A religious
hymn to the
Virgin Mary dating back to between 10th and 13th centuries. It was a de facto national anthem of medieval Poland, sung at royal coronations and on battlefields, including the
Battle of Grunwald in 1410 and the
Battle of Varna in 1444.
A hymn written in the 13th century by
Wincenty of Kielcza. It was penned in
Medieval Latin to the melody of a
Gregorian chant, O salutaris Hostia. The hymn celebrates the canonization of Saint
Stanislaus of Szczepanów,
bishop of Kraków and patron saint of Poland. In the Middle Ages, it was chanted on special occasions and after victorious battles. Today, it is performed at university ceremonies.
(from the first lines "Boże! Coś Polskę przez tak liczne wieki / Otaczał blaskiem potęgi i chwały...", "Lord! Who for so many ages enclosed Poland with the light of power and glory...")
Originally written in 1816 by
Alojzy Feliński as Pieśń narodowa na pomyślność Króla (National Song to the King's Well-being). It was the official anthem of the
Congress Kingdom of Poland reigned over by Russian emperors who were ex officio kings of Poland. Initially unpopular, it evolved in the early 1860s into an important religious and patriotic hymn. The line from the refrain, which originally begged "Save, Oh Lord, our King", was substituted with "Return us, Oh Lord, our free Fatherland" while the melody was simplified and made close to the Marian hymn. The resulting modern version has been sung in Polish churches ever since, with the final verse alternating between "Return..." and "Bless, Oh Lord, our free Fatherland", depending on Poland's political situation.
Originally written in 1831 by
Casimir Delavigne in French as La Varsovienne, with melody composed by
Karol Kurpiński. The song praised the
November Uprising of 1830 and, translated into Polish by
Karol Sienkiewicz, it became the most popular song of the uprising and is still performed by Polish military bands today.
A patriotic socialist song written in 1835 by
Gustaw Ehrenberg to the melody of an aria from
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's opera Don Juan. The lyrics denounce the loyalist attitude of Polish magnates, noblemen and clergy during the failed
November Uprising of 1830. The song was popular with members of Polish socialist and agrarian movements and became an anthem of the Polish
People's Army during
World War II.
Warszawianka (The Song of Warsaw or Whirlwinds of Danger, 1905)
A revolutionary song written in 1879 by socialist
Wacław Święcicki imprisoned in the
Warsaw Citadel. First sung in the streets of Warsaw in 1885, it became particularly popular during the
Revolution of 1905. Its popularity spread to Russia proper and from there to Germany, France and Spain, where it became known as A las barricadas (To the Barricades), the anarchist anthem of the
Spanish Civil War.
Great anthem against German oppression and policy of germanisation, written by
Maria Konopnicka, music composed 1910 by
Feliks Nowowiejski, first publicly sung during patriotic demonstration July 15, 1910, in
Kraków on the 500th anniversary of Polish victory in
Battle of Grunwald. Special modified version of Rota has been prepared against Soviet Union after WWII when Poland became dependent.
Soldiers' song written in 1917 by Andrzej Hałaciński and Tadeusz Biernacki to the melody of Marsz Kielecki (
Kielce March) composed by Andrzej Brzuchal-Sikorski in 1905. It was originally sung by soldiers of the
First Brigade of the
Polish Legions commanded by
Józef Piłsudski during
World War I. During Piłsudski's military dictatorship following the
coup of May 1926, the song was an unofficial national anthem of Poland. In 2007, it became the official anthem of the
Polish Armed Forces.
Written at the turn of the 1930s by Adam Kowalski to praise the sailors of Poland's nascent navy and to celebrate the construction of
Gdynia, a new port city on the
Baltic Sea. It is now the official anthem of the
Polish Navy.
A religious
hymn to the
Virgin Mary dating back to between 10th and 13th centuries. It was a de facto national anthem of medieval Poland, sung at royal coronations and on battlefields, including the
Battle of Grunwald in 1410 and the
Battle of Varna in 1444.
A hymn written in the 13th century by
Wincenty of Kielcza. It was penned in
Medieval Latin to the melody of a
Gregorian chant, O salutaris Hostia. The hymn celebrates the canonization of Saint
Stanislaus of Szczepanów,
bishop of Kraków and patron saint of Poland. In the Middle Ages, it was chanted on special occasions and after victorious battles. Today, it is performed at university ceremonies.
(from the first lines "Boże! Coś Polskę przez tak liczne wieki / Otaczał blaskiem potęgi i chwały...", "Lord! Who for so many ages enclosed Poland with the light of power and glory...")
Originally written in 1816 by
Alojzy Feliński as Pieśń narodowa na pomyślność Króla (National Song to the King's Well-being). It was the official anthem of the
Congress Kingdom of Poland reigned over by Russian emperors who were ex officio kings of Poland. Initially unpopular, it evolved in the early 1860s into an important religious and patriotic hymn. The line from the refrain, which originally begged "Save, Oh Lord, our King", was substituted with "Return us, Oh Lord, our free Fatherland" while the melody was simplified and made close to the Marian hymn. The resulting modern version has been sung in Polish churches ever since, with the final verse alternating between "Return..." and "Bless, Oh Lord, our free Fatherland", depending on Poland's political situation.
Originally written in 1831 by
Casimir Delavigne in French as La Varsovienne, with melody composed by
Karol Kurpiński. The song praised the
November Uprising of 1830 and, translated into Polish by
Karol Sienkiewicz, it became the most popular song of the uprising and is still performed by Polish military bands today.
A patriotic socialist song written in 1835 by
Gustaw Ehrenberg to the melody of an aria from
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's opera Don Juan. The lyrics denounce the loyalist attitude of Polish magnates, noblemen and clergy during the failed
November Uprising of 1830. The song was popular with members of Polish socialist and agrarian movements and became an anthem of the Polish
People's Army during
World War II.
Warszawianka (The Song of Warsaw or Whirlwinds of Danger, 1905)
A revolutionary song written in 1879 by socialist
Wacław Święcicki imprisoned in the
Warsaw Citadel. First sung in the streets of Warsaw in 1885, it became particularly popular during the
Revolution of 1905. Its popularity spread to Russia proper and from there to Germany, France and Spain, where it became known as A las barricadas (To the Barricades), the anarchist anthem of the
Spanish Civil War.
Great anthem against German oppression and policy of germanisation, written by
Maria Konopnicka, music composed 1910 by
Feliks Nowowiejski, first publicly sung during patriotic demonstration July 15, 1910, in
Kraków on the 500th anniversary of Polish victory in
Battle of Grunwald. Special modified version of Rota has been prepared against Soviet Union after WWII when Poland became dependent.
Soldiers' song written in 1917 by Andrzej Hałaciński and Tadeusz Biernacki to the melody of Marsz Kielecki (
Kielce March) composed by Andrzej Brzuchal-Sikorski in 1905. It was originally sung by soldiers of the
First Brigade of the
Polish Legions commanded by
Józef Piłsudski during
World War I. During Piłsudski's military dictatorship following the
coup of May 1926, the song was an unofficial national anthem of Poland. In 2007, it became the official anthem of the
Polish Armed Forces.
Written at the turn of the 1930s by Adam Kowalski to praise the sailors of Poland's nascent navy and to celebrate the construction of
Gdynia, a new port city on the
Baltic Sea. It is now the official anthem of the
Polish Navy.