It raises a whole series of issues which I feel like I've been wrestling with for a while. Ever since after the 2004 Presidential election, when a lot of people I knew were joking around about moving to Canada (or alternatively, having the blue states secede) it struck me that there had to be a way to resolve the tension between genuine love of country and criticism of the government. My own family leaned towards the latter and so they left Cuba due to political reasons. But this time around, I felt a little angry at the people who were talking about going to Canada because of Bush. I even ended up writing a poem about the subject. How do you affirm the best parts of what it means to be American, while rejecting the harmful government policies, the racist history, the religious discrimination, etc. which are often deeply intertwined mainstream expressions of "patriotism". One line which sums up a lot of the poem went, "I love this country with the love of a mechanic: when something is broke, you fix it." Another idea had to do with being an American, but on your own terms. My parents didn't leave Cuba because they thought Spanish was an ugly language or because they preferred hamburgers and french fries to yucca and frijoles negros. They came here to be free. For me, that's what this song is about.
Lyrics to 'Nuestro Himno' ('Our Hymn')
Amanece, lo veis?, a la luz de la aurora?
lo que tanto aclamamos la noche caer?
sus estrellas sus franjas
flotaban ayer
en el fiero combate
en señal de victoria,
fulgor de lucha, al paso de la libertada.
Por la noche decían:
"Se va defendiendo!"
Oh decid! Despliega aún
Voz a su hermosura estrellada,
sobre tierra de libres,
la bandera sagrada?
Sus estrellas, sus franjas,
la libertad, somos iguales.
Somos hermanos, en nuestro himno.
En el fiero combate en señal de victoria,
Fulgor de lucha, al paso de la libertada.
Mi gente sigue luchando.
Ya es tiempo de romper las cadenas.
Por la noche decían: "!Se va defendiendo!"
Oh decid! Despliega aún su hermosura estrellada
sobre tierra de libres,
la bandera sagrada?
English translation:
By the light of the dawn, do you see arising,
what we proudly hailed at twilight's last fall?
Its stars, its stripes
yesterday streamed
above fierce combat
a gleaming emblem of victory
and the struggle toward liberty.
Throughout the night, they proclaimed:
"We will defend it!"
Tell me! Does its starry beauty still wave
above the land of the free,
the sacred flag?
Its stars, its stripes,
liberty, we are the same.
We are brothers in our anthem.
In fierce combat, a gleaming emblem of victory
and the struggle toward liberty.
My people fight on.
The time has come to break the chains.
Throughout the night they proclaimed, "We will defend it!"
Tell me! Does its starry beauty still wave
above the land of the free,
the sacred flag?
Scotsman.com: Bush pans Star-Spangled Banner
NPR: A Spanish Version of 'The Star-Spangled Banner' (listen)
"Jose can you see" reference
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