National Anthem in Spanish and Beyond

President Bush said recently that the “The Star-Spangled Banner” should be sung in English, reacting to the recording of the anthem’s version in Spanish (Nuestro Himno). In fact, there are many translations of the anthem in diverse languages. The U.S. government gave its blessing to a different version 87 years ago. That translation of "The Star-Spangled Banner," has been available on the Library of Congress Web site for two years. Polish, French, Italian, Portuguese and Armenian, versions are also available as well as Samoan and Yiddish. Because of the heated debate about immigration, which many see as Mexican and of course Spanish-language, the singing of the anthem generated controversy. Even Bush’s statement has become controversial since the President apparently sang the anthem in Spanish as well.