| English: God of Justice | |
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| Bože pravde | |
Sheet music of the anthem (for mixed choir) |
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National anthem of Serbia |
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| Lyrics | Jovan Đorđević, 1872 |
| Music | Davorin Jenko, 1872 |
| Music sample | |
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Bože pravde (Instrumental)
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"Bože pravde" (Serbian Cyrillic: „Боже правде”, meaning "God of Justice"[1] or "Lord, Give Us Justice"[2]) is the official anthem of Serbia, as defined by the Article 7 of the Constitution of Serbia.[3] "Bože pravde" was the anthem of the Principality of Serbia and Kingdom of Serbia until 1918 when Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes was formed. It was recommended by the Parliament of Serbia on August 17, 2004[1] and constitutionally adopted on November 8, 2006. The recommended text was made Law on May 11, 2009.[4] The original song was written in 1872 with music by Davorin Jenko and lyrics by Jovan Đorđević. It was then a piece for the theater play "Marko kazuje na kome je carstvo" (Marko names the Emperor), and its immense popularity with audiences prompted its adoption as the Serbian national anthem.
While being the anthem of the Kingdom of Serbia, it occasionally was referred to as 'Serbian National Prayer'[5] and the original lyrics contained a petition for the Serbian king. Various rulers of Serbia changed the 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 and Alexander I as well.[6] During the time of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later Kingdom of Yugoslavia), "Bože pravde" was part of its 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. The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has ruled against the use of "Bože pravde" as the anthem of Republika Srpska in 2006, declaring it unconstitutional,[7] and the decision was upheld by the Constitutional Court of Republika Srpska.[8] The new anthem of Republika Srpska was adopted in 2008.
Republika Srpska retained the old lyrics, while Serbia uses slightly modified lyrics, asserting that it is no longer a monarchy — four verses are different. In three, "Serbian king" (srpskog kralja) is changed to "Serbian lands" (srpske zemlje) and in one, "God save the Serbian king" (srpskog kralja Bože spasi, literally The Serbian king, O God defend) is changed in "God save, God defend" (Bože spasi, Bože brani).
In 1990s, "Vostani Serbije" and "Marš na Drinu" were proposed as the anthem of Serbia along with Bоže pravde.[9] The latter, promulgated by then-ruling Socialist Party of Serbia, even received a plurality of popular vote on 1992 referendum, but it never got officially adopted.[10]
The anthem officially has eight stanzas, but only the first two are usually sung.[4]
(*) Chorus sung twice
This song also has two alternate endings to the twice sung chorus:
1st: Boze spasi, Boze hrani, moli ti se srps nas rod!(God save, God defend, thus entreats our Serbian race!)
2nd: Srbiju nam Boze hrani, moli ti se srps nas rod!(The Serbian nation, O God defend, thus entreats our Serbian race!)
| Serbian Cyrillic[4] | Serbian Latin[4] | English translation (Free)[1][11] | English translation (Literal) |
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Боже правде, ти што спасе
Сложи српску браћу драгу
Нек на српско ведро чело
Из мрачнога сину гроба |
Bože pravde, ti što spase
Složi srpsku braću dragu
Nek na srpsko vedro čelo
Iz mračnoga sinu groba |
God of Justice; Thou who saved us
Bind in closest links our kindred
Lord! Avert from us Thy vengeance,
On our sepulchre of ages |
God of Justice, You who saved us
Bind them closer, fellow Serbians
Save all Serbians from Your anger,
In that sepulcher of years |
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