Composer Proposes to Set Words to Spain’s National Anthem
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MADRID — A composer has asked Spain’s parliament to back his proposal to set words to the country’s lyric-free national anthem, the songsmith said in a website he has launched to back his initiative.

Madrid musician Victor Lago said he submitted his lyrics to the lower house and also launched a campaign to collect the 500,000 signatures needed to enable lawmakers to debate his proposal.

Spain’s wordless national anthem has often caused consternation among onlookers from other nations at international events like soccer matches and Olympics because all Spaniards can do is hum along to its tune.

According to news agency Europa Press, the Committee on Petitions to Parliament agreed to refer the composer’s proposal to Spain’s constitutional commission.

A previous attempt to set words to the march-like tune, organized by the Spanish Olympic Committee, flopped in 2008 when the lyrics put forward were deemed to be too politically-charged.

Lago said his lyrics are neutral and inspired solely by his love for Spain and Spaniards.

“When I wrote the lyrics, I tried to stay as politically neutral as possible and attempted to imbue them with higher values that are above any movement or political orientation,” Lago said.

The composer added that Spaniards deserved lyrics that could be “sung with pride by all across the length and breadth of our geography.”

Spain’s anthem is a military march dating back to the 18th century, its composer unknown. As the tune has no words, Spaniards can at most sing “La, la, la” or “chunda, chunda, chunda” — or just hum — making for awkward moments at official ceremonies and sporting events.

Lago’s lyrics begin with “Glory, Homeland!” and can be heard sung to the anthem’s music in the proposal’s website.

不想「拉拉拉」！西班牙請願 幫國歌填詞

西班牙國歌沒有歌詞，倚曲填詞者代不乏人，無一能夠持久，馬德里音樂家拉戈再提新詞，要求國會支持，並且專設網站發動聯名請願。

拉戈說，他已將他作的詞交給國會下院，並且發動50萬人聯名請願。依照西班牙法律，50萬人簽名是國會議員辯論民間請願案的門檻。

媒體報導，「國會請願委員會」已同意將拉戈案轉呈西班牙憲法委員會。

其他三國 也沒歌詞

西班牙據考是今天全球四個國歌無詞的國家之一（另外三國是波士尼亞、科索伏、聖馬利諾），經常在足球賽、奧運會之類國際重大場合造成尷尬。球隊或選手上台領獎，和觀眾席上的同胞引吭高歌，以各種壯盛歌詞頌讚祖國，西班牙人只能配合演奏版，嘴裡跟著曲調哼，有的唱「拉，拉，拉」，有人唱「嘍，嘍，嘍」了事，有人根本呆聆無聲。

西班牙國歌誕生極早，是一首步兵進行曲，作曲者無考，此曲1761年問世以來，政治擾攘，國家定位多變，只曾有兩個階段有詞，加上種族複雜，語言多樣，遍地自治區，國家認同不一，歌詞隨之向來難有定版。

曾徵選歌詞 被棄用

2007年，西班牙奧委會（COE）眼見耳聆英國足球勁旅利物浦隊和球迷高唱隊歌〈你永遠不必獨行〉，大受刺激，深感西班牙國歌應該有詞，於是向全國徵詞，並由學術界與音樂家成立專案小組，選出贏家，本來預定2008年1月1日由男高音多明哥為全國政要示範演唱。

但COE選出的版本，被認為政治味太濃，開頭一句「西班牙萬歲」，就有人想起結束未久的佛朗哥獨裁時代。COE將其他政治味過重的歌詞改成「翠綠山谷」，「汪洋大海」，又稀釋過度，變成泛泛之詞，全無西班牙特色。COE版國歌奔忙一場，就此打消。

拉戈說，他作的詞屬於中性，唯一靈感來源是他對西班牙和西班牙同胞的愛。

他說：「我為國歌作詞的時候，盡量保持政治中立，賦予歌詞一些比任何運動或政治取向都高一層的價值。」

原文參照：
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/10/18/world/europe/ap-eu-spain-national-anthem.html

2015-10-19．聯合晚報．A6．國際焦點．編譯彭淮棟