Portguese National Anthem

History of the Portuguese National Anthem

The national anthem of Portugal is "A Portuguesa", literally meaning "The Portuguese Song". Like many national anthems, this was composed during a time of crisis and hardship - in this case, the resurgent nationalist movement in 1890 which was fueled by an ultimatum from the British Empire concerning the removal of its military and economic interests from Portugal's African colonies.

The Republican Movement

The British Empire had warned and declared that Portugal needed to stop and restrict their people from colonizing the land between the colonies of Angola and Mozambique. This led to a huge uproar by the common people, mainly due to the stance of their monarch, King Carlos the first who had accepted the warning from the British Empire and decided to comply with their wishes - limiting expansion.

The anthem was composed by Alfredo Keil and written by fellow artist Henrique Lopes de Mendonca and used as a marching song in 1891 during the rebellion against the crown by the newly formed people's republic. Although it resulted in a catastrophic failure, the song was officially recognized as the national anthem on October 5th, 1910 to signal the creation of the Portuguese Republic - casting aside its constitutional monarchy through the eventual success of the ideal nada popular regime.

Portguese National Anthem

History of the Portuguese National Anthem

The Republican Movement

Portguese National Anthem Lyrics

Portugal National Anthem

English Translation