HYMN TO

LABOR
“Himno Al Trabajo”
�This composition by Rizal which was originally written in
Spanish, in general speaks about how every Filipino is
willing to work hard, or labor, for his country.
�Hymn to Labor was written in response to a request from
Rizal’s comrades in Lipa, Batangas, who then were in
need of a hymn to sing during the ceremony in honor of
Lipa being declared a city in January 1888. More
accurately, Then, This song is intended to praise the hard
work and industry of the people of Lipa.
For the Motherland in war,
For the Motherland in peace,
The Filipino will be ready,
While he lives and when he dies!
Men:
As soon as the East is tinted with light
Forth to the fields to plow the loam!
Since it is work that sustains the man,
Hard though the soil may prove to be,
Implacable the sun above,
For motherland, our wives and babes,
‘Twill be easy with our love.
WIVES:
Courageously set out to work.
Your home is safe with a faithful wife
Implanting in her children, love
For wisdom, land and virtuous life.
When nightfall brings us to our rest,
May smiling fortune guard our door;
But if cruel fate should harm her man,
The wife would toil on as before.
MAIDENS:
Hail! Hail! Give praise to work.
The country’s vigour and her wealth;
For work lift up your brow serene
It is your blood, your life, your health.
If any youth protests his love
His work shall prove if he be good.
That man alone who strives and toils
Can find the way to feed his blood.
CHILDREN:
Teach us then the hardest tasks
For down thy trails we turn our feet
That when our country calls tomorrow
Thy purposes we may complete….
And may our elders say, who see us.
See! How worthy of their sires!
No incense can exalt our dead ones
Like a brave son who aspires!

For the Motherland in war,
For the Motherland in peace,
The Filipino will be ready,
While he lives and when he
dies!
These first four lines of
verses comprise the chorus. It
signifies that every Filipino,
in his patriotism, will keep a
watchful yet loving eye on
his country with equal
passion at wartime and in
times of peace. There will be
no desertion especially
during the more difficult
times in the country’s history,
even if it means he pays for
his loyalty with his life.
Men:
As soon as the East is tinted with
light
Forth to the fields to plow the loam!
Since it is work that sustains the
man,
Hard though the soil may prove to
be,
Implacable the sun above,
For motherland, our wives and
The first stanza is sung
by the men.
This is the first of four
societal groups
identified in this hymn,
which signifies that all
members of society
without regard for
gender or age, should
uphold and honor their
country.
 The role of a wife during the time of Rizal was
plain and simple: she was the steward of the home,
the mother of the children. Modern thinking might
(Chorus) dispense premature reaction to this notion, however
WIVES: it only takes a few lines to see that Rizal was, in
fact, also a feminist, ahead of his time.
Courageously set out to work.
Your home is safe with a faithful wife This verse pays tribute to mothers who dedicate
Implanting in her children, love their lives to the rearing and upbringing of their
For wisdom, land and virtuous life. children, teaching them the right values and morals
When nightfall brings us to our rest, to become upright citizens, Education and
May smiling fortune guard our door; formation, after all, begin and end in the home. In
But if cruel fate should harm her man,the last two lines, it is evident that, given the
The wife would toil on as before. precarious nature of life in a time when war is
imminent, wives may lose their husbands and so it
is in their capable hands to carry out the business of
men in the context of home and family, should the
men find themselves no longer able to do their

MAIDENS:
Hail! Hail! Give praise to work.
The country’s vigour and her
wealth;
For work lift up your brow serene
It is your blood, your life, your
health.
If any youth protests his love
His work shall prove if he be
good.
That man alone who strives and
toils
The third verse is sung by
maidens, who salute to labor and
encourage the young men to give
their lives to hard work and
industry for the good of the nation.
This is supposed to be sung with
joy and pride, signifying that no
fair maiden wants a lazy young
man sits and waits for nothing all
the day long but instead cheers for
that youth full of valor and
expresses her willingness to be the
youth’s wife on account of his
spirit, not merely his looks.

CHILDREN:
Teach us then the hardest tasks
For down thy trails we turn our
feet
That when our country calls
tomorrow
Thy purposes we may
complete….
And may our elders say, who see
us.
See! How worthy of their sires!
No incense can exalt our dead
It is apparent in Filipino culture then
and now, that children have high
regard for the approval of their elders.
This verse underlines the importance
of keeping the culture and tradition
that is handed down to them from the
previous generation, and that they in
future, will hand down to their own
sons and daughters . It also expresses
the children’s wish to pursue the
footsteps of those that have gone
before them, in preparation for when
the time comes for them to take
charge, however premature and
unexpected that time may be.