ROME, Italy — Italy has made a minor adjustment to its national anthem, removing the emphatic “Si!” (Yes!) that concluded the historic song.

The Defence Staff issued instructions for the change in recent weeks, following a presidential decree published in May that referenced the anthem’s original 1847 version, Reuters reported, citing government sources.

Before the tweak, the anthem “Brothers of Italy” ended with the line: “We are ready to die, We are ready to die, Italy has called! Yes!” The final “Yes” has now been dropped.

A source at the presidential office said the adjustment was not politically motivated but aimed at preserving the anthem’s purity, returning it closer to the original lyrics penned by poet Goffredo Mameli. The musical score, composed by Michele Novaro in the same year, had already included the word “Si” in its notation.

Reproductions of the original lyrics and score are available on the government’s website. News of the change was first reported by Il Fatto Quotidiano and confirmed by officials at the defense ministry and the president’s office.