Make Something: Music

Rota

Rota started out as a poem written by Maria Konopicka in 1908 and then two years later it was set to music by Feliks Nowowiejski. 

In 1795 the 3rd partition of Poland occurred which left all of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth lands divided between the Russian, Prussian, and Austrian empires. In both Russian and Prussian occupied lands polish culture was repressed. The two empires wanted to wipe any the culture all together. Rota was written as a response to Prussian/German oppression. After it was performed it popular across occupied polish lands as a song of protest.When Poland received independence after World War I Rota was considered for the national anthem lost to the Mazurek Dąbrowskiego. 

Tekst

Nie rzucim ziemi skąd nasz ród!
Nie damy pogrześć mowy.
Polski my naród, polski lud,
Królewski szczep Piastowy.
Nie damy, by nas gnębił wróg!
Tak nam dopomóż Bóg!
Tak nam dopomóż Bóg!

Do krwi ostatniej kropli z żył
Bronić będziemy ducha,
Aż się rozpadnie w proch i w pył
Krzyżacka zawierucha.
Twierdzą nam będzie każdy próg!
Tak nam dopomóż Bóg!
Tak nam dopomóż Bóg!

Nie będzie Niemiec pluł nam w twarz
Ni dzieci nam germanił,
Orężny wstanie hufiec nasz,
Duch będzie nam hetmanił.
Pójdziem, gdy zabrzmi złoty róg!
Tak nam dopomóż Bóg!
Tak nam dopomóż Bóg!

Nie damy miana Polski zgnieść
Nie pójdziem żywo w trumnę
W Ojczyzny imię, na jej cześć
Podnosi czoła dumne.
Odzyska ziemi dziadów wnuk!
Tak nam dopomóż Bóg!
Tak nam dopomóż Bóg! 

English: The Oath

We will not abandon the land we are from

We won't allow our speech be buried 

 The polish nation, polish people 

The royal Piast line 

We are not going to keep being oppressed.

So Help Us God 

So Help Us God 

To the last drop of blood in our viens 

We'll defend our spirit

Till into dust and ash shall fall

The Teutonic Order's turmoil

Each doorstep will be a fortress 

So Help Us God 

So Help Us God 

The German will not spit in out face 

Our children will not be germanized 

We'll arise in arms 

Holy Spirit will lead the way

We'll go when the golden horn sounds 

So Help Us God 

So Help Us God 

We will not let Poland's name be defamed 

We won't step into our coffin

In Poland's name, in her honor

We raise our head proud 

Grandson will regains his grandfathers land 

So Help Us God 

So Help Us God 

When  I was in Poland the orchestra I was with would have concerts for various important holidays and events. Whenever we played piosenki patriotyczne Rota was one of my favorites. I found it to have a very pretty melody and its key gave it a haunting, sad tone.