National Anthem of Colombia
(Himno Nacional de la Republica de Colombia)
Lyrics
O unfading glory!
O immortal joy!
In furrows of pain
the good now germinates.
The horrible night has ceased,
the sublime liberty
spills the auroras
of its invincible light.
All humanity,
which moans within chains,
understands the words
of He who died on the Cross.
“Independence!” cries
the American world;
soaked in blood of heroes
the land of Columbus.
Still, one great principle,
“The king is not sovereign”,
resounds, and those who suffer
bless their passion.
The Orinoco’s bed
fills with the remains,
of blood and tears a river
is there seen flowing.
In Bárbula they don’t know
the souls nor the eyes,
if admiration or horror
feel or suffer.
On the shores of the Caribbean,
famished the people fight,
horrors preferring
to treacherous health.
O, aye! for Cartagena
the abnegation is much,
and the shambles of death
its courage despises .
From Boyacá in the fields,
the genius of glory,
for every ear a hero
undefeated crowned.
Soldiers without breastplate
won victory;
their virile breath
as shield served.
Bolivar crosses the Andes
that two oceans bathe,
swords as sparks
shine in JunÃn.
Untameable centaurs
descend to the plains,
and a prescience begins to be felt,
of the epic the end.
The victorious trumpet
in Ayacucho thunders,
that in every triumph grows
its formidable sound.
In its expansive thrust
Liberty is worn for the first time,
from the American sky
a pavilion forming.
The virgin her hairs
pulls out in agony
and from her beloved widowed
hangs them on a cypress.
Regretting her hope
covered by a cold headstone,
but glorious pride
hallows her fair skin.
Thus the motherland is formed,
Thermopylaes are breaking forth;
constellation of cyclops
its night brightened.
The trembling flower
finding the wind mortal,
underneath the laurels
safety sought.
But it’s not complete glory
to defeat in battle,
that the arm that fights
is encouraged by truth.
Independence alone
The great clamour doesn’t silence;
if the sun illuminates everyone,
justice is liberty.
From men the rights
Nariño’s preaching,
the soul of struggle
prophetically taught.
Ricaurte in San Mateo,
in atoms flying,
“Duty before life,”
with flames he wrote.
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Flag History
Following years of Spanish rule, Columbia became part of independent Greater
Colombia in 1819 and then a separate republic in 1830. The flag of Greater
Colombia, adopted in 1819, was retained by Columbia after independence in 1830.
For a while, the stripes were arranged vertically, but the original horizontal
version was restored in 1861. Red represents courage, while the blue stands for
independence from Spain. Yellow recalls the federation of Greater Colombia.
Geographic Coordinates:
4 00 N, 72 00 W
Area:
1,138,914
Population:
44,205,293
Life Expectancy:
74.31 years
Government Type:
Republic
Capital:
Bogota
GDP:
$401 billion (2009 est.)
Unemployment:
12% (2009 est.)
Currency:
Peso (COP)
Calling Code:
+57
Internet TLD:
.co