Bože pravde

Боже правде
Bože pravde
English: Lord Give Us Justice
National Anthem of Flag of Serbia.svg Serbia
Lyrics Jovan Đorđević, 1872
Music Davorin Jenko, 1872

Bože pravde (Serbian: Боже правде, English: Lord Give Us Justice[1]) is the official anthem of Serbia. It was written in 1872 with music by Davorin Jenko and lyrics by Jovan Đorđević. Originally it was a piece for the theatre play "Marko kazuje na kome je carstvo" (Marko Names The Emperor), and it's immense popularity with the audiences prompted her adoption as the Serbian national anthem. It was also used as an anthem of Republika Srpska, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the period of 1991 to 2006, when it was ruled down by the country's constitutional court.

While being the anthem of the Kingdom of Serbia, it occasionally was referred to as "Serbian National Prayer" and the original lyrics contained a petition for the Serbian king. Various rulers of Serbia were changing words of the anthem to suit them. During the rule of prince Milan I of Serbia, the words were "God, save Prince Milan" (knez Milana Bože spasi), which changed to King Milan when Serbia became a kingdom. Later the anthem was tailored to Peter I of Yugoslavia and Alexander I of Yugoslavia as well.[2]

Republika Srpska retained the old lyrics, while Serbia uses slightly modified lyrics, asserting that it is no longer a monarchy – four verses, marked with 1 and 2 are different. In three, "Serbian king" (srpskog kralja) is changed to "Serbian lands" (srpske zemlje) and in one, "God, save Serbian king" (srpskog kralja Bože spasi) is changed in "God save, God defend" (Bože spasi, Bože brani).

The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has voted against the use of the current anthem of Republika Srpska declaring it unconstitutional[3], and the decision was upheld by the Constitutional Court of Republika Srpska[4]

Lyrics

Serbian Cyrillic Serbian Latin English translation

Боже правде, ти што спасе
од пропасти до сад нас,
чуј и одсад наше гласе
и од сад нам буди спас.

Моћном руком води, брани
будућности српске брод,
Боже спаси, Боже храни,
српске земље, српски род!1

Сложи српску браћу драгу
на свак дичан славан рад,
слога биће пораз врагу
а најјачи српству град.

Нек на српској блиста грани
братске слоге знатан плод,
Боже спаси, Боже храни
српске земље, српски род!1

Нек на српско ведро чело
твог не падне гнева гром
Благослови Србу село
поље, њиву, град и дом!

Кад наступе борбе дани
к' победи му води ход
Боже спаси, Боже храни
српске земље, српски род!1

Из мрачнога сину гроба
српске славе нови сјај
настало је ново доба
Нову срећу, Боже дај!

Отаџбину српску брани
пет вековне борбе плод
Боже спаси, Боже брани2
моли ти се српски род!

Bože pravde, ti što spase
od propasti do sad nas,
čuj i odsad naše glase
i od sad nam budi spas

Moćnom rukom vodi, brani
budućnosti srpske brod,
Bože spasi, Bože hrani
srpske zemlje, srpski rod!1

Složi srpsku braću dragu
na svak dičan slavan rad
sloga biće poraz vragu
a najjači srpstvu grad.

Nek na srpskoj blista grani
bratske sloge znatan plod
Bože spasi, Bože hrani
srpske zemlje, srpski rod!1

Nek na srpsko vedro čelo
tvog ne padne gneva grom
Blagoslovi Srbu selo
polje, njivu, grad i dom!

Kad nastupe borbe dani
k pobedi mu vodi hod
Bože spasi, Bože hrani
srpske zemlje, srpski rod!1

Iz mračnoga sinu groba
srpske slave novi sjaj
nastalo je novo doba
Novu sreću, Bože daj!

Otadžbinu srpsku brani
pet vekovne borbe plod
Bože spasi, Bože brani2
moli ti se srpski rod!

Note: this is a dynamic, not word-for-word
translation of the lyrics.


Righteous Lord who hath saved us
From destruction to this day
Hearken now and hear our voices
Bring salvation from this day

With Thy mighty hand protect us,
Guide the future Serbian race
O Lord save, O Lord nurture
Serbian people and Serbian lands1

Bind in closest links our kindred
Teach the love that will not fail,
May the loathed fiend of discord
Never in our ranks prevail

Let the golden fruits of union
Flourish with the freedom grace
Righteous Lord, guide and prosper
Serbian lands and Serbian race1

Lord! Avert from us Thy vengeance
Thunder of Thy dreaded ire
Bless each Serbian town and hamlet
Mountain, meadow, heart and spire

When our host goes forth to battle
Death or victory to embrace-
God of armies! be our leader
Strengthen then the Serbian race!1

On our sepulchre of ages
Breaks the resurrection morn,
From the slough of direst slavery
Serbia anew is born.

T' Serbian home-land Thou shalt nourish,
Five cent'ries a battle place,
Righteous Lord! Guide and prosper2
Thus entreats the Serbian nation

External links

References

  1. President of the Republic of Serbia - President of all citizens
  2. LJ. M. V. - J. Ž. S. (2006-08-01). "Hej, Bože pravde!", Vecernje novosti. Retrieved on 2007-04-17. 
  3. "Press Release". Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina (2007-01-27).
  4. "Republika Srpska court upholds complaint about anthem". RFE/RL.