Nokor Reach

Nokor Reach

English: Royal Kingdom
National anthem of Cambodia
Lyrics	Chuon Nat
Music	F. Perruchot / J. Jekyll and Norodom Suramarit, 1939
Adopted	1941
Music sample
Nokor Reach

"Nokor Reach" (Khmer: បទនគររាជ; Royal Kingdom or Majestic Kingdom) is the national anthem of the Kingdom of Cambodia. It was based on a Cambodian folk tune and written by Chuon Nath, the anthem was originally adopted in 1941 and reconfirmed in 1947, around the time of independence from France. In 1970, the monarchy was abolished, thereby replacing the anthem as well. After the communist victory in 1975, former royalist symbols, including "Nokor Reach", were reinstated for a short while. The Khmer Rouge then replaced it with Dap Prampi Mesa Chokchey ("Glorious Seventeenth of April"). After the royalist party FUNCINPEC defeated the former communists (Cambodian People's Party) in the 1993 elections, the royalist anthem was restored.

Khmer lyrics and transcription

Khmer lyrics បទនគររាជ 1st verse សូមពួកទេវត្តា រក្សាមហាក្សត្រយើង អោយបានរុងរឿង ដោយជ័យមង្គលសិរីសួស្តី យើងខ្ញុំព្រះអង្គ សូមជ្រកក្រោមម្លប់ព្រះបារមី នៃព្រះនរបតី វង្សក្សត្រាដែលសាងប្រាសាទថ្ម គ្រប់គ្រងដែនខ្មែរ បុរាណថ្កើងថ្កាន។ 2nd verse ប្រាសាទសីលា កំបាំងកណ្តាលព្រៃ គួរអោយស្រមៃ នឹកដល់យសស័ក្តិមហានគរ ជាតិខ្មែរដូចថ្មគង់វង្សនៅល្អរឹងប៉ឹងជំហរ យើងសង្ឃឹមពរ ភ័ព្វព្រេងសំណាងរបស់កម្ពុជា មហារដ្ឋកើតមាន យូរអង្វែងហើយ។ 3rd verse គ្រប់វត្តអារាម ឮតែសូរស័ព្ទធម៌ សូត្រដោយអំណរ រំឮកគុណពុទ្ធសាសនា ចូរយើងជាអ្នក ជឿជាក់ស្មោះស្ម័គ្រតាមបែបដូនតា គង់តែទេវត្តានឹងជួយជ្រោមជ្រែង ផ្គត់ផ្គង់ប្រយោជន៍ឱយ ដល់ប្រទេសខ្មែរ ជាមហានគរ។

ALA-LC transliteration Pad Nagar Rāj 1st verse Sūm buak devattā raksā mahā ksatr yoeṅ Qoy pān ruṅ rẏaṅ ṭoy jăy maṅgal sirī suasdī Yoeṅ khñuṃ braḥ qaṅg sūm jrak krom mláp braḥ Pāramī Nai braḥ Narapatī vaṅs ksatrā ṭael sāṅ prāsād thma Gráp graṅ ṭaen Khmaer purāṇ thkoeṅ thkān. 2nd verse Prāsād sīlā kaṃpāṃṅ kaṇṭāl brai Guar qoy sramai nẏk ṭál yas săktī Mahā Nagar Jātī Khmaer ṭūc thma gáṅ vaṅs nau lqa rẏṅ pʹẏṅ jaṃhar Yoeṅ sāṅghẏm bar bhăbv breṅ saṃṇāṅ rapás Kambujā Mahā raṭṭh koet mān yūr qaṅveṅ hoey. 3rd verse Gráp vatt qārām ḹ tae sū săbd dharm Sūtr ṭoy aṃṇar raṃḹk guṇ buddh'sāsnā Cūr yoeṅ jā qnak jẏa jâk smoḥ smăgr tām paep ṭūn dā Gáṅ tae devattā nẏṅ juay jrom jraeṅ phgád phgaṅ prayojnå oy Ṭál prades Khmaer jā Mahā Nagar.

IPA transcription IPA: [ɓɑt̪ n̪ɔkɔː rɨəc] 1st verse soːm puːək t̪eːʋɔt̪ɗaː reəʔksaː mɔhaː ksat̪ jəːŋ ʔaːoj ɓaːn̪ ruŋ rɨːəŋ ɗaːoj cej mɔːŋkɔl serej suəˈsɗej jəːŋ kʰɲom preəʰ ɑŋ soːm crɔk kraːom mlup preəʰ ɓaːrɑmej n̪ej preəʰ n̪ɔrɔˈɓɑɗəj ʋɔŋ ksat̪raː ɗaːel saːŋ praːsaːt̪ t̪ʰmɑ krup krɔŋ ɗaːen̪ kʰmaːe ɓoraːn̪ t̪ʰkaːəŋ t̪ʰkaːn̪ 2nd verse praːsaːt̪ sejˈla kɑmɓaŋ kɑn̪daːl prej kuːə ʔaːoj srɑmaj n̪ɨk dɑl juəʰ sak mɔhaː n̪ɔkɔː ciːət̪ kʰmaːe ɗoːuc t̪ʰmɑ kuŋ ʋɔŋ n̪ɨʋ lˈɑ rɨŋ pəŋ cumhɑ jəːŋ sɑŋkʰəm pɔː pʰoap preːiŋ sɑmnaːŋ rɑɓɑh kɑmpuˈciə mɔhaː rɑt̪ kaːət̪ miːən̪ juː ʔɑŋʋaːeŋ haəj 3rd verse krup ʋɑt̪ aːraːm lɨː taːe soː sɑp tʰɔɹ~tʰoa soːt̪ ɗaːoj ɑmn̪ɑ rumlɨk kun̪ put̪ saːʰsn̪aː coː jəːŋ ciːə neəʔ cɨːə ceəʔ smɑh smaʔ t̪aːm ɓaːeɓ ɗoːn̪ t̪ aː kuŋ t̪aːe t̪eːʋɔt̪ɗaː n̪ɨŋ cuːəj croːm crɛːŋ pkɑt̪ pkɑŋ prɑjaːoc aːoj ɗɑl̪ prɑt̪eh kʰmaːe ciːə mɔhaː n̪ɔkɔː

English translation

First English translation	Second translation	Third translation
Verse I Heaven protects our King And gives him happiness and glory To reign over our souls and our destinies, The one being, heir of the Sovereign builders, Guiding the proud old Kingdom. Verse II Temples are asleep in the forest Remembering the glory of the grand kingdom Like a rock the Khmer race is eternal. Let us trust in the fate of Kampuchea The empire which challenges the ages. Verse III Songs rise up from the pagodas To the glory of holy Buddhist faith. Let us be faithful to our ancestors' belief. Thus heaven will lavish its bounty Towards the ancient Khmer country, The Grand Kingdom.	Verse I Heaven save the king Give him happiness and glory Us, servants of the king Wants to stay under your shade of glory Of those who have the bloodline of who built temples of rock May rule the Khmer land high and renowned. Verse II Temples are hidden in the forest Reminds of the glory of Moha Nokor The Khmer nation is like an eternal rock We hope and bless, fate of Cambodia The Great state which lives very old. Verse III Every pagodas heard with songs Reciting it to remember Buddhism Let us be faithful to our ancestors' belief Then, heaven will lavish its bounty to Khmer country, a Great Kingdom	Verse I Heavens protect the King Send him happiness and glory Us, your servants Wants you to reign Heir of the Sovereign Builders and rule the Khmer Land and make it high and filled with honor. Verse II Temples, hidden and asleep in the forest Remembering Moha Nokor Khmer is eternal like a rock We hope the luck of Cambodia The empire which challenges ages. Verse III Pagodas, heard with songs Remembering holy Buddhist Let us be faithful to our fathers' belief Hence, heavens will help Cambodia, the Great Kingdom.

French Version

The anthem also has its French version although there is no official nor unofficial status of this version at all.

Verse 1	Verse 2	Verse 3
Que le ciel protège notre Roi Et lui dispense le bonheur et la gloire. Qu'il règne sur nos coeurs et sur nos destinées, Celui qui, héritier des Souverains bâtisseurs, Gouverne le fier et vieux Royaume.	Les temples dorment dans la forêt, Rappelant la grandeur du Moha Nokor. Comme le roc, la race khmère est éternelle, Ayons cofiance dans le sort du Campuchéa, L'Empire qui défie les années.	Les chants montent dans le pagodes A la gloire de la Sainte foi Bouddhique. Soyons fidèles aux croyances de nos pères. Ainsi le ciel prodiguera-t-il tous ses bienfaits Au vieux pays khmer, le Moha Nokor.

See also

• Dap Prampi Mesa Chokchey (Democratic Kampuchea's national anthem) (1976–1979)
• National symbols of Cambodia

• Flag of Cambodia
• Royal Arms of Cambodia
• Angkor Wat
• Krama
• Palm Tree
• History of Cambodia

External links

• Nokor Reach Instrumental VDO clip on Youtube
• Nokor Reach with lyrics VDO clip on Youtube

• Cambodian National Anthem - The page "Cambodian View" includes a page about the anthem, which includes a vocal version of the anthem.