Unlike other EU countries, the history of Montenegro’s official anthem is full of unexpected twists. It was based on the popular folk song “Oh, bright May dawn”. However, little remains of the original in 150 years. The reasons for the changes are the country’s foreign and domestic policies.
History of creation
The first official version of the Montenegrin anthem dates back to 1863. It was part of the national song “The Battle of Grahovo, or Blood Revenge in Montenegro”. It describes the national liberation movement of the country, the desire for independence. Due to its popularity, this version of the song has become mandatory for schoolchildren since 1887.
Stages of text change.
- 1937 The official version entitled ” Our Eternal ” has been published. The initiator was the leader of the Federal Party of Sekula Drlevich .
- 1944 Small changes are made to the text, emphasizing the refreshing movement and independence of Montenegro.
- 1993 During the “Little Yugoslavia” another attempt was made to rewrite the content. However, it was not supported by the majority of parliamentarians.
- 2004 The official test of the Montenegrin anthem was approved, which remains unchanged to this day.
There are several versions of this song in the country. Partisan texts formed during the Second World War are popular. They partially intersect in content with the official version. However, due to fundamental issues in the content can not be included in the official version.
The text of the official version
In the final version, most of the text is devoted to the nature of Montenegro. Describes the country’s mountains, the Adriatic Sea, Lovcen . There are lines about the struggle for independence – “That you have never known the shameful shackles of slavery.” This is an important part of the text that was in the original. However, there are supporters of the Serbian Union who prefer another option.
Official anthem of Montenegro, full text:
Oh lights May zoro
Our Black Mother Goro
Sons smo your стјења
And guards your post office
We love you, brd hard ,
And your gorge is horrible
Which he never guessed
Shameful slavery lance .
Our Black Mother Goro
Oh lights May zoro
Our Black Mother Goro
Док ловћенској our thoughts
Our syllable gives wings ,
She will be proud, she will be glorious
Our homeland.
Rijeka will our shaft,
Jumping into two seas,
The voice of wearing the ocean,
Yes it is eternal Montenegro .
The voice of wearing the ocean,
Yes it is eternal Montenegro .
You can download the song for free to learn the features of the performance. The melody is close to the folk Balkan motifs, the music is recognizable. There are parts of the classic European performance. The national anthem is mandatory for study in the country’s schools, every child knows it.