The national anthem always was and be "Mazurek Dąbrowskiego" - this was the most hot candidate for the anthem, there were 2 more candidates:
Bogurodzica (The Mother of God) is the oldest Polish religious hymn. Written in the 10th-13th century. Polish knights sang it as an anthem before the Battle of Grunwald and during the battle with the Turkish army at Varna in 1444. (wikipedia)
and:
Rota ("Oath") is a 20th-century Polish poem and anthem (wikipedia)
I Think that ROTA has a great words:
Nie będzie Niemiec pluł nam w twarz The German will not spit in our face
A different orchestral rendition of the Polish National Anthem. The site does ask for your email address though (yet doesn't verifiy it), also make sure you don't download their music manager (choose "No thanks" at the bottom of the screen) as it may be spyware.
Mazurek Dąbrowskiego (pronounced [ma.'zu.rɛk dɔmb.rɔf.'skʲɛ.gɔ], "Dąbrowski's Mazurka") is the national anthem of Poland. It is also known by its original title, Pieśń Legionów Polskich we Włoszech (pronounced [pʲɛɕɲ lɛ.'gʲɔ.nuf 'pɔls.kix vɛ.'vwɔ.ʂɛx], "Song of the Polish Legions in Italy"), or by its incipit, Jeszcze Polska nie zginęła (pronounced ['jɛʂ.t͡ʂɛ 'pɔl.ska ɲɛ.zgi.'nɛ.wa], "Poland Is Not Yet Lost" or "Poland Has Not Yet Perished").
The song is a lively mazurka with lyrics penned by Józef Wybicki in Reggio nell'Emilia, Cisalpine Republic (now in Italy), around 16 July 1797, two years after the Third Partition of Poland erased the once vast country from the map. It was originally meant to boost the morale of Polish soldiers serving under General Jan Henryk Dąbrowski in the Polish Legions, which were part of the French Revolutionary Army led by General Napoléon Bonaparte in its conquest of Italy. The mazurka, expressing the idea that the nation of Poland, despite lack of political independence, had not perished as long as the Polish people were still alive and fighting in its name, soon became one of the most popular patriotic songs in Poland.
The song's popularity led to a plethora of variations, sung by Polish patriots on different occasions. It also inspired other peoples struggling for independence during the 19th century. One of the songs strongly influenced by Poland Is Not Yet Lost is Hey Slavs, a former national anthem of Yugoslavia. When Poland re-emerged as an independent state in 1918, Mazurek Dąbrowskiego became its de facto anthem. It was officially adopted as the national anthem of the Republic of Poland in 1926.
Listen to various anthem renderings:
by soccer fans
By a school choir
In the name of tolerance - by Polish Jews
By some drunk students on a school trip to the Czech Republic
Slow, ceremonious performance
With English subtitles
By two litle girls in a car
By two children who aren`t fully Polish yet ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Current official lyrics
Jeszcze Polska nie zginęła, Kiedy my żyjemy. Co nam obca przemoc wzięła, Szablą odbierzemy.
Marsz, marsz, Dąbrowski, Z ziemi włoskiej do Polski. Za twoim przewodem Złączym się z narodem.
Przejdziem Wisłę, przejdziem Wartę, Będziem Polakami. Dał nam przykład Bonaparte, Jak zwyciężać mamy.
Marsz, marsz...
Jak Czarniecki do Poznania Po szwedzkim zaborze, Dla ojczyzny ratowania Wrócim się przez morze.
Marsz, marsz...
Już tam ojciec do swej Basi Mówi zapłakany Słuchaj jeno, pono nasi Biją w tarabany.
Marsz, marsz...
English translation
Poland has not perished yet So long as we still live That which alien force has seized We at sabrepoint shall retrieve
March, march, Dąbrowski From Italy to Poland Let us now rejoin the nation Under thy command
Cross the Vistula and Warta And Poles we shall be We've been shown by Bonaparte Ways to victory
March, march...
Like Czarniecki Poznań regains Fighting with the Swede, To free our fatherland from chains We shall return by sea
March, march...
Father, in tears Says to his Basia Just listen, it seems that our people Are beating the drums
March, march...
Original lyrics (modern spelling) Jeszcze Polska nie umarła, Kiedy my żyjemy Co nam obca moc wydarła, Szablą odbijemy.
Marsz, marsz, Dąbrowski Do Polski z ziemi włoskiej Za twoim przewodem Złączym się z narodem
Jak Czarniecki do Poznania Wracał się przez morze Dla ojczyzny ratowania Po szwedzkim rozbiorze.
Marsz, masz...
Przejdziem Wisłę, przejdziem Wartę Będziem Polakami Dał nam przykład Bonaparte Jak zwyciężać mamy
Marsz, masz...
Niemiec, Moskal nie osiędzie, Gdy jąwszy pałasza, Hasłem wszystkich zgoda będzie I ojczyzna nasza
Marsz, masz...
Już tam ojciec do swej Basi Mówi zapłakany Słuchaj jeno, pono nasi Biją w tarabany
Marsz, masz...
Na to wszystkich jedne głosy Dosyć tej niewoli Mamy racławickie kosy Kościuszkę Bóg pozwoli.
English translation[5]
Poland has not died yet So long as we still live That which alien force has seized We at sabrepoint shall retrieve
March, march, Dąbrowski To Poland from Italy Let us now rejoin the nation Under thy command
Like Czarniecki to Poznań Returned across the sea To free our fatherland from chains Fighting with the Swede
March, march...
Cross the Vistula and Warta And Poles we shall be We've been shown by Bonaparte Ways to victory
March, march...
Germans, Muscovites will not rest When, backsword in hand "Concord" will be our watchword And the fatherland will be ours
March, march...
Father, in tears Says to his Basia Just listen, it seems that our people Are beating the drums
March, march...
All exclaim in unison Enough of this bondage We've got scythes from Racławice God will give us Kościuszko
The melody of the Polish anthem is a lively and rhythmical mazurka. Mazurka as a musical form derives from the stylization of traditional melodies for the folk dances of Masovia, a region in central Poland. It is characterized by a triple meter and strong accents placed irregularly on the second or third beat. Considered one of Poland's national dances in pre-partition times, it owes its popularity in 19th-century West European ballrooms to the mazurkas of Frédéric Chopin.
The composer of Mazurek Dąbrowskiego is unknown. The melody is most probably Wybicki's adaptation of a folk tune that had already been popular during the second half of the 18th century. The composition used to be erroneously attributed to Michał Kleofas Ogiński who was known to have written a march for Dąbrowski's legions. Several historians confused Ogiński's Marche pour les Légions polonaises ("March for the Polish Legions") with Wybicki's mazurka, possibly due to the mazurka's chorus "March, march, Dąbrowski", until Ogiński's sheet music for the march was discovered in 1938 and proven to be a different piece of music than Poland's national anthem.
When Poland got partitioned the Poles were scattered around Europe fighting for others independence and some Poles were stationed in Italy at that time.
Their dream was an independet Poland but it would take them 100 years before they would achieve it.
the chorus is "March March Dabrowski, from Italy to Poland under your command, we will reunite with our nation"
The song was written at a time when Poland was fighting for its independence. Dabrowski was a general in the Polish legion in Italy, who were fighting along side napoleon's French revolutionary army. It was basically an inspirational army song.
