal is most holy.
Better we die in battle, in full glory,
Than to once again be slaves on our ancient land!
Public domain — lyrics by Andrei Mureșanu (1848), melody attributed to Anton Pann.
Lyrics licensed via Public Domain.
Song Details
- Singer
- Romania
- Lyricist
- Andrei Mureșanu
- Music
- Anton Pann
- Genre
- National Anthem
- Released
- Jan 01, 1990
- Language
- Romanian
- Views
- 29
▶️ Watch on YouTube
💭 Meaning of "Deșteaptă-te, române!" Song Lyrics
"Deșteaptă-te, române!" is a fierce call to national awakening. It urges Romanians to "awaken from the sleep of death" into which "barbaric tyrants" have sunk them, and to "now or never" forge a new fate that even their "cruel enemies" must respect.
The second stanza summons the "great shades" of Romanian history — Michael the Brave, Stephen the Great and the Corvinus dynasty — and calls on their "great-grandchildren" to take up arms with the cry "Life in freedom, or death!". It is among the most defiant of national anthems.
🎬 Behind the song: how "Deșteaptă-te, române!" was made
The poet Andrei Mureșanu wrote the verses during the revolutionary upheavals of 1848; the melody is attributed to Anton Pann (with Gheorghe Ucenescu often credited with choosing the tune). Long a patriotic favourite, it was sung by demonstrators during the December 1989 revolution that toppled Nicolae Ceaușescu, and it was adopted as Romania's national anthem in 1990. It was also the anthem of Moldova from 1991 to 1994.
🌍 "Deșteaptă-te, române!" — Cultural impact & legacy
Its role in the 1989 revolution gives "Deșteaptă-te, române!" a powerful place in modern Romanian identity. 29 July is celebrated as Anthem Day. The full poem has eleven stanzas; the official anthem sings four of them (the first, second, fourth and eleventh), invoking heroes and the ideal of freedom or death.
📖 What is "Deșteaptă-te, române! Song Lyrics" about?
"Deșteaptă-te, române!" ("Awaken Thee, Romanian!") is the national anthem of Romania, one of the most rousing of the world's national anthems. The lyrics are by Andrei Mureșanu (1848) and the melody is attributed to Anton Pann.
Sung during the 1989 revolution, it was adopted as the national anthem in 1990. It is in the public domain. The official anthem uses four of the poem's stanzas.
⭐ Behind the song trivia
- "Deșteaptă-te, române!" means "Awaken Thee, Romanian!".
- The words were written during the revolutionary year of 1848 by the poet Andrei Mureșanu.
- It was sung by demonstrators during the 1989 revolution that overthrew Ceaușescu.
- It was adopted as Romania's national anthem in 1990 and was also Moldova's anthem from 1991 to 1994.
- The lyrics invoke Romanian heroes Michael the Brave, Stephen the Great and the Corvinus dynasty.
- The full poem has eleven stanzas; the anthem officially sings four of them.
❓ Deșteaptă-te, române! — Frequently asked questions
What is the national anthem of Romania?
What does "Deșteaptă-te, române!" mean?
Why is the Romanian anthem significant?
Who wrote the Romanian national anthem?
Was it also Moldova's anthem?
How much of the poem is sung?
👥 Credits
| Vocals | Romania |
|---|---|
| Lyricist | Andrei Mureșanu |
| Music Director | Anton Pann |
📄 Copyright disclaimer
All lyrics, images, and audio/video featured on LyricsSol.com are the intellectual property of their respective copyright owners. We do not claim ownership of any lyrics, music, or related media.
Lyrics are provided solely for educational, reference, and personal use under the doctrine of fair use. No copyright infringement is intended.
If you are the rightful copyright holder and would like any content to be removed or credited differently, please contact us through our Contact Page for prompt action.
Comments 0
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!