Bože pravde
| English: "God of Justice" | |
|---|---|
 Sheet music of the Serbian national anthem (for mixed choir) | |
National anthem of  Serbia | |
| Also known as | (English: "Serbian National Prayer") |
| Lyrics | Jovan Đorđević, 1872 |
| Music | Davorin Jenko, 1872 |
| Adopted | 1909 (by the Kingdom of Serbia) November 8, 2006 (by Serbia) |
| Relinquished | 1918 (by the Kingdom of Serbia) |
| Audio sample | |
"Bože pravde" (instrumental) | |
"Bože pravde" (Serbian Cyrillic: Боже правде; [bǒʒe prâːʋde]; God of Justice)[1] is the national anthem of Serbia, as defined by the Article 7 of the Constitution of Serbia.[2] "Bože pravde" was the state anthem of the Principality of Serbia and the Kingdom of Serbia until 1918 when Serbia became a part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes which was formed that year. It was recommended by the regional Parliament of Serbia on August 17, 2004[1] and constitutionally adopted on November 8, 2006, after Serbia became a sovereign state again. The recommended text was made Law on May 11, 2009.[3] The original song was written in 1872 with music by Davorin Jenko and lyrics by Jovan Đorđević. It was then a piece for the theater play Marko kazuje na kome je carstvo (Marko names the Emperor), and its immense popularity with audiences prompted its adoption as the Serbian national anthem.
History
Template:National anthems of Serbia
While being the national anthem of the Kingdom of Serbia, it occasionally was referred to as the "Serbian National Prayer"[4] and the original lyrics contained a petition for the Serbian king. Various rulers of Serbia changed the words of the anthem to suit them. During the rule of Prince Milan I of Serbia, the words were "God, save Prince Milan" (knez Milana Bože spasi), which changed to King Milan when Serbia became a kingdom. Later it was tailored to Peter I and Alexander I as well.[5] During the time of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (which later became the Kingdom of Yugoslavia), "Bože pravde" was part of its national anthem.
The current anthem uses slightly modified original lyrics, asserting that Serbia is no longer a monarchy — four verses are different. In three, "Serbian king" (srpskog kralja) is changed to "Serbian lands" (srpske zemlje) and in one, "God save the Serbian king" (srpskog kralja Bože spasi, literally "The Serbian king, O God, save") is changed to "O God, save; O God, defend" (Bože spasi, Bože brani).
It was also used as a state anthem of Republika Srpska, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina until 2006, when it was ruled down by the country's constitutional court. The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has ruled against the use of "Bože pravde" as the anthem of Republika Srpska in 2006, declaring it unconstitutional,[6] and the decision was upheld by the Constitutional Court of Republika Srpska.[7]
In 1992, "Vostani Serbije" and "Marš na Drinu" were proposed as the anthem of Serbia along with "Bоže pravde".[8] The latter, promulgated by then-ruling Socialist Party of Serbia, even received a plurality of popular vote on referendum, but was never officially adopted.[9]
Lyrics
The full Serbian national anthem officially has eight stanzas, but only the first two are usually sung.[3]
| Serbian Cyrillic | Serbian Latin | English translation |
|---|---|---|
Боже правде, ти што спасе |
Bože pravde, ti što spase |
God of Justice; Thou who saved us |
(*) Chorus sung twice
References
- ^ a b c "National symbols and anthem of the Republic of Serbia". Government of Serbia. Archived from the original on July 20, 2011. Retrieved July 20, 2011.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Constitution of Serbia Archived June 16, 2013, at the Wayback Machine at the site of the Government of Serbia
- ^ a b c d "Zakon o izgledu i upotrebi grba, zastave i himne Republike Srbije" [Law on the Appearance and Use of the Coat of arms, the Flag and the Anthem of the Republic of Serbia]. Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia – No. 36/2009 (in Serbian). Narodna skupština Republike Srbije – JP "Službeni glasnik". 2009-05-11. Archived from the original on 2009-12-19. Retrieved 2009-06-26.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Serbia - Bože pravde". NationalAnthems.me. Retrieved 2011-11-18.
- ^ LJ. M. V. - J. Ž. S. (2006-08-01). "Hej, Bože pravde!". Vecernje novosti (in Serbian). Retrieved 2007-04-17.
- ^ "Press Release". Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina. 2007-01-27. Archived from the original on 2014-01-03.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Republika Srpska court upholds complaint about anthem". RFE/RL.
- ^ Konstantin Babić (2000-11-02). "Zašto Srbija još nema himnu". Vreme.
- ^ "Svi naši referendumi". Novi Sad: Radio-televizija Vojvodine. 2008-03-06.
- ^ Petrovitch, Voislav (1915). Serbia, Her People, History and Aspirations. Cosimo, Inc. p. 15. ISBN 978-1-60206-941-1. Retrieved October 14, 2017. Translated by Elisabeth Christitch, originally published in The Times. Note: this is a free, not literal translation of the lyrics, also fitting the meter of the original.
External links
- Serbian anthem streaming audio, lyrics and info
- National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia - Important Documents
