Hey, Slavs
Encyclopedia
Hey, Slavs is an anthem
Anthem
The term anthem means either a specific form of Anglican church music , or more generally, a song of celebration, usually acting as a symbol for a distinct group of people, as in the term "national anthem" or "sports anthem".-Etymology:The word is derived from the Greek via Old English , a word...
ic song dedicated to Slavic peoples
Slavic peoples
The Slavic people are an Indo-European panethnicity living in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. The term Slavic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people, who speak languages belonging to the Slavic language family and share, to varying degrees, certain...
. Its first lyrics were written in 1834 under the title Hey, Slovaks (Hej, Slováci) by Samuel Tomášik and it has since served as the anthem of the Pan-Slavic movement, the anthem of the Sokol
Sokol
The Sokol movement is a youth sport movement and gymnastics organization first founded in Czech region of Austria-Hungary, Prague, in 1862 by Miroslav Tyrš and Jindřich Fügner...
physical education and political movement, the anthem of the SFR Yugoslavia
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
and the transitional anthem of the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro
Serbia and Montenegro
Serbia and Montenegro was a country in southeastern Europe, formed from two former republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia : Serbia and Montenegro. Following the breakup of Yugoslavia, it was established in 1992 as a federation called the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia...
. The song is also considered to be the second, unofficial anthem of the Slovaks
Slovaks
The Slovaks, Slovak people, or Slovakians are a West Slavic people that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is closely related to the Czech language.Most Slovaks today live within the borders of the independent Slovakia...
. Its melody is based on Mazurek Dąbrowskiego, which has been also the anthem of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
since 1926, but the Yugoslav variation is much slower and more accentuated.
In the Serbo-Croatian language
Serbo-Croatian language
Serbo-Croatian or Serbo-Croat, less commonly Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian , is a South Slavic language with multiple standards and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro...
, which deployed both the Latinic and the Cyrillic
Serbian Cyrillic alphabet
The Serbian Cyrillic alphabet is an adaptation of the Cyrillic script for the Serbian language, developed in 1818 by Serbian linguist Vuk Karadžić. It is one of the two standard modern alphabets used to write the Serbian language, the other being Latin...
alphabets, the title Hej, Slaveni was presented:
- Hej, Slaveni or Hej, Sloveni (in Latinic)
- Хеј, Славени or Хеј, Словени (in CyrillicSerbian Cyrillic alphabetThe Serbian Cyrillic alphabet is an adaptation of the Cyrillic script for the Serbian language, developed in 1818 by Serbian linguist Vuk Karadžić. It is one of the two standard modern alphabets used to write the Serbian language, the other being Latin...
).
In Macedonian
Macedonian language
Macedonian is a South Slavic language spoken as a first language by approximately 2–3 million people principally in the region of Macedonia but also in the Macedonian diaspora...
the song is called Ej, Sloveni (Еј, Словени), and in Slovene Hej, Slovani. The original title in Slovak
Slovak language
Slovak , is an Indo-European language that belongs to the West Slavic languages .Slovak is the official language of Slovakia, where it is spoken by 5 million people...
is Hej, Slováci.
Hey, Slovaks
The song was written by the Slovak Lutheran pastor, poet and historian Samuel TomášikSamo Tomášik
Samo Tomášik was a Slovak romantic poet and prosaist....
while he was visiting Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
in 1834. He was appalled that German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
was more commonly heard in the streets of Prague than Czech
Czech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
. He wrote in his diary:
- "If mother Prague, the pearl of the Western Slav world, is to be lost in a German sea, what awaits my dear homeland, Slovakia, which looks to Prague for spiritual nourishment? Burdened by that thought, I remembered the old Polish songDabrowski's MazurkaMazurek Dąbrowskiego is the national anthem of Poland. It is also known by its original title, Pieśń Legionów Polskich we Włoszech , or by its incipit, Jeszcze Polska nie zginęła ....
Jeszcze Polska nie zginęła, póki my żyjemy ("Poland has not yet perished as long as we live."). That familiar melody caused my heart to erupt with defiant Hej, Slováci, ešte naša slovenská reč žije ("Hey, Slovaks, our Slovak language still lives")... I ran to my room, lit a candle and wrote down three verses into my diary in pencil. The song was finished in a moment." (Diary of Samuel Tomášik, Sunday, 2 November 1834)
Original Slovak lyrics |
|---|
Hej, Slováci, ešte naša slovenská reč žije, Dokiaľ naše verné srdce za náš národ bije. Žije, žije, duch slovenský, bude žiť na veky, Hrom a peklo, márne vaše proti nám sú vzteky! Jazyka dar sveril nám Boh, Boh náš hromovládny, Nesmie nám ho teda vyrvať na tom svete žiadny; I nechže je koľko ľudí, toľko čertov v svete; Boh je s nami: kto proti nám, toho Parom zmetie. I nechže sa aj nad nami hrozná búrka vznesie, Skala puká, dub sa láme a zem nech sa trasie; My stojíme stále pevne, ako múry hradné Čierna zem pohltí toho, kto odstúpi zradne! |
English Translation |
Ho, ye Slovaks! our beloved language still surviveth; While the faithful heart within us for our nation striveth; Yes, the Slovak spirit liveth; it will live forever Hell and thunder, 'gainst us raging, vain is your endeavor. God to us our tongue entrusted, God, who sways the thunder; Who on earth then shall presume this gift from us to sunder! Though the earth were filled with demons, our rights assailing, We defy them. God is with us, Parom´s Perun In Slavic mythology, Perun is the highest god of the pantheon and the god of thunder and lightning. His other attributes were the fire, mountains, the oak, iris, eagle, firmament , horses and carts, weapons and war... strong arm prevailing. Though about us storms are raging, bringing devastation, Rocks disrupting, oaks uprooting, shaking earth's foundation, Yet we stand like castle walls, our vested rights asserting; May the earth engulf the traitor from our ranks deserting. |
Pan-Slavic anthem
He soon altered the lyrics to include all Slavs and Hey, Slavs became a widely known rallying song for Slav nationalism and Pan-Slavic sentiment, especially in Slavic lands governed by AustriaAustria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. It was printed in numerous magazines and calendars and sung at political gatherings, becoming an unofficial anthem of the Pan-Slavic movement.
Its popularity continued to increase when it was adopted as the official anthem of the Sokol
Sokol
The Sokol movement is a youth sport movement and gymnastics organization first founded in Czech region of Austria-Hungary, Prague, in 1862 by Miroslav Tyrš and Jindřich Fügner...
("falcon") physical education movement, which was based on Pan-Slavic ideals and active across Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
. In 1905, the erection of a monument
Prešeren Square
Prešeren Square is the central square in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. The square and surroundings have been closed to traffic since 1 September 2007. A scale model of the square is exhibited at Mini-Europe in Brussels in a proportion of 1:25 to the original.-Description:Prešeren Square was...
to the Slovene poet France Prešeren
France Prešeren
France Prešeren was a Slovene Romantic poet. He is considered the Slovene national poet. Although he was not a particularly prolific author, he inspired virtually all Slovene literature thereafter....
in Ljubljana
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
was celebrated by a large gathering of people singing Hey, Slavs. During the First World War, the song was often used by Slav soldiers from the opposite sides of the frontline to communicate common nationalist sentiment and prevent bloodshed. Many Slovenian, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n and Serb members of Sokol conscripted into Austro-Hungarian army voluntarily surrendered to Serbian or Russian forces and often even changed sides. The song spread with them across the Balkans and Russia and remained popular in the inter-war period.
Tiso's Slovakia
In Slovakia, the song "Hey, Slovaks" has been considered the unofficial song of the Slovaks throughout its modern history, especially at times of revolutions. Although after the First World War the song Nad Tatrou sa blýskaNad Tatrou sa blýska
Nad Tatrou sa blýska is the national anthem of Slovakia. The origins of the anthem are in the Central European activism of the 19th century. Its main themes are a storm over the Tatra mountains that symbolized danger to the Slovaks, and a desire for a resolution of the threat...
became the official Slovak anthem in Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
and then again in 1993 in the independent Slovak Republic, the song is still considered a "second" anthem by many (usually more nationalist) people. Contrary to popular assumptions, however, it was not the official anthem of the wartime Slovak Republic (1939–1945), but it was greatly favored by the ruling party (Slovakia's official anthem remained Nad Tatrou sa blýska
Nad Tatrou sa blýska
Nad Tatrou sa blýska is the national anthem of Slovakia. The origins of the anthem are in the Central European activism of the 19th century. Its main themes are a storm over the Tatra mountains that symbolized danger to the Slovaks, and a desire for a resolution of the threat...
during that period).
Early use
First appearance of the Hey, Slavs on territory of Yugoslavia was in times of Illyrian movementIllyrian movement
The Illyrian movement , also Croatian national revival , was a cultural and political campaign with roots in the early modern period, and revived by a group of young Croatian intellectuals during the first half of 19th century, around the years of 1835–1849...
. Dragutin Rakovac translated the song, and named it Hey, Illyrians . Until Second World War, the translation did not suffer many changes, except Illyrians became Slavs.
In 1941 the Second World War engulfed the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
. The Axis powers
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
invaded in early April, and the Yugoslav royal army disintegrated and capitulated in just two and a half weeks. Since the old Yugoslav anthem included references to the king and kingdom, the anti-royalist Partisan resistance led by Josip Broz Tito
Josip Broz Tito
Marshal Josip Broz Tito – 4 May 1980) was a Yugoslav revolutionary and statesman. While his presidency has been criticized as authoritarian, Tito was a popular public figure both in Yugoslavia and abroad, viewed as a unifying symbol for the nations of the Yugoslav federation...
and his Communist party decided to avoid it and opted for Hey, Slavs instead. The song was sung at both the first and the second session of AVNOJ
AVNOJ
The Anti-Fascist Council of the People's Liberation of Yugoslavia, known more commonly by its Yugoslav abbreviation AVNOJ, was the political umbrella organization for the national liberation councils of the Yugoslav resistance against the World War II Axis occupation, eventually becoming the...
, the legislative body of the resistance, and it gradually became to be generally considered the national anthem of the Democratic Federal Yugoslavia (new Yugoslavia).
The old anthem was officially abandoned after the liberation in 1945, but no new anthem was officially adopted. There were several attempts to promote other, more specifically Yugoslav songs as the national anthem, but none gained much public support and Hey, Slavs continued to be used unofficially. The search for a better candidate continued up to 1988, while in 1977 Hey, Slavs the law only named the title of the national anthem, listing it as a temporary anthem until a new would had been adopted.
Yugoslav anthem
Hej, Slavs was the national anthemNational anthem
A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people.- History :Anthems rose to prominence...
of SFR Yugoslavia
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
from 1943 to 1991 (48 years). With formal adoption (inauguration) of the Amendment IX to the Constitution of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the anthem Hey, Slavs gained constitutional sanction on November 25, 1988. After the 43 years of continued use as the de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
anthem, the delegates simply brought the law in line with the reality.
Serbo-Croatian
Serbo-Croatian language
Serbo-Croatian or Serbo-Croat, less commonly Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian , is a South Slavic language with multiple standards and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro...
| Western variant | Eastern variant | Cyrillic script | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... translation |
|---|---|---|---|
Hej Slaveni, jošte živi Riječ (duh) naših djedova Dok za narod srce bije Njihovih sinova Živi, živi duh slavenski Živjet će vjekov'ma Zalud prijeti ponor pakla Zalud vatra groma Nek se sada i nad nama Burom sve raznese Stijena puca, dub se lama Zemlja nek se trese Mi stojimo postojano Kano klisurine Proklet bio izdajica Svoje domovine! |
Hej Sloveni, jošte živi Duh (reč) naših dedova Dok za narod srce bije Njihovih sinova Živi, živi duh slovenski Živeće vekov'ma Zalud preti ponor pakla Zalud vatra groma Nek se sada i nad nama Burom sve raznese Stena puca, dub se lama Zemlja nek se trese Mi stojimo postojano Kano klisurine Proklet bio izdajica Svoje domovine! |
Хеј Словени, јоште живи Дух наших дедова Док за народ срце бије Њихових синова Живи, живи дух словенски Живеће веков'ма Залуд прети понор пакла, Залуд ватра грома Нек' се сада и над нама Буром све разнесе Стена пуца, дуб се лама, Земља нек' се тресе Ми стојимо постојано Кано клисурине, Проклет био издајица Своје домовине! |
Hey, Slavs, it still lives the word (spirit) of our grandfathers As long as the heart of their sons beats for our nation! It lives, it lives the Slavic spirit, It will live for centuries! Vainly threatens the abyss of Hell and the fire and the thunder! Let everything above us now be shattered by a Bura Bora (wind) Bora or Bura is a northern to north-eastern katabatic wind in the Adriatic, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Italy, Greece, Slovenia, and Turkey.... . The cliff cracks, the oak breaks, Let the earth quake! We stand firmly like mountains, Damned be the traitor of his homeland! |
| Macedonian Macedonian language Macedonian is a South Slavic language spoken as a first language by approximately 2–3 million people principally in the region of Macedonia but also in the Macedonian diaspora... |
Slovene |
|---|---|
Еј, Словени, жив е тука зборот свет на родот штом за народ срце чука преку син во внукот! Жив е вечно, жив е духот словенски во слога. Не нè плашат адски бездни ниту громов оган! Пустошејќи, нека бура и над нас се втурне! Пука даб и карпа сура, тлото ќе се урне: Стоиме на стамен-прагот - клисури и бедем! Проклет да е тој што предал Родина на врагот! |
Hej Slovani, naša reč slovanska živo klije dokler naše verno srce za naš narod bije Živi, živi, duh slovanski, bodi živ na veke, grom in peklo, prazne vaše proti nam so steke Naj tedaj nad nami strašna burja se le znese, skala poka, dob se lomi, zemlja naj se strese Bratje, mi stojimo trdno kakor zidi grada, črna zemlja naj pogrezne tega, kdor odpada! |
Serbia and Montenegro
After the break-up of Yugoslavia in 1991-92, when only Serbia and MontenegroMontenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
remained in the federation, Hey, Slavs continued to be used as the anthem of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. That country was renamed to the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro
Serbia and Montenegro
Serbia and Montenegro was a country in southeastern Europe, formed from two former republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia : Serbia and Montenegro. Following the breakup of Yugoslavia, it was established in 1992 as a federation called the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia...
in 2003 and was expected to adopt a new anthem, but since no agreement over national symbols could be reached, Hey, Slavs remained the anthem of the state union.
A hybrid of the Montenegrin national anthem "Oj, svijetla majska zoro
Oj, svijetla majska zoro
"Oj, svijetla majska zoro" is the official state anthem of Montenegro. Before becoming the anthem, it was a popular folk song of the Montenegrins, with many variations of its text...
" with the Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n national anthem, "Bože Pravde
Bože pravde
"Bože pravde" is the official anthem of Serbia, as defined by the Article 7 of the Constitution of Serbia. "Bože pravde" was the anthem of the Principality of Serbia and Kingdom of Serbia until 1918 when Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes was formed. It was recommended by the Parliament of...
" in alternating verses was proposed. However, this attempt was struck down after objections by the People's Party of Montenegro and Socialist People's Party of Montenegro
Socialist People's Party of Montenegro
The Socialist People's Party of Montenegro is a socialist opposition political party in Montenegro. It has 16 MPs in the Parliament of Montenegro, which it won on the 2009 parliamentary election...
. Also proposed was the former Montenegrin national anthem and patriotic song "Onamo, 'namo", however this also fell through and Hey, Slavs remained the national anthem. Since Montenegro and Serbia became independent states in 2006, this issue is moot, and Hey, Slavs is no longer used as an official anthem by any sovereign country.
Unofficial uses
The Slovenian band LaibachLaibach (band)
Laibach is a Slovenian avant-garde music group associated with industrial, martial, and neo-classical musical styles. Laibach formed June 1, 1980 in Trbovlje, Slovenia . Laibach represents the music wing of the Neue Slowenische Kunst art collective, of which it was a founding member in 1984...
created an electronic version of the song, with lyrics in both English and Slovene, for their album Volk
Volk (album)
Volk is a concept album by Slovenian industrial group Laibach. Originally, Volk is the German word for "people" or "nation" but also Slovenan for "wolf"...
.
External links
- The story of Hej Slovaci, incl. an artistic translation of the original Slovak text.
- Links to audio files of the anthem (Download section, at the bottom of the page).
- The site of the Slovenian organization Hervardi, which mentions the pre-Yugoslavian Slovenian version of Hey, Slavs, and also including a .MP3 of the rock version, as performed by their own band (they have a project, that consists in reviving old Slovenian songs).