"" ("The Sardinian National Anthem"), also known by its incipit as "" ("God Save the King"), was the national anthem of the Kingdom of Sardinia under Savoyard rule and of the Kingdom of Italy.
History Dating back to the 1830s, the anthem was written in the Logudorese dialect of Sardinian by the Sardinian priest Vittorio Angius, who became secular in 1842. The music was composed by a maestro from Sassari, Giovanni Gonella (1804–1854), who was also the musician of the Brigata Regina. The anthem was first performed at the Cagliari Civic Theatre on 20 February 1844.
The original score was found in the archives of the Music Auditorium in Cagliari by Prof. Francesco Cesare Casula, then head of Institute of History of Mediterranean Europe (ISEM) of Italy's National Research Council (CNR). According to Casula, the official hymn was held in high regard by the rulers from the Italian mainland in Piedmont. On the express wishes of Victor Emmanuel III of Italy, it was officially performed for the last time in 1937, by the choir of the Sistine Chapel, the Director of which being Lorenzo Perosi, when the Golden Rose was conferred to Queen Elena by Pope Pius XI.
The anthem was de facto replaced by the Italian Royal March of Ordinance ("") as early as 1861, but it would lose its formal status only in 1946, when the monarchy was definitely abolished and "" ("The Chant of Italians") was chosen as the provisional national anthem of the newly proclaimed Italian Republic.
In 1991, "" was performed by the Carabinieri Music Band at the Quirinal Palace on 29 May, in accordance with the traditional way the foreign diplomatic corps was received. It was meant to pay homage to the Sardinian origin of Francesco Cossiga, then President of the Republic. It was played again when Cossiga resigned from such position on 28 April 1992.
In 2001, the anthem was performed on the occasion of the funeral of Marie José of Belgium, the last queen of Italy.
Lyrics The anthem is entirely written in Sardinian language, and more specifically the Logudorese dialect.
Cunservet Deus su Re
Salvet su Regnu Sardu Et gloria a s'istendardu Cuncedat de su Re!
chi manchet in nois s'animu chi languat su valore Pro fortza o pro terrore Non apas suspetu, o Re.
Cunservet Deus su Re...
Unu o omni chentu intrepidos A ferru et a mitralia In vallu e in muralia amus a andare o Re.
Cunservet Deus su Re...
Solu in sa morte cedere Soliat su Sardu antigu Né vivu a' s'inimigu deo m'apa a dare, o Re.
Cunservet Deus su Re...
De fidos et fort'omines Si fizos nos bantamus Bene nos provaramus Fizos issoro, o Re.
Cunservet Deus su Re...
De ti mostrare cupidu Sa fide sua, s'amore Sas venas in ardore Sentit su Sardu, o Re.
Cunservet Deus su Re...
Indica un adversariu E horrenda dae su coro Scoppiat s'ira insoro A unu tou cinnu, o Re.
Cunservet Deus su Re...
Cumanda su chi piagat Si bene troppu duru, E nde sias tue seguru chi at a esser fatu, o Re.
Cunservet Deus su Re...
Sa forza qui mirabile Là fuit a' su Romanu E innanti a s'Africanu Tue bideras, o Re.
Cunservet Deus su Re...
Sa forza qui tant'atteros Podesit superare Facherat operare Unu tuo cinnu, o Re.
Cunservet Deus su Re...
Sos fidos fortes homines Abbaida tue contentu chi an a esse in onzi eventu cales jà fuint, o Re.
Cunservet Deus su Re Salvet su Regnu Sardu Et gloria a s'istendardu Concedat de su Re!
See also "", an antifeudal song, now the official anthem of Sardinia
References