"
Himnusz" (in
English:
Anthem) is the official
national anthem of
Hungary. It was adopted in 1844 and the first
stanza is sung at official ceremonies. The words were written by
Ferenc Kölcsey, a nationally renowned poet in 1823, and its currently official musical setting was composed by the romantic composer
Ferenc Erkel, although other less-known musical versions exist. The poem bore the subtitle
"A magyar nép zivataros századaiból" ("From the stormy centuries of the Hungarian people"); it is often argued that this subtitle – by emphasizing past rather than contemporary national troubles – was added expressly to enable the poem to pass
Habsburg censorship. The full meaning of the poem's text is evident only to those well acquainted with
Hungarian history.