Grom pobedy, razdavaysya!

Grom pobedy, razdavaysya! (Russian: Гром побе́ды, раздава́йся!; English translation: Let the thunder of victory sound) was an unofficial Russian national anthem in the late 18th and early 19th century.

The lyrics were written by the premier Russian poet of the time, Gavrila Derzhavin, and the music by composer Osip Kozlovsky, in 1791. The song was written to commemorate the capture of major Ottoman fortress, Ismail, by the great Russian general, Aleksandr Suvorov. This event effectively ended the Second Russo-Turkish War.

The tune is a Polonaise.

This anthem was eventually replaced by a formal imperial anthem, God Save the Tsar, which was adopted in 1833.

Text of the song (excerpt)

Original Russian Transliteration English translation
trans. Alexander F. Beck

Гром победы, раздавайся!
Веселися, храбрый Росс!
Звучной славой украшайся.
Магомета ты потрёс!

Refrain:
Славься сим, Екатерина!
Славься, нежная к нам мать!

Воды быстрые Дуная
Уж в руках теперь у нас;
Храбрость Россов почитая,
Тавр под нами и Кавказ.

Уж не могут орды Крыма
Ныне рушить наш покой;
Гордость низится Селима,
И бледнеет он с луной.

Стон Синая раздаётся,
Днесь в подсолнечной везде,
Зависть и вражда мятется
И терзается в себе.

Мы ликуем славы звуки,
Чтоб враги могли узреть,
Что свои готовы руки
В край вселенной мы простреть.

Зри, премудрая царица!
Зри, великая жена!
Что Твой взгляд, Твоя десница
Наш закон, душа одна.

Зри на блещущи соборы,
Зри на сей прекрасный строй;
Всех сердца Тобой и взоры
Оживляются одной.

Grom pobedy, razdavaysya!
Veselisya, khrabry Ross!
Zvuchnoy slavoy ukrashaysya.
Magometa ty potryos!

Refrain:
Slav'sya sim, Yekaterina!
Slav'sya, nezhnaya k nam mat'!

Vody bystrye Dunaya
Uzh v rukakh teper' u nas;
Khrabrost' Rossov pochitaya,
Tavr pod nami i Kavkaz.

Uzh ne mogut ordy Kryma
Nyne rushit' nash pokoy;
Gordost' nizitsya Selima,
I bledneyet on s lunoy.

Ston Sinaya razdayotsya,
Dnes' v podsolnechnoy vezde,
Zavist' i vrazhda myatyotsya
I terzayetsya v sebe.

My likuem slavy zvuki,
Chtob vragi mogli uzret',
Chto svoi gotovy ruki
V kray vselennoy my prostret'.

Zri, premudraya tsaritsa!
Zri, velikaya zhena!
Chto Tvoy vzglyad, Tvoya desnitsa
Nash zakon, dusha odna.

Zri na bleshchushchi sobory,
Zri na sey prekrasny stroy;
Vsekh serdtsa Toboy i vzory
Ozhivlyayutsya odnoy|.

Triumph's thunder louder, higher!
Russian pride is running high!
Russia's glory sparkles brighter!
We have humbled Moslem might.

Refrain:
Hail to you for this, o Catherine -
Gentle mother to us all!

Danube's swiftly flowing waters
Are at last in our firm hands;
Caucasus respects our prowess,
Russia rules Crimean lands.

Turkish-Tatar hordes no longer
May disturb our calm domain.
Proud Selim won't be the stronger
evermore, as Crescent wanes.

Groans by Ishmael repeated
'Round the world are heard perforce.
Envy, enmity - defeated! -
Turn to poison at the source.

Make the most of every triumph -
For our foes it's time to see:
Russia reaches farther-higher
Over mountain peaks and seas.

Brilliant Empress, gaze at visions,
And behold, a woman great:
In your thoughts and your decisions
As one soul we all partake.

Look at grand cathedrals' splendor,
Contemplate our strength and grace;
See your subjects' hearts surrender
To rejoice before your face!

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