Awit ni Maria Clara
(Noli Me Tangere Chapter 23)

(excerpt from the composition by Julio Nakpil)

Canto De Maria Clara

Dulces las horas en la propia patria
Donde es amigo cuanto alumbra el sol,
Vida es la brisa en sus campos vuela,
Grata la muerte y mas tierno el amor!

Song of Maria Clara

Sweet are the hours
In one's own Native Land,
All there is friendly
Over which the sun shines above

In 1893, Julio Nakpil composed "Amor Patrio", which he dedicated to Dr. José Rizal. Nakpil used lyrics of the song that Maria Clara sang in "Noli me tangere", Chapter 23. "Amor Patrio" is a composition for orhestra in five music sheets, but only an excerpt from the 8th up to the 16th music scale has been rendered into a midi file by Ian-James R. Andres, which is embedded in this page.

Antonio Molina composed "Awit ni Maria Clara", which became popular with the version recorded by the Tres Rosas Singers for Villar Recording company in the 1960's. The midi

Although Julio Nakpil never called his "Amor Patrio" a kundiman, it could very well have been one, as the words echo the love of country in the traditional kundiman songs, evident from the full text of the song of Maria Clara in its tagalog version.

Buhay ay kay tamis, sa sariling bayan,
Doon ang lahat na’y ating kaibigan.
Simoy nitong bangin, mula kaparangan,
Nagpapasariwa sa kalikasan.

Mainit na halik, naroon sa labi,
Ng irog na inang, siyang kumakandili.
Yakap ng ligaya, yakap ng pighati,
Init ng dibdib niya’y paraisong lagi.

Inang bayang mahal, di ka iiwanan,
Ningas ng ‘yong ilaw walang kamatayan.
Sukdulang ialay itong aking buhay,
Aalagaan ko iyong kalayaan.

Tamis nang mamatay, nang dahil sa bayan,
Araw ay sisikat sa gawing silangan.
Bandila ng laya, dapat iwagayway,
Bandila ng tapang at kabayanihan.

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