La Espero

"La Espero" (English: "The Hope") is a poem written by Polish-Jewish doctor L. L. Zamenhof (1859–1917), the initiator of the Esperanto language. The song is often used as the (unofficial) anthem of Esperanto, and is now usually sung to a triumphal march composed by Félicien Menu de Ménil in 1909 (although there is an earlier, less martial tune created in 1891 by Claes Adelsköld, along with a number of other lesser-known tunes). It is sometimes referred to as the hymn of the Esperanto movement.

La Espero

English: The Hope
L. L. Zamenhof, the author of La Espero.
anthem of Esperanto
Lyrics	L. L. Zamenhof
Music	Félicien Menu de Ménil
Adopted	1891
Audio sample
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La Espero

Félicien Menu de Ménil

Lyrics

La Espero

The Hope

En la mondon venis nova sento, tra la mondo iras forta voko; per flugiloj de facila vento nun de loko flugu ĝi al loko. Ne al glavo sangon soifanta ĝi la homan tiras familion: al la mond' eterne militanta ĝi promesas sanktan harmonion. Sub la sankta signo de l' espero kolektiĝas pacaj batalantoj, kaj rapide kreskas la afero per laboro de la esperantoj. Forte staras muroj de miljaroj inter la popoloj dividitaj; sed dissaltos la obstinaj baroj, per la sankta amo disbatitaj. Sur neŭtrala lingva fundamento, komprenante unu la alian, la popoloj faros en konsento unu grandan rondon familian. Nia diligenta kolegaro en laboro paca ne laciĝos, ĝis la bela sonĝo de l' homaro por eterna ben' efektiviĝos.

Into the world came a new feeling, through the world goes a powerful call; by means of wings of a gentle wind now let it fly from place to place. Not to a bloodthirsty sword does it draw the human family: to the eternally fighting world it promises sacred harmony. Under the sacred sign of the hope the peaceful fighters gather, and this affair quickly grows by the labours of those who hope. Walls of millennia stand firmly between the divided people; but the stubborn barriers will jump apart, knocked apart by the sacred love. On a neutral language basis, understanding one another, the people will make in agreement one great family circle. Our diligent set of colleagues in peaceful labor will never tire, until the beautiful dream of humanity for eternal blessing is realized.

See also

• Esperanto music
• The Internationale
• Anthem of Europe