Support the Lietuva.love project

Statehood and heraldry

Lithuanian national anthem: Tautiška giesmė

Lithuania’s national anthem is Tautiška giesmė by Vincas Kudirka. He wrote both its words and music; the text and score first appeared in issue 6 of Varpas in 1898.

Historical sources and legal description

Original Tautiška giesmė lyrics

Original Lithuanian text by Vincas Kudirka, following the text published by the Seimas.

Lietuva, Tėvyne mūsų, Tu didvyrių žeme, Iš praeities Tavo sūnūs Te stiprybę semia. Tegul Tavo vaikai eina Vien takais dorybės, Tegul dirba Tavo naudai Ir žmonių gėrybei. Tegul saulė Lietuvoj Tamsumas prašalina, Ir šviesa, ir tiesa Mūs žingsnius telydi. Tegul meilė Lietuvos Dega mūsų širdyse, Vardan tos Lietuvos Vienybė težydi!

Who wrote Lithuania’s anthem?

Tautiška giesmė is an authored work by Vincas Kudirka, rather than an anonymous folk song. The Seimas history identifies its first publication as Varpas, 1898, issue 6, page 95. The Lithuanian National Museum also presents this historic newspaper issue.

The opening words, Lietuva, Tėvyne mūsų (“Lithuania, our homeland”), are sometimes used to identify it. Its official name in the Constitution is Tautiška giesmė, commonly rendered as “National Hymn”.

From first performance to state symbol

According to the Seimas history, its first public performance took place in St Petersburg on 13 November 1899 at a concert supporting Lithuanian students. It was first sung publicly in Lithuania in Vilnius on 6 June 1905.

In the Lithuanian state restored in 1918, Tautiška giesmė became the state anthem after gaining recognition during the national revival. The Seimas history describes debates about its suitability in 1917–1918. It was sung at the first Constituent Seimas sitting on 15 May 1920; the interwar constitutions did not yet name an anthem.

Article 16 of the present Constitution names Kudirka’s Tautiška giesmė as the state anthem. The national anthem law sets out performance requirements; the current legal text is the reference for a particular official ceremony.

Occupation and the anthem’s return

After the Soviet Union occupied Lithuania on 15 June 1940, state symbols were suppressed. The anthem’s history was more complicated: Tautiška giesmė continued to be used officially for a time under Soviet occupation. In 1950, the approval of the Lithuanian SSR anthem brought a ban on its performance at official events. It survived in resistance and diaspora life.

During the national revival, the song returned to public life. On 6 October 1988 it was recognized as a national symbol; on 18 November the Lithuanian SSR Supreme Council restored its status as the state anthem. It entered Lithuania’s provisional constitution on 11 March 1990, when independence was restored, and Article 16 of the present Constitution in 1992.

What do the words mean?

The song calls on people to draw strength from the past, act with virtue, work for their homeland and humanity, follow truth and enlightenment, and cultivate unity. This is an explanation of the text’s themes, rather than a statutory definition.

A modern tradition began in 2009: on 6 July at 9 pm Lithuanian time, Lithuanians around the world sing the anthem together. The Seimas account distinguishes this recent initiative from the anthem’s earlier history.

Text source and recordings

The original Lithuanian lyrics below follow the text published by the Seimas. Line breaks are preserved, with groups of four lines separated for readability. Kudirka died in 1899 and his original work is in the public domain. This page does not reproduce later arrangements or performers’ recordings.

The Seimas source page provides recordings for listening. Rights in a recording or a later arrangement are separate from rights in the original words and melody.

Sources