Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm

Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm (My Fatherland, My Pride and Joy) was adopted as the national anthem (Estonian: riigihümn, or rahvushümn) of the Republic of Estonia in 1920, and again in 1990.

The lyrics were written by Johann Voldemar Jannsen and are set to a melody composed in 1848 by Fredrik (Friedrich) Pacius which is also that of the national anthem of Finland: Maamme.

The song was first presented to the public as a choral work in the Grand Song Festival of Estonia in 1869 and quickly became a symbol of the Estonian National Awakening.

Between 1956 and 1990 the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic, a part of the Soviet Union, had a different anthem: Eesti NSV hümn.

Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm

Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm,
kui kaunis oled sa!
Ei leia mina iial teal
see suure, laia ilma peal,
mis mul nii armas oleks ka,
kui sa, mu isamaa!

Sa oled mind ju sünnitand
ja üles kasvatand;
sind tänan mina alati
ja jään sull' truuiks surmani,
mul kõige armsam oled sa,
mu kallis isamaa!

Su üle Jumal valvaku,
mu armas isamaa!
Ta olgu sinu kaitseja
ja võtku rohkest õnnista,
mis iial ette võtad sa,
mu kallis isamaa!

English translation

My native land, my joy, delight,
How fair thou art and bright!
And nowhere in the world all round
Can ever such a place be found
So well beloved as I love thee,
My native country dear!

My little cradle stood on thy soil,
Whose blessings ease my toil.
With my last breath my thanks to thee,
For true to death I'll ever be,
O worthy, most beloved and fine,
Thou, dearest country mine!

May God in Heaven thee defend,
My best, my dearest land!
May He be guard, may He be shield,
For ever may He bless and wield
O graciously all deeds of thine,
Thou dearest country mine!

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The English language translation above rhymes nicely, but it does not convey the deeply patriotic feeling of the anthem. For example, the Estonian word "isamaa", "fatherland" in English, or "Vaterland" in German, have a deep emotional content that is not present if translated as "dearest country mine", or "native country dear".

Below is an alternative translation which strives to transmit the true meaning of the anthem rather than poetic beauty. Each line in Estonian below is followed by the author's English translation:

Original Estonian Words

 Translated into English

Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm,

 My fatherland, my luck and joy

Kui kaunis oled sa!

 How beautiful thou art

Ei leia mina iial teal see

 I shall not find such ever

See suure laia ilma peal,

 On the surface of this huge wide world

Mis mul nii armas oleks ka,

  Which would be so dear to me

Kui sa, mu isamaa!

 As you, my fatherland!

Sa oled mind ju sünnitand

 You have given me birth

Ja üles kasvatand;

 And raised me

Sind tänan mina alati

 I shall thank you always

Ja jään sull' truuiks surmani,

 And I shall remain faithful to you 'til death

Mul kõige armsam oled sa,

 To me most beloved are you

Mu kallis isamaa!

 My precious fatherland!

Su üle Jumal valvaku,

 May God guard you

Mu armas isamaa!

 My precious fatherland!

Ta olgu sinu kaitseja

 Let Him be your defender

ja võtku rohkest' õnnista',

 And provide bountiful blessings

Mis iial ette võtad sa,

 For whatever you undertake

Mu kallis isamaa!

 My precious fatherland!

Note

In English-language mediums, the title is sometimes misspelt without the diacritical signs, so "Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm" becomes "Mu isamaa, mu onn ja room". Although Estonians can mostly recognize the incorrect form, it is usually considered humorous since it severely changes the meaning: while "õnn ja rõõm" means "happiness and joy," "onn ja room" can roughly be translated as "small hut and crawl."

External links

• Listen to the melody (Gov't website)
• The Estonian national anthem
• In Estonian language