Tautiška giesmė (The National Hymn) is the national anthem of Lithuania, also known by its opening words "Lietuva, Tėvyne mūsų" (official translation of the lyrics:[1] "Lithuania, Our Homeland", literally: "Lithuania, Our Fatherland", ) and as "Lietuvos himnas" (Hymn of Lithuania). The music and lyrics were written in 1898 by Vincas Kudirka, when Lithuania was still a part of the Russian Empire. The fifty-word poem was a condensation of Kudirka's conceptions of the Lithuanian state, the Lithuanian people, and their past. Shortly after his death in 1899, the anthem was performed for Lithuanians living in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The first public Lithuanian performance of the anthem took place in Vilnius in 1905, and it became the official national anthem in 1919, a year after Lithuania declared its independence. Following the annexation of Lithuania in 1940, by the Soviet Union, the anthem was forbidden to be played or sung in public. "Tautiška giesmė" was reinstated as the national anthem in 1992, when the new Constitution was ratified after independence from the Soviet Union was achieved. The status of "Tautiška giesmė" as the National Anthem of Lithuania was further confirmed in 1999 with the passage of a national law stating that. Lithuanian Lyrics: 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. Tegu saulė Lietuvoj Tamsumas prašalina, Ir šviesa, ir tiesa Mūs žingsnius telydi. Tegul meilė Lietuvos Dega mūsų širdyse, Vardan tos, Lietuvos Vienybė težydi! English Translation: Lithuania, my homeland, land of heroes! Let your sons draw strength from the past. Let your chidren follow only the path of virtue, working for the good of their native land and for all mankind. Let the sun banish all darkness from Lithuania, with light and truth always guiding our steps. Let the love of Lithuania burn in our hearts And for the sake of our country, let unity blossom.

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