"Lijepa naša domovino" is the national anthem

National 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 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 ...

. It is often referred to as just "Lijepa naša" ("Our Beautiful") in Croatia, which is also a phrase widely used as a metonym for the country.

The original lyrics were written by Antun Mihanović

Antun Mihanovic

Antun Mihanović was a notable Croatian poet and lyricist, most famous for writing the national anthem of Croatia, which was put to music by Josif Runjanin and adopted in 1891. Klanjec, his birthplace, holds a monument to him and a gallery of his works.Mihanović studied law and worked as a military...

 and first published under the title "Horvatska domovina" ("Croatian homeland") in 1835. The author of music has not been indisputably determined although the late 19th century tradition suggests that it might have been the music amateur Josip Runjanin (1821–1878). It has not been known what was the original form of the melody because the first copy has not been recovered to this day.

The complete song was reportedly scored and harmonized by Vatroslav Lichtenegger

Vatroslav Lichtenegger

Vatroslav Lichtenegger was a Croatian poet who claimed to have scored and harmonized the song Lijepa naša domovino in 1891. He is buried in the Mirogoj cemetery in Zagreb. His daughter was famous opera singer Mathilde Mallinger.-References:...

 in 1861 and based on the singing of his students, trainee teachers. It was first performed as the Croatian anthem in the same year, under the title "Lijepa naša". The original anthem has 15 verses. Since then it has come to be known under the slightly longer present title and a few minor adjustments have been made to the lyrics.

Between 1918 and 1941, segments of the Croatian national anthem were part of the national anthem of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia

National Anthem of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia

The National anthem of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia was created in December 1918 from the national anthems of the Kingdom's main three constituent historical provinces: Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia. In those times the official authorities considered the three nations, Croats, Serbs and Slovenes as...

 and it was unofficial hymn of Croats.

During World War II, in the Independent State of Croatia

Independent State of Croatia

The Independent State of Croatia was a World War II puppet state of Nazi Germany, established on a part of Axis-occupied Yugoslavia. The NDH was founded on 10 April 1941, after the invasion of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers. All of Bosnia and Herzegovina was annexed to NDH, together with some parts...

 it was also used as state anthem, but never officially recognized as one.

Lyrics

Croatian Croatian language Croatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...

English translation 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...

Lijepa naša domovino, Oj junačka zemljo mila, Stare slave djedovino, Da bi vazda sretna bila! Mila, kano si nam slavna, Mila si nam ti jedina. Mila, kuda si nam ravna, Mila, kuda si planina! Teci Dravo, Savo teci, Nit' ti Dunav silu gubi, Sinje more svijetu reci, Da svoj narod Hrvat ljubi. Dok mu njive sunce grije, Dok mu hrašće bura vije, Dok mu mrtve grobak krije, Dok mu živo srce bije!

Our beautiful homeland, O so fearless and gracious. Our fathers' ancient glory, May you be blessed forever. Dear, you are our only glory, Dear, you are our only one, Dear, we love your plains, Dear, we love your mountains. Sava, Drava Drava Drava or Drave is a river in southern Central Europe, a tributary of the Danube. It sources in Toblach/Dobbiaco, Italy, and flows east through East Tirol and Carinthia in Austria, into Slovenia , and then southeast, passing through Croatia and forming most of the border between Croatia and... , keep on flowing, Danube Danube The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway.... , do not lose your vigour, Deep blue sea, tell the world, That a Croat loves his homeland. Whilst his fields are kissed by sunshine, Whilst his oaks are whipped by wild winds, Whilst his dear ones go to heaven, Whilst his live heart beats.

Lyrics of "Horvatska domovina"

The song originally consisted of fourteen verses but today, only verses one, two, thirteen, and fourteen are part of the national anthem.

Croatian

English Translation

Lěpa naša domovino, Oj junačka zemljo mila, Stare slave dědovino, Da bi vazda čestna bila! Mila, kano si nam slavna, Mila si nam ti jedina, Mila, kuda si nam ravna, Mila, kuda si planina! Vedro nebo, vedro čelo, Blaga persa, blage noći, Toplo lěto, toplo dělo, Bistre vode, bistre oči: Vele gore, veli ljudi, Rujna lica, rujna vina, Silni gromi, silni udi; — To je naša domovina! Ženju serpi, mašu kose, Děd se žuri, snope broji, Škriplju vozi, brašno nose, Snaša preduć málo doji: Pase marha, rog se čuje, Oj, oj zvenči, oj, u tmine, K ognju star i mlad šetuje; — Evo t’ naške domovine! Luč iz mraka dalko sija, Po veseloj livadici, Pěsme glasno brěg odbija, Ljubni poje k tamburici: Kolo vode, živo kolo, I na berdu, i v dolini, Plešu mladji sve okolo; — Mi smo, pobre, v domovini! Magla, što li, Unu skriva? Ni l’ to našiu jauk turobni? Tko li moleć smert naziva? Il’ slobodni, il’ su robni? »Rat je, bratjo, rat junaci, Pušku hvataj, sablju paši, Sedlaj konjče, hajd pešjaci, Slava budi, gdi su naši!« Buči bura, magla projde, — Puca zora, tmina běži, — Tuga mine, radost dojde, — Zdravo slobost, — dušman leži! Veseli se, tužna mati, Padoše ti verli sini, Ko junaci, ko Horvati, Ljaše kervcu domovini! Teci, Sava hitra, teci Nit’ ti Dunaj silu gubi, Kud li šumiš, světu reci: Da svog’ doma Horvat ljubi, Dok mu njive sunce grije, Dok mu hrastje bura vije, Dok mu mertve grob sakrije, Dok mu živo serdce bije!

Our beautiful homeland, Oh dear heroic land, Our father's ancient glory, May you be blessed forever. Beloved, you are our sole glory, Beloved, you are our only one, Beloved, where you are plain, Beloved, where you are mountain Clear skies, clear forehead, Mild personalities, mild nights, Hot summer, hot work, Clear water, clear eyes: Great hills, great people... September entities, vine, Mighty thunder, a mighty wonder; - This is our home! Sickles are reaping, scythe are waging, Old man is in hurry, he counts the sheaves, Stacked hay he rides, flour they are carrying Bride knits and breastfeeds a child Cattle is eating, horn is heard, Oj, oj it rings, oj in blackness, To fire, youth and elders are going;- Here is our homeland! Kindling wood from dark shines fat, All around cheerful meadow, Songs are loudly echoed by hills, In loved are singing to tamburica: They lead kolo Kolo (dance) Kolo , is a collective folk dance, danced primarily by people from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia. It is performed amongst groups of people holding each other's having their hands around each other's waists... , cheery kolo, On the hills, and on the valley, Youth is dancing all around;- We are, friend, in homeland! Is it the fog what hides the Una? Or it's of our people dreary scream? Who prays for death? Are the free ones or the slaves? "It is war, brothers, war heroes, Snatch your rifle, take a saber, Saddle horses, go on foot, May be glory, where ours are!" Bora 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....  roars, fog is gone,- Dawn breaks, blackness runs,- Sorrow dies, joy comes,- Hello freedom, - enemy is down! Be happy, sad mother, Your sons have fallen, Like heroes, like Croats, They poured blood for homeland! Flow, fast Sava, flow, Nor you Danube, lose your power, Where you murmuring, tell whole world: That a Croat loves his home, Whilst the sun warms his fields, Whilst winds lash his oak trees, Whilst his lost ones are with grave covered, Whilst his living heart beats.

External links

• The Government of the Republic of Croatia has an audio site with vocal and instrumental versions of the anthem.
• The Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also has an information website on the anthem with sound files of it.