A Portuguesa
Herois do mar, nobre Povo,
Nacao valente, imortal,
Levantai hoje de novo
O esplendor de Portugal!
Entre as brumas da memoria,
O Patria, sente-se a voz
Dos teus egregios avos,
Que ha-de guiar-te a vitoria!
As armas, as armas!
Sobre a terra, sobre o mar,
As armas, as armas!
Pela Patria lutar
Contra os canhoes marchar, marchar!
(Portuguese language has four types of accentuation, but in StudentsOfTheWorld i can't save it, just to let you know)
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The red section represents the Portuguese revolution of 1910 and the green represents hope. The white shield consists of five blue shields with five white dots. The blue shields represent the first king of Portugal, Afonso Henriques I, victory over five Moorish kings and the divine assistance he received to do so is represented by the five dots, which symbolize the five wounds of Christ. Arranged in a cross the shields represent Christianity. The red border featuring seven castles symbolizes the extension of Portugal's territory to include the Algarve. Behind the arms there is a navigational instrument, an armillary sphere. It celebrates Prince Henry the Navigator, who initiated the maritime exploration that led to Portugal's one time colonial empire. |
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