Mawtini

"" (Template:IPAc-en ; Template:Langx) is an Arabic national poem by the Palestinian poet Ibrahim Tuqan, composed by the Lebanese musician Mohammed Flayfel in 1934, and is a popular patriotic song among the Arab people, and the official national anthem of Iraq.

Mawtini was adopted as Iraq's national anthem in 2004. The song formerly served as an unofficial anthem of Palestinians and other peoples of the Middle East for much of the 20th century. In 1996, Palestine formally adopted it as the official national anthem. Though it has since been superseded by an official national anthem there, many Palestinians still identify strongly with it and consider it the unofficial national anthem of their country. It is considered one of the Arab national anthems, including two periods where it was the national anthem of Iraq.

Mawtini has been described as a reflection of the shared experiences and struggles of Arab peoples, evoking strong emotions tied to national pride, hardship, and the aspiration for freedom. It is regarded as a symbol of resistance and a representation of the collective longing for liberation during periods of occupation and oppression. The anthem conveys emotions such as sorrow, anger, and hope, fostering a sense of renewal and solidarity among those who have endured similar adversities. Its lyrics express a deep love for the homeland, a commitment to its liberation, and a vision of a united and free nation. This message resonates widely across the Arab world, reflecting the shared struggles for independence, identity, and sovereignty.

Many Arab artists have re-sung the anthem with new distributions, such as Elissa, Christina Sawaya, and Faia Younan in a video clip that depicted the Syrian civil war.

History

File:090623-A-6368A - Behind the Scenes While Recording Mawtini.webm

U.S. military band performing "Mawtini" in 2009

It is a popular poem written by the Palestinian poet ʾIbrāhīm Ṭūqān c. 1934 and composed by the Lebanese composer Muḥammid Flayfil. It served as Palestine's de facto national anthem from its inception to 1996 when it was officially replaced by "Fidā'ī". However, many Palestinians still identify with it along with "Fida'i" and consider the former a sort of unofficial second national anthem of their country.

In 2004, it was re-adopted as a national anthem, this time by Iraq, on the order of Coalition Provisional Authority chief Paul Bremer as the national anthem of Iraq. It replaced "Mawṭinī" (of no relation to the current national anthem), which in turn replaced the old national anthem "Arḍulfurātayni", which had been in use since 1981 and was thus associated with Saddam Hussein's Ba'athist regime.

Background

During the late 1950s and early 1960s, after it became a republic, Iraq used a national anthem also called "Mawṭinī", composed by Lewis Zanbaka. Though it shares the same name as the current Iraqi national anthem, it is a different song altogether. Unlike the current Iraqi national anthem, this version is instrumental and has no lyrics.

After Iraq's Ba'athist regime was deposed in 2003, the old "Mawṭinī" formerly used as the Iraqi national anthem during the late 1950s and early 1960s was brought back and used temporarily as an interim national anthem until it was replaced by the current "Mawṭinī" in 2004.

Lyrics

Arabic original	Transliteration	IPA transcriptionTemplate:Efn	English translation
		1	I My homeland, my homeland, Glory and beauty, sublimity and splendour Are in thy hills, are in thy hills. Life and deliverance, pleasure and hope Are in thine air, are in thine air. Will I see thee, will I see thee? 𝄆 Safely comforted and victoriously honoured. 𝄇 Will I see thee in thine eminence? Reaching to the stars, reaching to the stars My homeland, my homeland. II My homeland, my homeland, The youth shall not tire, their goal is thine independence Or they die, or they die. We shall drink from death, and shall not be to our enemies Like slaves, like slaves. We want not, we want not 𝄆 An eternal humiliation, nor a miserable life. 𝄇 We want not, but we shall bring back Our storied glory, our storied glory. My homeland, my homeland. III My homeland, my homeland, The sword and the pen, not the talk nor the quarrel Are our symbols, are our symbols. Our glory and our covenant, and a faithful duty Moveth us, moveth us. Our glory, our glory, 𝄆 Is an honourable cause, and a waving flag. 𝄇 O, behold thee, in thine eminence, Victorious over thy foes, victorious over thy foes. My homeland, my homeland!

See also

• "as-Salām al-Malakī", the former Iraqi national anthem, used from 1932 to 1958.
• "ʾArḍ ul-Furātayn", the former Iraqi national anthem, used from 1981 to 2003.
• "Humat ad-Diyar", the national anthem of Syria, also composed by Mohammed Flayfel.

External links

• Information on Mawtini at NationalAnthems.me (archive link)
• Ilham al Madfai – A free download of Iraqi singer Ilham al Madfai's version of "Mawtini" is available at his official website, from the CD "The Voice of Iraq"
• Anthem Original Performance
• Watch Mawtini sung by Algerian youth
• Free download of Mawtini performed by Sgt. Brenda Bushera, a member of the 34th Red Bull Infantry Band
• Listen to a Syrian version