The National Anthem According to the Library of Congress, the United States Bureau of Education commissioned a Spanish-language version of "The Star Spangled.

The National Anthem

According to the Library of Congress, the United States Bureau of Education commissioned a Spanish-language version of "The Star Spangled Banner" en Español back in 1919. That was before the English version became the official anthem in 1931.

The Bureau called the song "La Bandera de las estrellas.” "La Bandera de las estrellas" can be found online at the Library of Congress' Performing Arts Digital Library interactive Web site:

http://memory.loc.gov/cocoon/ihas/loc.natlib.ihas.100000007/default.html

Lyrics VerseAmanece: ¿no veis, a la luz de aurora,Lo que tanto aclamamos la noche al caer?Sus estrellas, sus barras flotaban ayerEn el fiero combate en senal de victoria.Fulgor de cohetes, de bombas es truendo,Por la noche decian: "¡Se va defendiendo!"¡Oh, decid! ¿Despliega aun su hermosura estrellada,Sobre tierra de libres, la bandera sagrada?VerseEn la costa lejana que apenas blanquea,Donde yace nublada la hueste feroz,Sobre aquel precipicio que elevase atroz,¡Oh decidme! ¿que es eso quen la brisa ondea?Se oculta y flamea, en el alba luciendo,Reflejada en la mar, donde va resplandeciendo.¡Aun alli desplego su hermosura estrellada,Sobre tierra de libres, la bandera sagrada!Verse¡Oh asi sea siempre, en lealtad defendamosNuestra tierra natal contra el torpe invasor!A Dios quien nos dio paz, la libertad, y honor,Nos mantuvo nacion, con fervor bendigamos.Nuestra causa es el bien, y por eso triumfamos,Siempre fue nuestro lema: "¡En Dios confiamos!"!Y desplegara asi su hermosura estrellada,Sobre tierra de libres, la bandera sagrada!

Full Description

• Title: La bandera de las estrellas [sheet music]

• Composer: Smith, John Stafford• Arranger: Damrosch, Walter• Lyricist: Key, Francis Scott• Place of Publication/Creation: New York, NY• Publisher: G. Schirmer• Date Issued: 1919• Physical Description: 4 p., 12 x 9 in.• Type of Material: notated music• Subjects

– National songs--United States– Patriotic music--United States

• Note(s)– Spanish translation by Francis Haffkine Snow.

This version of the song was prepared by the U.S. Bureau of Education.

• Call Number: M1630.3.S7S1919A• Repository: Music Division

Other Spanish Versions of the Anthem

The U.S. State Department, on its "usinfo" Web site for non-English speakers or people from other countries has four separate Spanish versions of the national anthem.

http://usinfo.state.gov/esp/home/topics/us_society_values/national_symbols/anthem_spanish.html

The logic behind foreign-language versions is that U.S. embassies could use the translations in ceremonies so guests could understand what was being sung.