Hey, Slavs

Hey, Slavs is an anthemic song dedicated to Slavic peoples. Its first lyrics was written in 1834 under the title Hey, Slovaks (Hej, Slováci) and it has since served as the anthem of the Pan-Slavic movement, the anthem of the Sokol physical education and political movement, as well as the anthem of the WWII Slovak Republic, Second Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro. The song is also considered to be the inofficial anthem of the Slovak people. Its melody is based on Mazurek Dąbrowskiego, which has been also the anthem of Poland since 1926, but it is much slower and more accentuated.

It is called Hej, Slováci in Slovak, Hej, Slované in Czech, Hej, Sloveni in Serbian, Hej, Slaveni in Croatian, and Hej, Slovani in Slovenian.

Contents

1 Hey, Slovaks 2 Slovak anthem 3 Pan-Slavic anthem 4 Yugoslavia 5 Serbia and Montenegro 6 Lyrics 6.1 Slovak 6.2 Serbian 6.3 Serbian 6.4 Croatian 6.5 Slovenian 6.6 English 7 External links

Hey, Slovaks

The song was written by the Slovak priest, poet and historian Samuel Tomášik while he was visiting Prague in 1834. He was revolted that German was more commonly heard in the streets of Prague than Czech. 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 nurishment? Burdened by that thought, I rememberd the old Polish song 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, Slovaci, ešte naša slovenska 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)

Slovak anthem

In Slovakia, the song "Hey,Slovaks" has been considered the inofficial song of the Slovaks throughout its modern history, especially at times of revolutions etc.. Although the song Nad Tatrou sa blýska became the official "Slovak" anthem in after WWI in Czechoslovakia and then again in 1993 in independent Slovakia, the song is still considered a "second" anthem by many (usually rather nationalist) people and it was the official anthem of the WWII Slovak Republic (1939-1945).

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 Austria. 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 physical education movement, which was based on Pan-Slavic ideals and active across Austria-Hungary. In 1905, the erection of a monument to the Slovenian poet France Prešeren in Ljubljana 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 and Croatian 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.

Yugoslavia

In 1941 the Second World War engulfed the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. The Axis powers invaded in early April, and the Yugoslav royal army disentagrated and capitulated in just eleven days. Since the old Yugoslav anthem included references to the king and kingdom, the anti-royalist Partisan resistence led by Josip Broz Tito 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, the legislative body of the resistence, and it gradually became to be generally considered the national anthem of the 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 was finally abandoned, and in 1977 Hey, Slavs became the official national anthem of Yugoslavia.

Serbia and Montenegro

After the break-up of Yugoslavia in 1991-92, when only Serbia and Montenegro remained in the federation, Hey, Slavs continued to be used as the anthem of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. That country was renamed to Serbia and Montenegro in 2003 and was expected to adopt a new anthem, but since no agreement over national symbols could be reached, Hey, Slavs remains the anthem of the state union.

If the country continues to exist after the referendums that are expected to decide its fate, it's not unlikely that the new anthem will be a combination of anthems of the two constituent republics, Bože pravde for Serbia, and Oj, svijetla majska zoro for Montenegro.

Lyrics

Slovak 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 búra 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!

Serbian 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!

Serbian Hej Sloveni, jošte živi Reč naših dedova Dok za narod srce bije Njihovih sinova Živi, živi duh slovenski Živet će 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!

Croatian Hej Slaveni, jošte živi Riječ naših djedova Dok za narod srce bije Njihovih sinova Živi, živi duh slavenski Živjet ćeš 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!

Slovenian 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!

English Hey, Slavs, it still lives, The word of our grandfathers While for the people the hearts beat Of their sons Long live, the spirit Slavic You will live for ages Futile is the Hell's abyss Futile the fire of thunder Even if now above us Bura shatters everything Let stones break, let oak shatter Let earth quake We stand steadily Like river gorges Damned be the traitor Of his homeland!

External links

• The story of "Hej, Slovaci" (http://www.iarelative.com/nss1946/slovaci.htm)
• Links to audio files of the anthem (Download section, at the bottom of the page) (http://www.slobodnajugoslavija.com/hej_slaveni.html).bs:Hej Sloveni

de:Hej! Slované he:המנון סרביה ומונטנגרו pl:Hymn Jugosławii sl:Hej Slovani sr:Хеј, Словени