The Prayer of Russians
| English: The Prayer of Russians | |
|---|---|
| Молитва русских | |
anthem of  Russian Empire | |
| Lyrics | Vasily Zhukovsky |
| Adopted | 1816 |
| Relinquished | 1833 |
The Prayer of Russians (Russian: Молитва русских, Molitva russkikh) was a song used as the national anthem of Imperial Russia from 1816 to 1833.
After defeating the First French Empire, Tsar Alexander I of Russia recommended a national anthem for Russia. The lyrics were written by Vasily Zhukovsky, and the music of the British anthem God Save the King was used.
In 1833, "The Prayer of Russians" was replaced with "God Save the Tsar" (Bozhe, tsarya khrani). The two songs both start with the same words Bozhe, tsarya khrani but differ after that.
Some consider God Save the Tsar Russia's first true national anthem, as both its words and music were Russian. Others say the title belongs to Grom pobedy, razdavaysya!, another popular song of the time, although it never had official status.
Lyrics
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In Russian
Боже, Царя храни!
Славному долги дни
Дай на земли!
Гордыхъ смирителю,
Слабыхъ хранителю,
Всѣхъ утѣшителю—
Всё ниспошли!
Перводержавную
Русь Православную
Боже, храни!
Царство ей стройное,
Въ силѣ спокойное!
Всё-жъ недостойное
Прочь отжени!
О, Провидѣніе!
Благословеніе
Намъ ниспошли!
Къ благу стремленіе,
Въ счастьѣ смиреніе,
Въ скорби терпѣніе
Дай на земли!
Transliterated Lyrics
Bozhe, tsarya khrani!
Slavnomu dolgi dni
Day na zemli! (2X)
Gordykh smiritelyu,
Slabykh khranitelyu,
Vsyekh uteshitelyu -
Vsyë nisposhli!
Pervoderzhavnuyu
Rus' pravoslavnuyu
Bozhe, tsarya khrani!
Tsarstvo yey storoynoye!
V sile spokoynoye!
Vsë-zh nedostoynoye
Proch' otzheni!
O, Provideniye!
Blagosloveniye
Nam nisposhli!
K blagu stremlenye,
V schast'ye smireniye,
V skorbi terpeniye
Day na zemli!
In English
God, save the Tsar!
To the glorious one, long days
Give on this earth!
To the subduer of the proud,
To the keeper of the weak
To the comforter of everyone,
Grant everything!
The land of the first throne,
Orthodox Russia,
God, do save!
(Make) her tzardom harmonious,
Calm in strength;
And everything unworthy
Drive away!
O Providence!
Blessing
Grant to us!
Aspiration to good,
Humility in happiness,
Patience in sorrow
Give on this earth!