
O say can you see, by the dawn's early light, But usually just the first stanza is sung, and is the most well-known among Americans.

The full poem consists of four stanzas with a total of thirty-two lines. A fairly well-known Navajo version called "Dah Naatʼaʼí Sǫʼ bił Sinil" was translated by singer and former beauty pageant titleholder Radmilla Cody.Įnglish original It has also been translated into languages spoken by native Americans, such as Navajo. These languages include Spanish, German, Yiddish, Czech, Polish, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and Arabic. These languages are spoken by people living in the United States, who trace their roots to other parts of the globe. However, through the years, "The Star-Spangled Banner" has been translated into other languages. The song has 4 stanzas, but only the first one is usually sung.Īlthough the United States does not have an official language, English is the most used language in everyday life thus, the official lyrics are in English.


The words are set to the music of a British drinking song called " To Anacreon in Heaven". Francis Scott Key wrote the words to it in 1814, after seeing British ships attacking Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland during the War of 1812. " The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. An 1814 copy of the Star-Spangled Banner The flag from the song.
