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English Translation of Philippine National Anthem

Philippine Culture / by

A few days ago, I posted an article that I wrote about the Philippine National Anthem, and I also posted the lyrics to the National Anthem. In a comment left on that post, reader “Bob NY USA” asked if I could provide an English translation of the lyrics. Thanks to another commenter, Jul, we were pointed to The Filipinas Heritage Library to get the English lyrics! Thanks for that, Jul.

So, here are the English lyrics to the Philippine National Anthem:

Land of the Morning,
Child of the sun returning,
With fervor burning,
Thee do our souls adore.

Land dear and holy,
Cradle of noble heroes,
Ne’er shall invaders
Trample thy sacred shore.

Ever within thy skies and through thy clouds
And o’er thy hills and sea
Do we behold the radiance, feel the throb,
Of glorious liberty.

Thy banner, dear to all our hearts,
Its sun and stars alight,
O, never shall its shining field
Be dimmed by tyrant’s might!

Beautiful land of love,
O land of light,
In thine embrace ‘tis rapture to lie,
But it is glory ever, when thou art wronged,
For us, thy sons, to suffer and die.

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Comments

  1. Hi Bob, thank you for the english translation, so are we all going to learn this then ? I can just see you Bob every morning, starting with "Land of the morning child of the son returning !" hehehehe, that should cause Feyma to chuckle no doubt, a very nice set of words.

  3. Hi Pete – My memory space in my mind is almost full, before learning the Philippine National Anthem, I’d need to go to the shop and have my brain retrofitted for a hard drive upgrade!

  4. We used to sing both Pilipino and English version at the Ateneo grade school many decades ago. I don't know if they still do?

  8. hi bob!thanks for posting the translation of our national anthem!now i dont have the problem how to translate it!

  10. My nephews nor nieces doubted what i am saying that there’s an english lyrics of our national anthem.Now they knew

  11. The English version is not actually a translation. Rather it is similar but made up the music.

    A clue is the second line Perlas ng Silangan which means Pearl of the Orient – nothing to do with “Child of the Sun Returning”

    The English version you posted is actually the old Philippine anthem from the American Commonwealth days (pre1941)

    A better translation would be:
    http://lyricstranslate.com/en/filipino-national-anthem-lupang-hinirang-land-was-chosen.html#songtranslation#ixzz47bcJLc8Wu

    Loving Country
    The Pearl of the Orient
    The blaze of the heart
    In thy heart is Life
    The Land that was Chosen
    The cradle of brave souls
    As for the invaders,
    They will never oppress thee
    The seas and mountains
    The breeze and thy azure skies
    The poem is splendid
    Also is the song of freedom.
    The glitter in your flag
    Is the lustrous victory
    And thy star and sun
    Will never cease to shine
    Land of the sun of glory and passion
    The skies are alive in thy presence
    Our joy is when someone come to opress thee
    Is to die while protecting thee from them