"" (; ), also known as "" (), is the

regional anthem An anthem is a musical composition of celebration, usually used as a symbol for a distinct group, particularly the national anthems of countries. Originally, and in music theory and religious contexts, it also refers more particularly to short s ...

of the

Northern Mariana Islands The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI; ch, Sankattan Siha Na Islas Mariånas; cal, Commonwealth Téél Falúw kka Efáng llól Marianas), is an unincorporated territory and commonw ...

, an

unincorporated territory Territories of the United States are sub-national administrative divisions overseen by the federal government of the United States. The various American territories differ from the U.S. states and tribal reservations as they are not sover ...

and

commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

of the United States.

History

The

Chamorro Chamorro may refer to: * Chamorro people, the indigenous people of the Mariana Islands in the Western Pacific * Chamorro language, an Austronesian language indigenous to The Marianas * Chamorro Time Zone, the time zone of Guam and the Northern Mar ...

lyrics for the official territorial anthem of the

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI; ch, Sankattan Siha Na Islas Mariånas; cal, Commonwealth Téél Falúw kka Efáng llól Marianas), is an unincorporated territory and commonwea ...

(CNMI) were jointly written by brothers Jose and Joaquin Pangelinan, presumably around the time after the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

had ended. The Carolinian lyrics for the CNMI's territorial anthem were written by David Kapileo Peter "Taulamwaar" the day before the signing of the

Covenant Covenant may refer to: Religion * Covenant (religion), a formal alliance or agreement made by God with a religious community or with humanity in general ** Covenant (biblical), in the Hebrew Bible ** Covenant in Mormonism, a sacred agreement b ...

in 1976. David Marciano assisted with parts of the Carolinian version of the lyrics, and his contributions were incorporated before being sang for the first time on the day that the Covenant with the United States of America was signed. Vicente "Kilili" Sablan Sr., former Mayor of the Northern Mariana Islands capital,

Saipan Saipan ( ch, Sa’ipan, cal, Seipél, formerly in es, Saipán, and in ja, 彩帆島, Saipan-tō) is the largest island of the Northern Mariana Islands, a Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), commonwealth of the United States in the western Pa ...

, assisted by translating the lyrics into English and

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

. The Rematau band was the first group to sing and record the "Commonwealth National Anthem". During the First Constitutional Convention, a resolution was introduced to compel the new government to proclaim the song as the official territorial anthem of the soon-to-be-created Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. In 1996, it became the official territorial anthem by virtue of Public Law 10-28, authored in the Tenth CNMI Legislature and signed by then Governor Froilan Cruz Tenorio into law. Both versions of the territorial anthem are taught to students as well as displayed prominently in official programs and posters, as both versions make up the one territorial anthem – not one or the other. The melody of the song is taken from the 19th-century German tune "Im schönsten Wiesengrunde" (with lyrics written by Wilhelm Ganzhorn in 1851), which in turn is based on the older folk tune "Drei Lilien, drei Lilien". Coincidentally, the national anthem of the neighboring

Federated States of Micronesia The Federated States of Micronesia (; abbreviated FSM) is an island country in Oceania. It consists of four states from west to east, Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosraethat are spread across the western Pacific. Together, the states comprise a ...

is derived from a 19th-century German song. Since the islands are a U.S. dependency, the

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 n ...

is still the U.S. one, "

The Star-Spangled Banner "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the b ...

", and the anthem is played after "The Star-Spangled Banner" in the raising of the territorial flag.

Lyrics

Notes

References

{{List of U.S. state songs National symbols of the Northern Mariana Islands Oceanian anthems Anthems of insular areas of the United States