Derek Piotr
Fieldwork Archive

1351

Himno nacional de República Dominicana


Performed by Rosa Velez.
Recorded June 30, 2025 at La Casa Bienvenida, Waterbury, Connecticut.
Mrs. Velez is of San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic.



National anthem of the Dominican Republic.

Quisqueyanos valientes, alcemos
Nuestro canto con viva emoción,
Y del mundo a la faz ostentemos
Nuestro invicto glorioso pendón.

Salve el pueblo que, intrépido y fuerte,
A la guerra a morir se lanzó,
Cuando en bélico reto de muerte
Sus cadenas de esclavo rompió.

Ningún pueblo ser libre merece
Si es esclavo indolente y servil;
Si en su pecho la llama no crece
Que templó el heroísmo viril,

Mas Quisqueya la indómita y brava
Siempre altiva la frente alzará;
Que si fuere mil veces esclava
Otras tantas ser libre sabrá.

Brave Quisqueyans, let us raise
Our song with vivid emotion,
And let's show to the face of the Earth
Our unconquered, glorious banner.

Hail the people who strong and intrepid,
Into war launched itself set to die
When in a warring challenge to the death
Its chains of slavery cut off.

No people deserves to be free
If it's an indolent and servile slave;
If in its chest doesn't grow the flame
that forged the virile heroism.

But Quisqueya the brave and indomitable
Always proudly her forehead will raise
For if she were a thousand times a slave
This many times will she be free.

Rosa adds: "Santo Domingo was enslaved; first by Europeans, who were the ones who started taking the Indigenous people and the Indigenous Americans. They went with Columbus—unfortunately, I'm going to speak negatively about it here—because the king didn't even know and had to arrest him to send him back to Spain. What they did was rape the Indigenous women. When they left, they left them pregnant. Terrified. They abandoned them. They were also enslaved... That's why my opinion of Columbus was that he was the first imbecile of America—not discoverer—for me he was the first imbecile of America. ...Later they were enslaved by the Americans and then by the Africans. That's why the anthem says: 'But Quisqueya the brave and indomitable, always proudly will rise; for if she were a thousand times a slave, this many times will she be free.' We are free, and have been for many years."




Tags

Connecticut, United States, Waterbury Songs Project