History of your national anthem

In 1821, the first composition of the National Anthem was undertaken by Jos� Torrescano, although it was never accepted institutionally or by the Mexican civil society.

After 18 years, the Academy of San Juan de Letran invited people to compose for the wording of a national anthem; 30 versions were received and two selected (one by American Andrew David Bradburn and another by the poet F�lix Mar�a Escalante). Bradburn's work was put to music by the Austrian Henry Hertz, but the anthem was not well received; another failed attempt was made by the poet of Cuban origin, Juan MIguel Lozada and the European composer Carlos Boscha.

Finally in 1853, Minister Miguel Lerdo de Tejada, on behalf of Antonio L�pez de Santa Anna's regime, convened a literary-musical contest " to create a really patriotically song that, adopted by the Supreme Government, be named the National Anthem", as the invitation of 12 November 1853 proclaimed.

The qualifying jury, formed by writers Jos� Bernardo Couto, Manuel Carpio and Jos� Joaqu�n Pesado, declared, after studying all literary compositions, that considered most worthy was one entitled "Let us fly to combat, to revenge and that one who shies away, submerges in the dust his coward head front".

The author of the accepted wording was the poet from San Luis Potos�, maestro Francisco Gonz�lez Bocanegra. The winning melody was composed by Juan Bottesini, although unaccepted by a demanding on aesthetics people. Therefore there was another public competition for a composition to put music to Gonz�lez Bocanegra's wording.

Fifteen musical compositions entered in the competition. One with the epigraph "God and Liberty" was chosen; the initials "J.N." were found inside the envelope containing the composition. An announcement was published asking the author to identify himself. On 12 August 1854, the MInistry of Foment, Colonization, Industry and Trade announced that the author of the beautiful music was Don Jaime Nun�, He was born in Gerona, Catalonia, and left Mexico shortly after the success of his National Anthem entry and settled down in Buffalo, in the United States. In 1901, Nun� visited Mexico, was given a national reception, and received a chaplet of gold, a silver medal, and a purse of money. In October 1942, his mortal remains were taken back to Mexico City where they were laid to rest in great state in the Hall of Heroes which houses also the body of Bocanegra.

The composition was adopted as the National Anthem and interpreted for the first time on the night of 15 September 1854 at Santa Anna Theatre, which soon afterwards changed its name to the National Theatre. This first interpretation was made by an Italian opera company which visited Mexico and was directed by maestro Juan Bottesini. The Anthem was first interpreted by the tenor Lorenzo Salvi and the magnificent soprano Claudia Florenti.

Here�s the traduction of the short version: