Do you like the Star Spangled Banner in Spanish? How about the Mexican national anthem in English?

Since the Mexican government is so active in trying to dictate American law, with its consular officials coordinating the recent illegal immigration protests in the United States, it's only fair to give Mexico some reciprocal treatment.

And since Mexico-backed activists have profaned the Star Spangled Banner with a phony Spanish translation that changes our anthem's meaning, it's only fair to take a peek at the Mexican national anthem, unofficially titled, Mexicanos, Al Grito de Guerra (Mexicans, To the Cry of War).

So here it is, the official version from the Mexican President's website, and an English translation that attempts to be faithful to the original. A very spirited martial song, the anthem was adopted in 1854 after Mexico lost a third of its territory - the part that millions of Mexicans today prefer as their home - to the United States.

Scroll down for an English translation, which others may re-word if they wish.

Chorus:

Mexicanos, al grito de guerra
El acero aprestad y el bridón,
y retiemble en sus centros la tierra
Al sonoro rugir del cañón.

I

Ciña ¡oh patria! tus sienes de oliva
De la paz el arcángel divino,
Que en el cielo tu eterno destino
Por el dedo de Dios se escribió.

Más si osare un extraño enemigo
Profanar con su planta tu suelo,
Piensa ¡oh patria querida! que el cielo
Un soldado en cada hijo te dio.

Chorus

II

¡Guerra, guerra sin tregua al que intente
De la patria manchar los blasones!
¡Guerra, guerra! Los patrios pendones
En las olas de sangre empapad.

¡Guerra, guerra! En el monte, en el valle
Los cañones horrísonos truenen,
Y los ecos sonoros resuenen
Con las voces de ¡Unión! ¡Libertad!

Chorus

III

Antes, patria, que inermes tus hijos
Bajo el yugo su cuello dobleguen,
Tus campiñas con sangre se rieguen,
Sobre sangre se estampe su pie.IV

Y tus templos, palacios y torres
Se derrumben con hórrido estruendo,
Y sus ruinas existan diciendo:
De mil héroes la patria aquí fue.

Chorus

IV

¡Patria! ¡patria! Tus hijos te juran
Exhalar en tus aras su aliento,
Si el clarín con su bélico acento
Los convoca a lidiar con valor.

¡Para tí las guirnaldas de oliva!
¡Un recuerdo para ellos de gloria!
¡Un laurel para ti de victoria!
¡Un sepulcro para ellos de honor!

Chorus

Mexicanos, al grito de guerra
El acero aprestad y el bridón,
Y retiemble en sus centros la tierra
Al sonoro rugir del cañón.

An unaltered English translation follows:

Chorus:

Mexicans, at the cry of war,
prepare the steel and the steed,
and may the earth shake at its core
to the resounding roar of the cannon.

I

Gird, oh fatherland, your brow with olive
the divine archangel of peace,
for your eternal destiny was written
in the heavens by the hand of God.
But if some strange enemy should dare
to profane your ground with his step,
think, oh beloved country, that heaven
has given you a soldier in every son.

Chorus

II

War, war without truce to any who dare
to tarnish the country's coat-of-arms!
War, war! Take the national pennants
and soak them in waves of blood.
War, war! In the mountain, in the valley,
the cannons thunder in horrid unison
and the resonant echoes
cry out union, liberty!

Chorus

III

Oh fatherland, 'ere your children
defenseless bend their neck to the yoke,
may your fields be watered with blood,
may they trod upon blood.
And may your temples, palaces and towers
collapse with horrid clamor,
and their ruins live on to say:
This land belonged to a thousand heroes.

Chorus

IV

Oh, fatherland, fatherland, your children swear
to breathe their last in your honor,
if the trumpet with warlike accent
should call them to fight with courage.
For you the olive branches!
A reminder for them of glory!
A laurel of victory for you!
For them a tomb with honor!

Chorus

(Note: To keep the translation derived from the Wikipedia link faithful to the Spanish original, this blogger has changed the English word "country" to the proper translation of the Spanish word "patria," which is "fatherland.")