The first stanza of this poem, later the war-song of the
national movement, runs, in a literal translation, thus:
"Arise, O Magyar! thy country calls.
Here is the time, now or never.
Shall we be slaves or free?
That is the question--choose!
We swear by the God of the Magyars,
We swear, to be slaves no longer!"
This soul-stirring poem was improvised by Petofi under the inspiration
of the moment, and at the same establishment where it was first printed
was also printed a proclamation which contained twelve articles setting
forth the wishes of the people.
While the capital was resounding with the rejoicings and triumphant
shouts of her exulting inhabitants, the proper department of the
Government for the carrying through of these movements, the Diet,
assembled at Presburg, lost no time, and set to work with great energy
to reform the institutions of Hungary, constitutionally, and to put into
the form of law the ideas of liberty, equality, and fraternity. The
salutary legislation met now with no opposition, either from the Upper
House or from the court at Vienna, and in a short time the Diet passed
the celebrated acts of 1848, which, having received the royal sanction,
were proclaimed as laws on April 11th, at Presburg, amid the wildest
enthusiasm, in the presence of King Ferdinand V.
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