Luigi Mercantini: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Italian National Hymn

Luigi Mercantini

“Italian National Hymn” as printed in The Canadian Soldiers' Song Book (1918).

Luigi Mercantini: Collected Lyrics Text 1 1918 · historical text
Public domainSoldier songHistorical song
Complete public-domain lyrics

This text comes from The Canadian Soldiers' Song Book, a historical songbook transcribed on Wikisource and reproduced from the pinned revision linked below.

Verse 1

All onward, all onward.

The tombs are all open, come forth our departed,

Our soldiers arise and our hearts be united,

With swords in hand, and our face towards the foe,

The fame and the name Italia will glow.

All onward, yes onward, advance gallant warriors

Unfurl to the winds banners so glorious,

Arise with your sabres, down with our enemies,

Arise in your glory, Italians arise

Depart from our borders, depart from our shore

Depart all ye strangers, return never more.

Verse 2

Our home-land so famous for poetry and singing,

Return to the days when the sabres were ringing,

Our hands that are bound with fetters so sore,

When loosened will brandish our swords once more

No fetters nor thongs will Italy endure from the strangers

Who wantonly came to our shore.

No longer will Italy be bound by the tyrants who for many long years they have kept us their slaves.

Depart from our borders, depart from our shore,

Depart all ye strangers, return never more.

Credits

Written by Luigi Mercantini

Words by Luigi Mercantini. Historical text published in The Canadian Soldiers' Song Book (1918); public domain. No claim to a modern recording or arrangement.

Source & text edition

The Canadian Soldiers' Song Book (1918), “Italian National Hymn”

The 1918 published edition is in the public domain in the United States (pre-1931 publication). Entries whose credited author died more than 70 years ago are also in the public domain in life-plus-70 jurisdictions; other entries are held.

How to read this historical text and its source

Read the source on Wikisource

View copyright evidence · Transcription terms (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Retrieved 2026-10-12. Line spacing and section labels are adapted for reading. The displayed text follows the linked edition. Editorial notes and abstract artwork are by 52lyrics.
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