La Balanguera is the anthem of Majorca (Mallorca), Spain.
The official anthem is an adaptation of Joan Alcover i Maspons (1854-1926) poem based on an ancient and popular Majorcan children's song. The music is a work by the Catalan composer Amadeu Vives and in November 1996 the Consell Insular de Mallorca made it the anthem for the Island.
[edit] Text and Translation
| La Balanguera (Catalan) La Balanguera misteriosa, com una aranya d'art subtil, buida que buida sa filosa, de nostra vida treu lo fil. Com una parca bé cavil·la teixint la tela per demà La Balanguera fila, fila, la Balanguera filarà.
| La Balanguera (English) The mysterious Balanguera, as a subtle art spider, empties that it empties her distaff and takes out the thread of our lives. As a Parca well ponders weaving the cloth for tomorrow The Balanguera spins, spins, the Balanguera will spin.
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| Girant l'ullada cap enrera guaita les ombres de l'avior, i de la nova primavera sap on s'amaga la llavor. Sap que la soca més s'enfila com més endins pot arrelar La Balanguera fila, fila, la Balanguera filarà.
| Turning her glance to the past she guards the shades of ancestry and of the new spring she knows where the seed is hidden. She knows that the vine-stock climbs up higher the deeper its roots can go The Balanguera spins, spins the Balanguera will spin.
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| De tradicions i d'esperances tix la senyera pel jovent com qui va un vel de noviances amb caballeres d'or i argent de la infantesa qui s'enfila de la vellura qui se'n va. La Balanguera fila, fila, la Balanguera filarà
| From traditions and from hopes she weaves the flag for the youth as who prepares a wedding veil with hairs of gold and silver of the childhood that grews up of the old age who goes away The Balanguera spins, spins, the Balanguera will spin
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[edit] See also
National Anthems