The Székely himnusz (Székely/Szekler Anthem) is a 1921 poem adopted by the Szekler National Council as the anthem of the Székely Land on September 5, 2009. The lyrics were written by György Csanády (born in Székelyudvarhely/Odorheiu-Secuiesc on February 23, 1895) one year after the Treaty of Trianon, and its music was composed by Kálmán Mihalik. It soon became the often-prohibited and persecuted anthem of the Szeklers.
Between the two World Wars, the Szekler anthem spread like folk stories, from mouth to mouth, despite the fact that in Romania it was considered an irredentist, forbidden song. Between 1946 and 1989, it was on the list of forbidden songs both in Romania and in Hungary. In Romania, not only was it forbidden to sing it but also to listen to it, with months of imprisonment imposed on those who went against this law. However, people still sang it in in private and in secret.
Szeklers are convinced that whenever they sing these pleading lines with faith, they are strengthened in their faith, hope and endurance.
Hungarian
Ki tudja merre, merre visz a végzet
Göröngyös úton, sötét éjjelen.
Vezesd még egyszer győzelemre néped,
Csaba királyfi csillagösvényen.
Maroknyi székely porlik, mint a szikla
Népek harcának zajló tengerén.
Fejünk az ár, jaj, százszor elborítja,
Ne hagyd elveszni Erdélyt, Istenünk!
Ameddig élünk magyar ajkú népek
Megtörni lelkünk nem lehet soha
Szülessünk bárhol, világ bármely pontján
Legyen a sorsunk jó vagy mostoha.
Maroknyi székely…
Már másfélezer év óta Csaba népe
Sok vihart élt át, sorsa mostoha
Külső ellenség jaj, de gyakran tépte
Nem értett egyet otthon sem soha.
Maroknyi székely…
Keserves múltunk, évezredes balsors
Tatár, s török dúlt, labanc rabigált
Jussunk e honban, Magyar Székelyföldön
Szabad hazában élni boldogan.
Maroknyi székely…
Hős szabadságát elveszti Segesvár
Mádéfalvára fájón kell tekints
Földed dús kincsét népek élik s dúlják
Fiaidnak sokszor még kenyérre sincs.
Maroknyi székely…
Édes Szűzanyánk,könyörögve kérünk,
Mentsd meg e népet,vérző Nemzetet,
Jussunk e Honban,magyar-székely földön
Szabad hazában éljünk boldogan!
Refr…
Maroknyi székely porlik mint a szikla,
Haláligában meggyötörten él,
Szemünk a korbács százszor eltalálja,
Ne hagyd elveszni Erdélyt Istenünk!
English translation
Who knows where destiny takes us
On a rough road on a dark night.
Lead your nation to victory once more,
Prince Csaba, on the path of stars.
Handfuls of Székely turned to dust like rocks
On the storming sea of the battle of nations.
Our heads are, oh, a hundred times covered by the tide,
Don’t let Transylvania be lost, Our God!
As long as we live, Hungarian-speaking peoples,
Our spirit shall never be broken
We may be born anywhere, in any point in this world
Our fate may be good or harsh.
Handfuls of Székely…
People of Csaba for one and a half millennia
Lived through many storms, its fate has been harsh
Often torn apart by foreign enemies
Always lacking agreement, even at home.
Handful of Székely…
Our grievous past, misfortune of a millennia
Plundered by tartar, Turk, enslaved by labanc
Our reward shall be, in Hungarian Székely Land
To live happily in a free homeland.
Handful of Székely…
Segesvár lost its heroic freedom
Mádéfalva can be watched only in pain
The treasures of our lands are plundered by invaders
While your sons can’t even get bread.
Handful of Székely…
Oh Holy Virgin, we are begging you
Save this people, our bleeding nation
Our reward shall be, in Hungarian Székely Land
To live happily in a free homeland.
Refr…
Handfuls of Székely being crushed like rocks
Living in the yoke of death, tormented each day
Our eyes are a hundred times hit by the whip
Don’t let Transylvania be lost, Our God!
Featured photo: Wikipedia
