The March of the Volunteers

"The March of the Volunteers" (Simplified Chinese: 义勇军进行曲) is the national anthem of the People's Republic of China, written in the midst of the Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) by the noted poet Tian Han[?] (田汉) with music composed by Nie Er[?] (聂耳). This composition is a musical march.

It was originally the theme song of the film Sons and Daughters in a Time of Storm (风云儿女, 1935), a story about nameless heroes and heroines of the Second Sino-Japanese War. It was one of many songs that were promoted secretly among the population as part of the anti-Japanese resistance.

The song was chosen to be the provisional national anthem on September 27, 1949, more than a month before the founding of the PRC. During the Cultural Revolution, Tian Han was swept from power and as a result there was a period of time when The East is Red[?] was used as the unofficial national anthem.

The March of the Volunteers was restored by the National People's Congress in 1978, but with different lyrics, however these new lyrics were never very popularly. On December 4, 1982, the National People's Congress resolved to restore the original 1935 version by Tian Han as the official national anthem. Signifantly the 1982 lyrics do not mention either the Communist Party of China nor Mao Zedong and the reversion of the lyrics was symbolic of the downfall of Hua Guofeng and the cult of personality of Mao and the asendancy of Deng Xiaoping.

Although even popular among Nationalists during the Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945), the song was banned in Taiwan until the 1990s.

The anthem is written completely in Vernacular Chinese, while the Republic of China's "Three Principles of the People" is Classical Chinese.

Lyrics (Current) 起来！不愿做奴隶的人们！
把我们的血肉，筑成我们新的长城！
中华民族到了最危险的时候，
每个人被迫着发出最后的吼声。
起来！起来！起来！
我们万众一心，
冒着敌人的炮火前进！
冒着敌人的炮火前进！
前进！前进！进！

Translation Arise, ye who refuse to be slaves!
Let us amount our flesh and blood towards our new Great Wall!
The Chinese nation faces its greatest peril,
The thundering roar of our peoples will be heard!
Arise! Arise! Arise!
We are many, but our hearts beat as one!
Selflessly braving the enemy's gunfire, march on!
Selflessly braving the enemy's gunfire, march on!
March on! March on! March on! on!

Lyrics (1978-1982) 前进！各民族英雄的人民！
伟大的共产党领导我们继续长征。
万众一心奔向共产主义明天，
建设祖国保卫祖国英勇的斗争。
前进！前进！前进！
我们千秋万代
高举毛泽东旗帜，前进！
高举毛泽东旗帜，前进！
前进！ 前进！ 进！

Translation (1978-1982) March on! People of all heroic nationalities!
Let us continue the Long March under the Party's guidance,
Millions with but one heart towards communism's tomorrow,
Develop and protect the country, fight bravely.
March on, march on, march on!
We will for generations,
Raise high Mao Zedong's banner, march on!
Raise high Mao Zedong's banner, march on!
March on! March on! On!

External Link

• MIDI File (http://www.copsrus.com/anthems/china.mid)