Palestine
فدائي
Fida'i
Fida'i
1965
1996
Said Al Muzayin
Ali Ismael
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Key Facts
- 1. The word "fida'i" means "one who sacrifices himself"; the Palestinian fedayeen are widely described as freedom fighters.
- 2. Fida'i replaced "Mawtini" as the Palestinian anthem, and "Mawtini" went on to become the official national anthem of Iraq in 2004.
- 3. The Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis arranged the anthem in 1981 as an act of solidarity with the Palestinian people.
- 4. The poet Said Al Muzayin signed his patriotic work under the pen name "Fata Al-Thawra", meaning "the boy of the revolution".
- 5. Sources differ on the adoption year: English-language references give 1996, tied to the 1988 Declaration of Independence, while Palestinian sources describe a 1972 adoption by the PLO Executive Committee ratified in 2005.
Lyrics
فدائي فدائي فدائي
يا أرضي يا أرض الجدود
فدائي فدائي فدائي
يا شعبي يا شعب الخلود
بعزمي وناري وبركان ثأري
وأشواق دمي لأرضي وداري
صعدت الجبالَ وخضت النضالَ
قهرت المحالا حطمت القيود
فدائي فدائي فدائي
يا أرضي يا أرض الجدود
فدائي فدائي فدائي
يا شعبي يا شعب الخلود
بعصف الرياح ونار السلاح
وإصرار شعبي لخوض الكفاح
فلسطين داري ودرب انتصاري
فلسطين ثاري وأرض الصمود
فدائي فدائي فدائي
يا أرضي يا أرض الجدود
فدائي فدائي فدائي
يا شعبي يا شعب الخلود
بحق القسم تحت ظل العلم
بأرضي وشعبي ونار الألم
سأحيا فدائي وأمضي فدائي
وأقضي فدائي إلى أن تعود
فدائي فدائي فدائي
يا أرضي يا أرض الجدود
فدائي فدائي فدائي
يا شعبي يا شعب الخلود
Translations are non-official and intended to convey meaning, not replace originals
Analysis
Editorial"Fida'i" ("The Fedayee", roughly "one who sacrifices himself") was written by the Palestinian poet Said Al Muzayin, known by the pen name Fata Al-Thawra, and set to music by the Egyptian composer Ali Ismael in 1965. It was adopted as the anthem of the Palestinian people by the Palestine Liberation Organization, replacing the older patriotic song "Mawtini", which later became the national anthem of Iraq. The lyrics dwell on struggle, steadfastness, and the hoped-for return to the homeland. The Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis produced a symphonic arrangement of the anthem in 1981 as a gesture of solidarity.
Learn More
Sources & References
- National anthem of Palestine . Wikipedia (2026)
- فدائي (نشيد) . Arabic Wikipedia (2026)
- Palestine . nationalanthems.info (2013)
Source & Review
- Source status
- Reliable secondary source
- Translation
- Nationalia working translation
- Rights status
- Third-party rights may apply
- Last reviewed
- Editorial review
- AI-assisted editorial review
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