The oldest national anthem, defined as "a song, as of praise, devotion, or patriotism",[1] is the Dutch national anthem Het Wilhelmus,[trans 2] which was written between 1568 and 1572, but not then given any official status.[2] The first anthem to be officially proclaimed as such was La Marcha Real,[trans 3] adopted by Spain in 1770.[3] Het Wilhelmus was declared the national anthem of the Netherlands in 1932; both of these anthems remain in use today. A royal or imperial anthem is a song that is similar in patriotic character to a national anthem, but which specifically praises a monarch, or royal dynasty. Some states have doubled their royal or imperial anthem as their national anthem; for example, the Imperial Anthem of Iran, used from 1933 to 1979, served both as national anthem and as an explicit celebration of the Pahlavi dynasty.
An anthem may fall out of use if the country that uses it ceases to exist, or because it adopts a new anthem; the rationale for a new national anthem is often political, perhaps based on a new ruling dynasty or system of government. For example, following the French Revolution, which overthrew the monarchy, La Marseillaise, a republican revolutionary song, became national anthem in 1795. Conversely, when the monarchy was restored 19 years later, the 16th-century royalist tune Vive Henri IV was revived and adapted to create Le Retour des Princes français à Paris, an overt celebration of the restored government.[trans 4] Following a number of further changes, La Marseillaise was readopted in 1870 and remains France's contemporary national anthem.
Some historical anthems share the same tune; for example, Heil dir im Siegerkranz,[trans 5] the Imperial German anthem, used the same music as Britain's national anthem, God Save the Queen. There are also instances of the music of a former national anthem still being used in a current anthem; for instance, the modern national anthem of Germany, Das Lied der Deutschen,[trans 6] uses the same tune as the 19th and early 20th-century Austro-Hungarian anthem Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser.[trans 7] Another well-known example is the Hymn of the Soviet Union,[trans 8] used until its dissolution in 1991, which was given new words and adopted by the Russian Federation in 2000 to replace the unpopular instrumental anthem it had introduced in 1993.[4][5]
This was not the first time that a country's de facto or de jure national anthem had proved controversial among its own people. My Country, 'Tis of Thee, a de facto anthem of the United States during the 19th century, divided opinion as it used the same tune as God Save the Queen.[note 1] A more recent example is Hej, Sloveni,[trans 9] the former Yugoslavian anthem which was retained by Serbia and Montenegro until 2006;[note 2] because it was frequently booed when played in public – at sporting events, for example – it was eventually replaced.[6]
Contents |
Country | National anthem title in local language(s) |
English translation of title | Period | Lyrics writer | Music writer | Audio | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Afghanistan | Soroud-e-Melli[trans 10] | National Anthem | 1943–1973 | Mohammed Makhtar | Mohammed Farukh | — | [7] |
Afghanistan | Soroud-e-Melli[trans 10] | National Anthem | 1973–1978 | Abdul Rauf Benawa | Abdul Ghafur Brechna | — | [7] |
Afghanistan | Soroud-e-Melli[trans 10] | National Anthem | 1978–1992 | Suleiman Laeq | Jalīl Ghahlānd | — | [7] |
Afghanistan | Soroud-e-Melli[trans 10] | National Anthem | 1992–1999 2002–2006 |
Unknown | Ustad Qasim | — | [7] |
Austrian Empire | Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser | God Save Emperor Francis | 1804–1835 1848–1854 |
Lorenz Leopold Haschka | Joseph Haydn | Gott erhalte Franz der Kaiser | [note 3] |
Austrian Empire | Segen Öst'reichs hohem Sohne / Unserm Kaiser Ferdinand! | Blessings to Austria's high son / Our Emperor Ferdinand! | 1835–1848 | Joseph Christian von Zedlitz | Joseph Haydn | Segen Öst'reichs hohem Sohne / Unserm Kaiser Ferdinand! | [note 3] |
Austrian Empire | Gott erhalte, Gott beschütze / Unsern Kaiser, unser Land! | God preserve, God protect / Our Emperor, our country! | 1854–1867 | Johann Gabriel Seidl | Joseph Haydn | Gott erhalte, Gott beschütze / Unsern Kaiser, unser Land! | [note 3] |
Austria-Hungary | Gott erhalte, Gott beschütze / Unsern Kaiser, unser Land! | God preserve, God protect / Our Emperor, our country! | 1867–1918 | Johann Gabriel Seidl | Joseph Haydn | Gott erhalte, Gott beschütze / Unsern Kaiser, unser Land! | [note 3] |
Austria | Deutschösterreich, du herrliches Land | German Austria, you wonderful country | 1920–1929 (de facto) |
Karl Renner | Wilhelm Kienzl | — | — |
Austria | Sei gesegnet ohne Ende | Be Blessed Without End | 1929–1938 | Ottokar Kernstock | Joseph Haydn | Sei gesegnet ohne Ende | [note 3] |
Biafra | Land of the Rising Sun | — | 1967–1970 | Unknown | Jean Sibelius | — | — |
Bophuthatswana | Lefatshe leno la bo-rrarona | This Land of Our Forefathers | 1976–1994 | J. M. Ntsime | E. B. Mathibe J. J. Loots |
— | — |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | Jedna si jedina | The One and Only | 1992–1998 | Edin Dervishalidović | Edin Dervishalidović | — | — |
Bulgaria | Shumi Maritsa[trans 11] | Maritsa Rushes | 1886–1944 | Nikola Zhivkov | Ivan Vazov | — | [note 4] |
Bulgaria | Republiko nasha, zdravey![trans 13] | Hail to our Republic! | 1944–1950 | Krum Penev | Georgi Dimitrov | — | — |
Bulgaria | Balgariyo mila[trans 14] | Dear Bulgaria | 1950–1964 | Nikola Furnadshiev Mladen Issaev Elisaveta Bagrjana |
Georgi Dimitrov Georgi Zlatev-Tscherkin Svetoslav Obretenov |
— | — |
Cambodia | Dap Prampi Mesa Chokchey[trans 15] | Glorious Seventeenth of April | 1976–1979 | Unknown | Unknown | — | — |
Cape Verde | Esta É a Nossa Pátria Bem Amada | This Is Our Beloved Country | 1975–1996 | Amílcar Cabral | Amílcar Cabral | — | [note 5] |
Central America | La Granadera | The Grenadier | 1823–1839 | Rómulo Durón | Unknown | La Granadera | — |
Qing China | Gong Jin'ou[trans 16] | Cup of Solid Gold | 1911–1912 | Yan Fu | Bo Tong | — | — |
Republic of China | Qing yun gē[trans 17] | The Song to the Auspicious Cloud | 1921–1926 | Zhang Taiyan | Xiao Youmei | Qing yun gē | — |
Republic of China | Guómín gémìng gē[trans 18] | Revolution of the Citizens | 1926–1928 | Liao Qianwu | Traditional | Guómín gémìng gē | — |
Chinese Soviet Republic | Guójìgē[trans 19] | The Internationale | 1931–1937 | Qu Qiubai | Pierre De Geyter | Guójìgē | [9] |
Ciskei | Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika | God Bless Africa | 1976–1994 | Enoch Sontonga | Joseph Parry | — | — |
Confederate States of America | God Save the South | — | 1861–1865 (de facto) |
George Henry Miles | Charles Ellerbrock | — | [note 6] |
Republic of the Congo | Les Trois Glorieuses | The Three Glorious Days | 1969–1991 | Henri Lopès | Philippe Mockouamy | — | — |
Corsican Republic | Dio vi Salvi Regina | God Save Our Queen | 1755–1769 (de facto) |
Francis de Geronimo | Francis de Geronimo | — | — |
Anglo-Corsican Kingdom | Dio vi Salvi Regina | God Save Our Queen | 1794–1796 | Francis de Geronimo | Francis de Geronimo | — | — |
Kingdom of Egypt | Eslami ya Misr[trans 20] | Be Safe Oh Egypt | 1923–1936 | Mostafa Saadeq Al-Rafe'ie | Safar Ali | — | [12] |
Egypt | Walla Zaman Ya Selahy[trans 21] | Oh My Weapon | 1971–1979 | Salah Jahin | Kamal Al Taweel | — | — |
France | Vive Henri IV | Long live Henri IV | 16th century-1792 | Unknown | Unknown | Vive Henri IV | — |
France | Chant du départ | Song of the Departure | 1799–1815 | Marie-Joseph Chénier | Étienne Nicolas Méhul | Chant du départ | [note 7] |
France | Le Retour des Princes français à Paris | The Return of the French Princes to Paris | 1814–1815 1815–1830 |
Unknown | François-Henri Castil-Blaze | Le Retour des Princes français à Paris | — |
France | La Parisienne | The Parisian | 1830–1848 | Casimir Delavigne | Daniel Auber | — | — |
France | Le Chant des Girondins | The Song of Girondists | 1848–1852 | Alexandre Dumas Auguste Maquet Claude-Joseph Rouget de Lisle |
Alphonse Varney | — | — |
France | Partant pour la Syrie | Departing for Syria | 1852–1870 | Alexandre de Laborde | Hortense de Beauharnais | — | — |
Georgia | Dideba[trans 22] | Praise | 1918–1920 1990–2004 |
Kote Potskhverashvili | Kote Potskhverashvili | Dideba | — |
German Empire | Heil dir im Siegerkranz | Hail to Thee in Victor's Crown | 1871–1918 | Heinrich Harries | Unknown | Heil dir im Sigerkranz | — |
Germany | Das Lied der Deutschen | The Song of the Germans | 1918–1933 | August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben | Joseph Haydn | Das Lied der Deutschen | [note 8] |
Germany | Das Lied der Deutschen | The Song of the Germans | 1933–1945 | August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben | Joseph Haydn | Das Lied der Deutschen | [note 9] |
German Democratic Republic | Auferstanden aus Ruinen | Arisen from Ruins | 1949–1990 | Johannes R. Becher | Hanns Eisler | Auferstanden aus Ruinen | — |
Hawaii | God Save the King | — | 1810–1860 | Unknown | Unknown | God Save the King | — |
Hawaii | E Ola Ke Alii Ke Akua | God Save the King | 1860–1866 | Lunalilo | Unknown | — | — |
Hawaii | He Mele Lahui Hawaii | The Song of the Hawaiian Nation | 1866–1876 | Liliuokalani | Unknown | — | — |
Hawaii | Hawaii Ponoi | Hawaii's Own True Sons | 1876–1893 | Kalakaua | Henri Berger | — | — |
Honduras | La Granadera | The Grenadier | 1838–1915 | Rómulo Durón | Unknown | La Granadera | — |
Iran | Salamati-ye Shah[trans 23] | Health of the Shah | 1868–1933 | Unknown | Alfred Jean Baptiste Lemaire | — | — |
Iran | Sorood-e Shahanshahi Iran[trans 24] | Imperial Salute of Iran | 1933–1979 | Unknown | Unknown | Sorood-e Shahanshahi Iran | — |
Iran | Ey Iran[trans 25] | Oh Iran | 1979–1980 | Hossein Gol-e-Golab | Gholam Hossein Banan | Ey Iran | — |
Iran | Payandeh Bada Iran[trans 26] | A Lasting Iran | 1980–1990 | Abolghasem Halat Mohammad Beglary-Pour |
Mohammad Beglary-Pour | — | — |
Iraq | Ardulfurataini Watan[trans 27] | The Land of The Two Rivers | 1979–2003 | Shafiq Alkamali | Walid Georges Gholmieh | — | — |
Italy | Marcia Reale d'Ordinanza | Royal March of Ordinance | 1861–1946 | Unknown | Giuseppe Gabetti | — | — |
Korea | Daehan jeguk aegukga | Patriotic song of the Korean Empire | 1902–1910 | Unknown | Franz Eckert | — | — |
Kuwait | As-salām al-amīrī[trans 28] | Amiri Salute | 1951–1978 | Instrumental | Yusuf Adees | — | [note 10] |
Libya | Allah Akbar (Anthem) | Allahu Akbar | 1951–1969 | Al Baschir Al Arebi | Mohamad Abdel Wahab | — | [note 11] |
Montenegro | Ubavoj nam Crnoj Gori | Our Beautiful Montenegro | 1910–1918 | Jovan Sundečić | Jovo Ivanišević | Ubavoj nam Crnoj Gori | — |
Mozambique | Viva, Viva a FRELIMO | Long Live FRELIMO | 1975–2002 | Justino Sigaulane Chemane | Justino Sigaulane Chemane | — | — |
Nepal | Rastriya Gaan[trans 29] | May Glory Crown Our Illustrious Sovereign | 1899–2007 | Chakrapani Chalise | Bakhatbir Budhapirthi | — | — |
Netherlands | Wien Neêrlands Bloed | Those in whom Dutch blood | 1815–1932 | Hendrik Tollens | Johann Wilhelm Wilms | Wien Neêrlands Bloed | — |
Netherlands Antilles | Anthem without a title | — | 2000–2010 | Zahira Hiliman Lucille Berry-Haseth |
Zahira Hiliman | — | — |
Newfoundland | Ode to Newfoundland | — | 1907–1949 | Cavendish Boyle | Hubert Parry | — | [note 12] |
Nigeria | Nigeria We Hail Thee | — | 1960–1978 | Lilian Jean Williams | Frances Benda | — | — |
Orange Free State | Heft, Burgers, 't lied der vrijheid | Sing, Citizens, the song of Freedom | 1854–1902 | H. A. L. Hamelberg | W. F. G. Nicolai | — | [15] |
Portugal | Hymno da Carta | Hymn to the Charter | 1834–1911 | Pedro I of Brazil and IV of Portugal | Pedro I of Brazil and IV of Portugal | — | — |
Rhodesia | God Save the Queen | — | 1965–1970 | Unknown | Unknown | God Save the Queen | [note 13][16] |
Rhodesia | Rise O Voices of Rhodesia | — | 1974–1979 | Mary Bloom | Ludwig van Beethoven | Rise O Voices of Rhodesia | [note 13][16] |
Romania | Trăiască Regele | Long live the King | 1881–1947 | Vasile Alecsandri | Eduard Hübsch | — | [17] |
Romania | Zdrobite cătuşe | Broken Handcuffs | 1948–1953 | Aurel Baranga | Matei Socor | — | [17] |
Romania | Te slăvim, Românie | We glorify thee, Romania | 1953–1977 | Eugen Frunză Dan Deşliu |
Matei Socor | — | [17] |
Romania | Trei culori | Three Colours | 1977–1989 | Unknown; adapted from the original Cântecul tricolorului | Ciprian Porumbescu | — | [17] |
Russian Empire | Molitva russkikh[trans 30] | The Prayer of Russians | 1816–1833 | Vasily Zhukovsky | Unknown | Molitva russkikh | — |
Russian Empire | Bozhe, Tsarya khrani![trans 1] | God Save the Tsar! | 1833–1917 | Vasily Zhukovsky | Alexei Lvov | Bozhe, Tsarya khrani! | — |
Russian Republic | Rabochaya Marselyeza[trans 31] | Worker's Marseillaise | 1917 | Pyotr Lavrov | Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle | Rabochaya Marselyeza | — |
Russian SFSR | Rabochaya Marselyeza[trans 31] | Worker's Marseillaise | 1917–1918 | Pyotr Lavrov | Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle | Rabochaya Marselyeza | [note 14] |
Russian SFSR | Internatsional[trans 32] | The Internationale | 1917–1922 | Eugène Pottier | Pierre De Geyter | Internatsional | [note 14] |
Russian Federation | Patrioticheskaya Pesnya'[trans 33] | The Patriotic Song | 1991–2000 | Instrumental | Mikhail Glinka | Patrioticheskaya Pesnya | [18] |
Rwanda | Rwanda Rwacu | Our Rwanda | 1962–2002 | Michael Habarurema Abanyuramatwi |
Michael Habarurema Abanyuramatwi |
— | — |
Sardinia | S'hymnu sardu nationale | The Sardinian National Anthem | 1842–1861 | Vittorio Angius | Giovanni Gonella | — | — |
Serbia and Montenegro | Hej, Sloveni | Hey, Slavs | 1991–2006 | Samuel Tomášik | Michał Kleofas Ogiński | Hej, Sloveni | [note 2] |
Seychelles | En Avant | Forward | 1976–1978 | Unknown | Unknown | — | — |
Seychelles | Fyer Seselwa | Be Proud Seychellois | 1978–1996 | Unknown | Pierre Dastros-Gèze | — | — |
Siam | Phleng Sansoen Phra Barami[trans 34] | Siamese Royal Anthem | 1913–1932 | Narisara Nuvadtivongs Vajiravudh |
Unknown | Phleng Sansoen Phra Barami | [note 15] |
South Africa | Die Stem van Suid-Afrika The Call of South Africa |
— | 1957–1997 | Cornelis Jacobus Langenhoven | Marthinus Lourens de Villiers | — | [note 16][21] |
South Africa | Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika | God Bless Africa | 1994–1997 | Enoch Sontonga | Joseph Parry | — | [note 16][21] |
South African Republic | Volkslied van Transvaal | National anthem of the Transvaal | 1875–1902 | Catharina van Rees | Catharina van Rees | — | [22] |
Soviet Union | Internatsional[trans 32] | The Internationale | 1922–1944 | Eugène Pottier | Pierre De Geyter | Internatsional | — |
Soviet Union | Gosudarstvenniy Gimn SSSR[trans 35] | Hymn of the Soviet Union | 1944–1991 | Sergey Mikhalkov | Alexander Alexandrov | Gosudarstvenniy Gimn SSSR | — |
Spain | Himno de Riego | Anthem of Riego | 1931–1939 | José Melchor Gomis | José Melchor Gomis | Himno de Riego | [23] |
Switzerland | Rufst du, mein Vaterland | When you call, my fatherland | c. 1850–1961 | Johann Rudolf Wyss Henri Roehrich |
Unknown | Rufst du, mein Vaterland | [24] |
Transkei | Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika | God Bless Africa | 1976–1994 | Enoch Sontonga | Joseph Parry | — | — |
Tunisia | Ala Khallidi[trans 36] | Immortal and Precious | 1958–1987 | Jalaleddine Naccache | Salah El Mahdi | — | — |
Two Sicilies | Inno al Re | Hymn to the King | 1816–1861 | Unknown | Giovanni Paisiello | — | — |
United Arab Republic | Walla Zaman Ya Selahy[trans 21] | Oh My Weapon | 1960–1971 | Salah Jahin | Kamal Al Taweel | — | — |
United States | My Country, 'Tis of Thee | — | c. 1831–1931 (de facto) |
Samuel Francis Smith | Unknown | My Country 'Tis Of Thee | [note 1] |
Upper Volta | Hymne National Voltaïque | Voltaique National Anthem | 1960–1984 | Robert Ouedraogo | Robert Ouedraogo | — | — |
Venda | Pfano na vhuthihi | Peace and Togetherness | 1979–1994 | Unknown | Unknown | — | — |
South Vietnam | Tiếng Gọi Công Dân | Call to the Citizens | 1955–1975 | Luu Huu Phuoc | Luu Huu Phuoc | — | [note 17] |
Württemberg | Württemberger Hymne | Hymn of Württemberg | 1806–1871 | Unknown | Peter Josef von Lindpaintner | — | — |
SFR Yugoslavia | Hej, Sloveni | Hey, Slavs | 1977–1991 | Samuel Tomášik | Michał Kleofas Ogiński | Hej, Sloveni | [27] |
Zaire | La Zaïroise | The Zairian | 1972–1997 | Joseph Lutumba | Simon-Pierre Boka Di Mpasi Londi | — | — |
Zimbabwe | Ishe Komborera Africa | God Bless Africa | 1980–1994 | Enoch Sontonga | Joseph Parry | — | [note 18] |