Saturday, November 5, 2011

The Maiden of the Sea

We are a maritime nation.



How fare thee, dear nation,
my Pearl of the Orient Seas
standing at the threshold
of another thousand years?

O dear island nation,
how came we to know thee?
O Sanctuary of my people,
a love 7,107 islands strong
emerging now from thy sleep,
awaiting the dawn!

Thy past is a mystery,
a deep longing for answers,
who were thee, O nation?
What was our name
from before the Crown
and the sword of Spain?

O dear Country,
our home away from Home
beautiful for thy people
and for thy bay side sunsets
blessed with great riches
and fruits of earth and sea.

O Land of the Morning,
my hope and my patrimony.
O how I love thy sweetness,
all our dreaming together
those days of my childhood,
'twas long as forever
fond for friends and family,
for love of God and Country
I shall soon remember -

O strong Republic,
be faithful for people
prosper thy peace together
strong for for thy faithfulness
and faithful for thy togetherness
now hearken to thy courage,
and aright to thy self!

Arise brave Republic,
become present for our hope!
For God has kept thy secrets,
thy lost memory of times before:

Thou loved the maiden
embraced by the sea!
So young and vibrant,
and promised to thee.
Thy nation to wed thee,
O for beautiful Country!
The people adored thee,
for thy spirit was free;
all the other nations
were so happy for thee.

Have thou now forgotten
that promise long ago?
Return now to the wonder
and never let go.

The night's almost over,
daybreak twilight draws near.
Aright my dear people,
the dawn will soon break.
Our Republic awaits us,
O nation most dear -
Our Land of the Morning
is soon to appear!

O dear Filipino nation,
we are who we are!

Long have the years
kept dear Country away -
through trial and sorrow,
through fear and strife,
through furious battle,
through bloodshed tears,
how long the struggle,
we fought to remain
through every opponent,
our hope overcame!

Night has not claimed us,
we are the same.
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