"" ( ; ) is an Arabic national poem by the Palestinian poet

Ibrahim Tuqan Ibrahim Abd al-Fattah Tuqan (; 1905 – 2 May 1941) was a Palestinian nationalist poet whose work rallied Arabs during their revolt against the British mandate. Tuqan was the brother of fellow poet Fadwa Tuqan, whom he tutored and influenced; ...

, composed by the Lebanese musician Mohammed Flayfel in 1934, and is a popular patriotic song among the Arab people, and the official national anthem of

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

. Mawtini was adopted as Iraq's national anthem in 2004. The song formerly served as an unofficial anthem of

Palestinians Palestinians () are an Arab ethnonational group native to the Levantine region of Palestine. *: "Palestine was part of the first wave of conquest following Muhammad's death in 632 CE; Jerusalem fell to the Caliph Umar in 638. The indigenou ...

and other peoples of the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

for much of the 20th century. In 1996,

Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...

formally adopted it as the official

national anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European ...

. Though it has since been superseded by an official national anthem there, many

still identify strongly with it and consider it the unofficial national anthem of their country. It is considered one of the Arab national anthems, including two periods where it was the national anthem of Iraq. Mawtini has been described as a reflection of the shared experiences and struggles of Arab peoples, evoking strong emotions tied to national pride, hardship, and the aspiration for freedom. It is regarded as a symbol of resistance and a representation of the collective longing for liberation during periods of occupation and oppression. The anthem conveys emotions such as sorrow, anger, and hope, fostering a sense of renewal and solidarity among those who have endured similar adversities. Its lyrics express a deep love for the homeland, a commitment to its liberation, and a vision of a united and free nation. This message resonates widely across the Arab world, reflecting the shared struggles for independence, identity, and sovereignty. Many Arab artists have re-sung the anthem with new distributions, such as Elissa,

Christina Sawaya Christina Sawaya (; born 16 August 1981) is a Lebanese singer, actress and television host who won the Miss International 2002 pageant. Career She started her career as master of ceremony for big events. She participated in a series of Beauty ...

, and Faia Younan in a video clip that depicted the Syrian civil war.

History

It is a popular poem written by the Palestinian poet ʾIbrāhīm Ṭūqān c. 1934 and composed by the Lebanese composer Muḥammid Flayfil. It served as Palestine's ''de facto'' national anthem from its inception to 1996 when it was officially replaced by " Fidā'ī". However, many Palestinians still identify with it along with "Fida'i" and consider the former a sort of unofficial second national anthem of their country. In 2004, it was re-adopted as a national anthem, this time by Iraq, on the order of

Coalition Provisional Authority The Coalition Provisional Authority (; , CPA) was a Provisional government, transitional government of Iraq established following the 2003 invasion of Iraq, invasion of the country on 19 March 2003 by Multi-National Force – Iraq, U.S.-led Co ...

chief

Paul Bremer Lewis Paul Bremer III (born September 30, 1941) is a retired American diplomat. He was the second ''de facto'' head of state of Iraq as leader of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) following the 2003 invasion of Iraq by the United State ...

as the national anthem of Iraq. It replaced "Mawṭinī" (of no relation to the current national anthem), which in turn replaced the old national anthem " Arḍulfurātayni", which had been in use since 1981 and was thus associated with

Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein (28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician and revolutionary who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 1979 until Saddam Hussein statue destruction, his overthrow in 2003 during the 2003 invasion of Ira ...

's Ba'athist regime.

Background

During the late 1950s and early 1960s, after it became a

republic A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a State (polity), state in which Power (social and political), political power rests with the public (people), typically through their Representat ...

, Iraq used a national anthem also called "Mawṭinī", composed by Lewis Zanbaka. Though it shares the same name as the current Iraqi national anthem, it is a different song altogether. Unlike the current Iraqi national anthem, this version is instrumental and has no lyrics. After Iraq's Ba'athist regime was deposed in 2003, the old "Mawṭinī" formerly used as the Iraqi national anthem during the late 1950s and early 1960s was brought back and used temporarily as an interim national anthem until it was replaced by the current "Mawṭinī" in 2004.

Lyrics

Notes

References

External links