National anthem of Tibet
National anthem of ![]() | |
Lyrics | Trijang Rinpoche, 1950 |
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Adopted | 1950 |
The Tibetan National Anthem (Tibetan: བོད་རྒྱལ་ཁབ་ཆེན་པོའི་རྒྱལ་གླུ།, Bod Rgyal Khab Chen Po'i Rgyal Glu), known as Gyallu, is the anthem of the Tibetan Government in Exile and is strictly banned by the People's Republic of China, especially in the Tibet Autonomous Region.[1] It was written by Trijang Rinpoche in 1950.
Tibet's first national anthem was, according to Tashi Tsering, written by a Tibetan scholar during the epoch of the seventh Dalai Lama and under the reign of the Pholanas in between 1745-1746.
Gyallu
Gyallu is the national anthem of the Tibetan exile government and focuses on the radiance of the Buddha.[2] The words were written by Trijang Rinpoche around 1950 but it is unclear exactly whether it was first used before the incorporation of Tibet into the People's Republic of China in 1951 or after the 14th Dalai Lama went into exile in India in 1960.
The earliest report of a state anthem (presumably Gyallu) is from the period of 1949 to 1950 (when Tibet was already facing the threat of a Communist Chinese invasion), introduced under reforms set in place to strengthen patriotism among the Tibetan people. Another report states that the anthem was presented to the 14th Dalai Lama in 1960 in exile.
The melody is said to be based on a very old piece of Tibetan sacred music, and the lyrics are by the Dalai Lama's tutor, Trijang Rinpoche. It has been used by Tibetans in exile ever since the introduction of the state anthem although it is banned in Tibet.
Lyrics
Tibetan script
Tibetan lyrics | Wylie transliteration | |
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སྲིད་ཞིའི་ཕན་བདེའི་འདོད་རྒུ་འབྱུང་བའི་གཏེར། |
srid zhi'i phan bde'i 'dod rgu 'byung ba'i gter |
Transcription | English translation | Alternative English Translation |
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Si Zhi Phen De Dö Gu Jungwae Ter Dorje Khamsu Ten Pey, Phutsong Dezhii Nga-Thang Gye Chösi Kyi Pel Yon Dhar Bhöd Jong Tendrö Getzen Nyi-ö-Kyi |
Let the radiant light shine of Buddha's wish-fulfilling gem teachings, |
The source of temporal and spiritual wealth of joy and boundless benefits |
18th-century Tibet national anthem
The first Tibetan national anthem was created in the 18th century. According to eminent Tibetan scholar Tashi Tsering, it was composed by Pholanas in 1745/46, at the time of the 7th Dalai Lama. Sir Charles Bell described it as Tibet's "national hymn".[3] Also part of a Tibetan Buddhist prayer, namely Prayer for long life of the Dalai Lama. The Prayer mentioned below is the prayer for long life of 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso, so it could not possibly be the national anthem before his (re)birth. In Tibetan Buddhism it is customary to write by highly realized Masters long life prayers for new reincarnations and other greatly recognized Masters of the time. It is said that reciting such prayers that spontaneously appeared in the minds of reincarnated masters (Living Buddhas) brings great benefits to those who recite them, not to mention of course the addressees of them.
Lyrics
Tibetan lyrics | Transliteration | English |
---|---|---|
གངས་རིས་སྐོར་བའི་ཞིང་ཁམས་འདི། |
Ghang ri rawe kor we shingkham di |
Circled by ramparts of snow-mountains, |
References
- ^ "Oops: China State Media Website Plays Banned Tibetan National Anthem". VOA. 2013-11-06.
- ^ Tibet - nationalanthems.info
- ^ Freedom Wind, Freedom Song About the origins of Tibet anthems, by Jamyang Norbu.
External links
- The Central Tibetan Administration has a page about the "Gyallu" that includes audio instrumental and vocal versions.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASevhpzcYHE
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANccgDlW8d8