Oj, svijetla majska zoro
Encyclopedia
"Oj, svijetla majska zoro" (Montenegrin Cyrillic: „Ој, свијетла мајска зоро”, trans. "Oh, Bright Dawn of May") 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. The oldest one is dated to the 2nd half of the 19th century, known as "Oh, Bright Dawn of Heroism, oh!", a popular Montenegrin and Serb folk song.
Its music (composer unknown, as with all folklore) was written down to notes for the first time by a Serb musician from Croatia by the name of Nikola Hercigonja shortly after World War II
, who falsely assumed that Montenegrin WWII Nazi-fascist collaborator Sekula Drljević
was the song's original author. It has had many variations and changes to find verses which were more suitable for both melodic and political purposes. Drljevic is the author of 3rd and 4th stanzas of the modern official anthem.
The current text of the official anthem is derived from the text written by Drljevic to be the Montenegrin national anthem in the early 1930s, but slightly amended, namely removing the references celebrating a slaughter of Muslims. It was proclaimed an anthem by the Parliament of Montenegro
on July 13, 2004 – the Statehood day of the country. It was originally one of the main candidates for the official anthem when originally proposed in 1993, and same discussions were reopened regarding the lack of melodic value of the song, which was given in '93 as the definition as to why it cannot be an anthem. King Nicholas
' Onamo, 'namo!
("There, o'er There!") was in 1993 officially proposed to be the national anthem, but it failed to receive a parliamentary majority, because many had considered it far too aggressive like the French anthem, precisely also why it was dubbed as "The Serbian Marseilleise", and because some pro-monarchists had wanted back the official anthem of the old Kingdom of Montenegro
Ubavoj nam Crnoj Gori
("To Our Beautiful Montenegro").
The parliamentary session on which the Law on National Symbols was passed by DPS
and SDP as a sign of reassertion of Montenegrin sovereignty on the path towards independence from its state union with Serbia was boycotted by the opposition in protest, both by the pro-Serbian mainstream political alliance
and by the minor Liberals
. The "Together for Change" SNP-led coalition considered the anthem a falsification of history and outrageous to introduce the text written by a Nazi collaborator. The Liberal Alliance of Montenegro's masses had originally gathered around chants while opposing DPS' unquestionable reign during the 1990s, which is the source of popularization of the song as the national anthem of Montenegro and a symbol of desire for independence, although they boycotted the parliament with accusations of no true desire for secession. DPS had originally wanted "To Our Beautiful Montenegro" back, but it accepted SDP CG's explicit demands for "Oh, Bright Dawn of May". The Albanians
objected the anthem because they demanded the verse "our mother Montenegro" replaced by "our house Montenegro" for the Albanian populations' sake.
The anthem entered the Constitution of Montenegro
during the draft of the new one in 2007, by a two-third parliamentary supermajority, of the government (DPS&HGI
- SDP) and the Movement for Changes
and the coalition of the Liberal Party of Montenegro
and the Bosniak Party of Montenegro
from the opposition. In order to change the anthem (or more precisely, its official name), a two-third parliamentary majority is needed to pass the motion, after which at least 50% of Montenegro's electorate must confirm the change in a referendum
. SNP CG
did not object the anthem and concurred with the DPS and PZP that its text should be changed, with Nebojša Medojević
satirically noting that the smaller the country the bigger the anthem, but disliked other parts of the constitution. People's Party
-Democratic Serb Party had wanted the return of "To Our Beautiful Montenegro", while the Serb List
political alliance wanted "There, o'er There!". The Albanian minority parties (DUA
, DSCG and AA
) had abstained, noting the failure of the authorities to convince also SDP to sign the treaty on the constitution, which would guarantee them certain provisions, with DUA repeating their demand for changing "mother" to "house".
Currently, there is an ongoing dispute as to whether the Law on National Symbols should receive amendments which would change its text due to the highly controversial character of its alleged author and lack of melodic value.
. It was a component song of the "Battle of Grahovo or blood feud
in Montenegro" (Бој на Грахову или крвна освета у Црној Гори) heroic play in three parts. It is unknown if the text's authors are also the play's, namely the following Montenegrin composer/writers: the father of Marko Car
Jovan Car and an unknown Obrad Vitković. The play and the Montenegrin folk song was also played/sung in the National Theater again in 1870 and 1876. Its first record in Montenegro itself dates to 1887, when it was included into the regular school program of Montenegrin national songs for pupils in the 3rd grade. It was reconfirmed in the teacher's plan for Montenegrin schools of 1888, which speculates that it must have been an established folk song for decades by then.
World War II
Sekule Drljević, party strongman of a minor political party
which was active in the Yugoslavian Kingdom
in Montenegro known as the Montenegrin Federalist Party
, rewrote the text and published it in 1937 in the book of then's Croatian writer of Montenegrin origins Savić Marković "Štedimlija"
known as "Crvena Hrvatska" (Red Croatia), which confounded the thesis not of a Serb
ethnic origin of the Montenegrins, which was the dominant one back then, but rather from the Croats
. Its name was "Eternal Ours..." (Vječna naša). When Nikola Hercigonja wrote down Oh, Bright Dawn of May shortly after WWII ended after 1945, he erroneously concluded that Drljevic was the original wholesale author of this song, which also led to its considerable decline in popularity as a Montenegrin folk song altogether.
Drljevic later on became the leader of the Montenegrin Fascist collaborationist group, but after maintaining power for a single day, he was banished from Montenegro by the anti-fascist uprising. He joined the Ustashi in the Independent State of Croatia
and headed a pro-Nazi Montenegrin National Council as well as a Montenegrin National Army composed out of collaborationist Montenegrin Chetniks
. Montenegro was taken over by pro-collaborationist Chetniks and was engulfed in a civil war with the Communist Partisans
. In 1944 he published in Zagreb
a political analysis called "Balkan Conflicts 1905 - 1941" (Balkanski sukobi 1905 - 1941). In it he presented the final version of what should be the official anthem of an independent Montenegrin state which should be realized after Adolf Hitler
's victory in his vision of a New Europe.
This song was attacked by Unionists for supposedly purposely removing any references of the Serbian identity of Montenegro, and also intentionally not mentioning the most famous Montenegrin ruler, Petar II Petrović Njegoš, the author of The Mountain Wreath
. The song celebrates Montenegro and its peasants' heroism, as well as a controversial event in Montenegrin history known as "The Inquisition of the Turkicized" in which all Montenegrin converts to Islam
were killed or expelled in a secret and organized operation by the order of Prince-Bishop Danilo Petrović
in 1707 in two parts of Old Montenegro
. It was arguably written in a more Croatian
version of the Serbo-Croatian
speech, with the part "bit će" and "domovina" instead of "biće" and "otadžbina" as croatisms.
has promoted this version as the more authentic text of the song. It was rejected because references to Montenegro's Serbdom are considered anachronistic. It was also contested by the promoters of the current official anthem as not an authentic version, but a newer one than Drljevic's, Serbian version.
as a combination of the Montenegrin national anthem, and the Serbian national anthem Lord, Give Us Justice
. The hybrid was difficult to make because of the unmelodic musical streams of Oh, Bright Dawn of May and the end result was sharply criticized by the public, especially also by the Serbian Orthodox Church, for including the words of Sekule Drljevic. In the end the official deadline presented by the 2002 Belgrade Agreement and the Constitutional Charter passed so Union President Svetozar Marović
had declared Hey, Slavs! of the old Yugoslavia would still continue to be used, which it did until the union's dissolution in 2006
.
Notable Montenegrin historian Živko Andrijašević
wrote back to Patriarch Paul's appeals, denying SOC's claims of Drljevic's authorship of the song. Andrijasevic had noted that Drljevic was born in 1884, while the very first record of the song is dated to 1887. Proponents of the "Oj, svijetla majska zoro" had pointed out that Drljevic only made changes to an already existing song, reworking it by rewriting some of the words.
Although the Montenegrin Serbs
object the song and favor older versions mainly because it does not mention the Serbian national identity, favoring There, o'er There!
as their national anthem, the main controversy in its text lies in its alleged authorship of a WWII Nazi collaborator. That was pointed during its adoption in 2004 and during the constitutional discussion of 2007, with various extreme accusations of Montenegro rejuvenating its fascist heritage occasionally heard including from the SOC and Serbia
when the official centaur-anthem proposal was made for the State Union which would include half of the anthems of both member-states.
Because of its controversy, there are municipalities in which the opposition is in power in which the Montenegrin national anthem was never ever played since its adoption. In others with the opposition in power, it is played either shortened by removing the verses traditionally contributed to Drljevic, all just as an instrumental, on the proposal of President
Filip Vujanović
. The common proposal of the opposition was presented by the leader of the Socialist People's Party of Montenegro
Srđan Milić, which is to amend the law on national symbols and remove the controversial verses. The Montenegrin president has supported this initiative, noting that the current version is not in the anti-fascist character of Montenegro, which is in its basis, also considering the text historically unfounded and rightful. President Vujanovic, vice-president of the ruling DPS CG, also has noted that he has expressed the opinion numerous times before, ever since its adoption in 2004. This was followed by the President's clash with the coalition Socialdemocratic Party of Montenegro over the process of changing the anthem's text, clarifying that the Constitution only defines the anthem's name, and not its content, which is defined by the Law on National Symbols, and for which's change a simple majority is needed. President Vujanovic personally favors precisely because of these reasons the instrumental, which plays on his official website.
The other main point of the controversy was exposed for the first time in 1993, during the first proposal to make the song the official anthem of the Republic of Montenegro, then's constituent republic of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In the final round of choices it was excluded on the grounds of problematic melody which doesn't suite a national anthem. This was mentioned again during the draft of an official anthem of the Serbo-Montenegrin State Union. Federal Parliamentary speaker Zoran Šami
had hired composer Slobodan Marković to create a centaur-anthem for the State Union, a project which ended in failure. Markovic had called the attempt very difficult because of the "lack of harmony" of the Montenegrin anthem. In early 2010 Head of DPS Executive Board Miodrag Vuković admitted that the DPS CG is officially open for discussion on changing the anthem, noting that even textual and musical experts are pointing out its flaws, in precise its length.
Opposition leader Milic and President Vujanovic have stated that the initiative to change the national symbols will come after the forthcoming local elections on 23 May 2010, possibly ending in the removal of the 3rd and 4th stanzas, which are considered to be the literary work of Drljevic, making it structurally more as an anthem, more acceptable to the population of Montenegro and its anti-fascist determination, the country which raised the very first Anti-fascist uprising in Europe
during WWII against the aggressor and its collaborator Drljevic, after merely a single day of their reign.
Shortening of the anthem has already begun in some municipalities, e.g. Bijelo Polje
, where on the proposal of President Filip Vujanovic the local mayor Tarzan Milošević had cut the lyrics which are alleged to be Drljevic's.
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...
of Montenegro
Montenegro
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...
. Before becoming the anthem, it was a popular folk song of the Montenegrins, with many variations of its text. The oldest one is dated to the 2nd half of the 19th century, known as "Oh, Bright Dawn of Heroism, oh!", a popular Montenegrin and Serb folk song.
Its music (composer unknown, as with all folklore) was written down to notes for the first time by a Serb musician from Croatia by the name of Nikola Hercigonja shortly after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, who falsely assumed that Montenegrin WWII Nazi-fascist collaborator Sekula Drljević
Sekula Drljevic
Sekula Drljević, also transcribed as Sekule Drljević , was a WWII Montenegrin Nazi-fascist collaborator....
was the song's original author. It has had many variations and changes to find verses which were more suitable for both melodic and political purposes. Drljevic is the author of 3rd and 4th stanzas of the modern official anthem.
The current text of the official anthem is derived from the text written by Drljevic to be the Montenegrin national anthem in the early 1930s, but slightly amended, namely removing the references celebrating a slaughter of Muslims. It was proclaimed an anthem by the Parliament of Montenegro
Parliament of Montenegro
The Parliament of Montenegro is the unicameral legislature of Montenegro. The Parliament currently has 81 members, each elected for a four-year term. The current Speaker of the Parliament is Ranko Krivokapić, while the deputy speakers are Željko Šturanović and Rifat Rastoder...
on July 13, 2004 – the Statehood day of the country. It was originally one of the main candidates for the official anthem when originally proposed in 1993, and same discussions were reopened regarding the lack of melodic value of the song, which was given in '93 as the definition as to why it cannot be an anthem. King Nicholas
Nicholas I of Montenegro
Nikola I Mirkov Petrović-Njegoš was the only king of Montenegro, reigning as king from 1910 to 1918 and as prince from 1860 to 1910. He was also a poet, notably penning "Onamo, 'namo!", a popular song from Montenegro.-Early life:Nikola was born in the village of Njeguši, the ancient home of the...
' Onamo, 'namo!
Onamo, 'namo!
"Onamo, 'namo!" also known as the Serbian Marseillaise was a popular anthem in Montenegro in the late 19th to early 20th century...
("There, o'er There!") was in 1993 officially proposed to be the national anthem, but it failed to receive a parliamentary majority, because many had considered it far too aggressive like the French anthem, precisely also why it was dubbed as "The Serbian Marseilleise", and because some pro-monarchists had wanted back the official anthem of the old Kingdom of Montenegro
Kingdom of Montenegro
The Kingdom of Montenegro was a monarchy in southeastern Europe during the tumultuous years on the Balkan Peninsula leading up to and during World War I. Legally it was a constitutional monarchy, but absolutist in practice...
Ubavoj nam Crnoj Gori
Ubavoj nam Crnoj Gori
Ubavoj nam Crnoj Gori was the national and state anthem of the Kingdom of Montenegro in late 19th-early 20th century. Also existed, a popular song, Onamo, 'namo!...
("To Our Beautiful Montenegro").
The parliamentary session on which the Law on National Symbols was passed by DPS
Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro
The Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro is the ruling social-democratic political party in Montenegro....
and SDP as a sign of reassertion of Montenegrin sovereignty on the path towards independence from its state union with Serbia was boycotted by the opposition in protest, both by the pro-Serbian mainstream political alliance
Together for Change
Together for Change was a political alliance in Montenegro that existed from 2001 to 2006, originally known as Together for Yugoslavia . It based itself upon the necessity for a united Yugoslav state with Serbia. Predrag Bulatović was its wingleader...
and by the minor Liberals
Liberal Alliance of Montenegro
The Liberal Alliance of Montenegro was a liberal political party in Montenegro. The party used to be a member of Liberal International....
. The "Together for Change" SNP-led coalition considered the anthem a falsification of history and outrageous to introduce the text written by a Nazi collaborator. The Liberal Alliance of Montenegro's masses had originally gathered around chants while opposing DPS' unquestionable reign during the 1990s, which is the source of popularization of the song as the national anthem of Montenegro and a symbol of desire for independence, although they boycotted the parliament with accusations of no true desire for secession. DPS had originally wanted "To Our Beautiful Montenegro" back, but it accepted SDP CG's explicit demands for "Oh, Bright Dawn of May". The Albanians
Democratic Union of Albanians
The Democratic Union of Albanians is an Albanian minority political party in Montenegro....
objected the anthem because they demanded the verse "our mother Montenegro" replaced by "our house Montenegro" for the Albanian populations' sake.
The anthem entered the Constitution of Montenegro
Constitution of Montenegro
The current Constitution of Montenegro was ratified and adopted by the Constitutional Parliament of Montenegro on 19 October 2007 on an extraordinary session by achieving the required two-thirds supermajority of votes. The Constitution was officially proclaimed as the Constitution of Montenegro on...
during the draft of the new one in 2007, by a two-third parliamentary supermajority, of the government (DPS&HGI
Croatian Civic Initiative
The Croatian Civic Initiative is a Croat minority political party in Montenegro. The party was formed in 2002. It first participated in elections in the Tivat municipality that year, and is still based in the town...
- SDP) and the Movement for Changes
Movement for Changes
Movement for Changes is a political party in Montenegro which has a proclaimed goal to integrate their country into the European Union and to support political and economic reforms to bring it into line with European norms...
and the coalition of the Liberal Party of Montenegro
Liberal Party of Montenegro
The Liberal Party of Montenegro is a centre-left liberal political party in Montenegro. The party advocated liberalism and the bringing down of Milo Đukanović's rule, seeing it as authoritarian and undemocratic...
and the Bosniak Party of Montenegro
Bosniak Party of Montenegro
The Bosniak Party is a Bosniak minority political party in Montenegro....
from the opposition. In order to change the anthem (or more precisely, its official name), a two-third parliamentary majority is needed to pass the motion, after which at least 50% of Montenegro's electorate must confirm the change in a referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
. SNP CG
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...
did not object the anthem and concurred with the DPS and PZP that its text should be changed, with Nebojša Medojević
Nebojša Medojevic
Nebojša Medojević is a politician in Montenegro. He is the president of Movement for Changes , a political party emerging from the Montenegrin NGO Group for Changes...
satirically noting that the smaller the country the bigger the anthem, but disliked other parts of the constitution. People's Party
People's Party (Montenegro)
The People's Party is an opposition populist political party in Montenegro. It is the main conservative party in Montenegro, as opposed to ruling party and its main opposition, both of which are socialist orientated.At the last legislative elections in Montenegro, in March 2009, NS formed a...
-Democratic Serb Party had wanted the return of "To Our Beautiful Montenegro", while the Serb List
Serb List
Serb List was a political alliance in Montenegro. In contrast to other political coalitions, the Serb List was not simply a coalition of parties, but an entity on its own; for instance, the MPs elected on its list are not considered to represent the party they originally come from, but the Serb List...
political alliance wanted "There, o'er There!". The Albanian minority parties (DUA
Democratic Union of Albanians
The Democratic Union of Albanians is an Albanian minority political party in Montenegro....
, DSCG and AA
Albanian Alternative
The Albanian Alternative is a political party in Montenegro.AA is led by Gjergj Camaj. At the last legislative elections in Montenegro, in March 2009, AA won 1 out of 81 seats....
) had abstained, noting the failure of the authorities to convince also SDP to sign the treaty on the constitution, which would guarantee them certain provisions, with DUA repeating their demand for changing "mother" to "house".
Currently, there is an ongoing dispute as to whether the Law on National Symbols should receive amendments which would change its text due to the highly controversial character of its alleged author and lack of melodic value.
Lyrics
| Montenegrin language Montenegrin language Montenegrin is a name used for the Serbo-Croatian language as spoken by Montenegrins; it also refers to an incipient standardized form of the Shtokavian dialect of Serbo-Croatian used as the official language of Montenegro... - Cyrillic |
Montenegrin language Montenegrin language Montenegrin is a name used for the Serbo-Croatian language as spoken by Montenegrins; it also refers to an incipient standardized form of the Shtokavian dialect of Serbo-Croatian used as the official language of Montenegro... - Latin |
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... |
|---|---|---|
Ој свијетла мајска зоро Мајко наша Црна Горо Синови смо твог стијења И чувари твог поштења Волимо вас, брда тврда, И стравичне ваше кланце Који никад не познаше Срамотнога ропства ланце. Док ловћенској нашој мисли Наша слога даје крила, Биће горда, биће славна Домовина наша мила. Ријека ће наших вала, Ускачући у два мора, Глас носити океану, Да је вјечна Црна Гора. |
Oj svijetla majska zoro, Majko naša Crna Goro, Sinovi smo tvog stijenja I čuvari tvog poštenja. Volimo vas, brda tvrda, I stravične vaše klance Koji nikad ne poznaše Sramotnoga ropstva lance. Dok lovćenskoj našoj misli Naša sloga daje krila, Biće gorda, biće slavna Domovina naša mila. Rijeka će naših vala, Uskačući u dva mora, Glas nositi okeanu, Da je vječna Crna Gora! |
Oh, bright dawn of May Our mother Montenegro Montenegro 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... We are sons of your rocks and keepers of your honesty We love you, the rocky hills And your horrifying gorges That never came to know The chains of shameful slavery. While our unity gives wings to our Lovćen cause Proud shall be, celebrated will be Our dear homeland. A river of our waves, Jumping into two seas, Will bear voice to the ocean, That Montenegro is eternal. |
As sung
Although those are the official lyrics, a lot of verses are repeated in order to follow the rhythmic composition. To sing the anthem properly, one must follow the text like this:| Montenegrin language Montenegrin language Montenegrin is a name used for the Serbo-Croatian language as spoken by Montenegrins; it also refers to an incipient standardized form of the Shtokavian dialect of Serbo-Croatian used as the official language of Montenegro... - Cyrillic |
Montenegrin language Montenegrin language Montenegrin is a name used for the Serbo-Croatian language as spoken by Montenegrins; it also refers to an incipient standardized form of the Shtokavian dialect of Serbo-Croatian used as the official language of Montenegro... - Latin |
|---|---|
1. Ој свијетла мајска зоро Ој свијетла мајска зоро Мајко наша Црна Горо Мајко наша Црна Горо Синови смо твог стијења Синови смо твог стијења И чувари твог поштења И чувари твог поштења Волимо вас, брда тврда И стравичне ваше кланце Који никад не познаше Срамотнога ропства ланце Мајко наша Црна Горо Мајко наша Црна Горо 2. Ој свијетла мајска зоро Ој свијетла мајска зоро Мајко наша Црна Горо Мајко наша Црна Горо Док ловћенској нашој мисли Наша слога даје крила, Биће горда, биће славна Домовина наша мила. Ријека ће наших вала Ускачући у два мора Глас носити океану Да је вјечна Црна Гора Глас носити океану Да је вјечна Црна Гора Да је вјечна Црна Гора |
1. Oj svijetla majska zoro Oj svijetla majska zoro Majko naša Crna Goro Majko naša Crna Goro Sinovi smo tvog stijenja Sinovi smo tvog stijenja I čuvari tvog poštenja I čuvari tvog poštenja Volimo vas, brda tvrda, I stravične vaše klance Koji nikad ne poznaše Sramotnoga ropstva lance Majko naša Crna Goro Majko naša Crna Goro 2. Oj svijetla majska zoro Oj svijetla majska zoro Majko naša Crna Goro Majko naša Crna Goro Dok lovćenskoj našoj misli Naša sloga daje krila Biće gorda, biće slavna Domovina naša mila Rijeka će naših vala Uskačući u dva mora Glas nositi okeanu Da je vječna Crna Gora Glas nositi okeanu Da je vječna Crna Gora Da je vječna Crna Gora |
Original version
The following is the oldest known version of the anthem, known as: "Oh, Bright Dawn of Heroism, oh!" ("Oj, Junaštva Svjetla Zoro, oj!"). It was played in public for the first time in 1863 in the national theater in BelgradeBelgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
. It was a component song of the "Battle of Grahovo or blood feud
Blood Feud
"Blood Feud" is the twenty-second and final episode of The Simpsons second season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on July 11, 1991. In the episode, Mr. Burns falls ill and desperately needs a blood transfusion. Homer discovers Bart has Burns' rare blood type and urges...
in Montenegro" (Бој на Грахову или крвна освета у Црној Гори) heroic play in three parts. It is unknown if the text's authors are also the play's, namely the following Montenegrin composer/writers: the father of Marko Car
Marko Car
Marko Car was a Serbian writer, politician and activist from the Bay of Kotor...
Jovan Car and an unknown Obrad Vitković. The play and the Montenegrin folk song was also played/sung in the National Theater again in 1870 and 1876. Its first record in Montenegro itself dates to 1887, when it was included into the regular school program of Montenegrin national songs for pupils in the 3rd grade. It was reconfirmed in the teacher's plan for Montenegrin schools of 1888, which speculates that it must have been an established folk song for decades by then.
| Montenegrin language Montenegrin language Montenegrin is a name used for the Serbo-Croatian language as spoken by Montenegrins; it also refers to an incipient standardized form of the Shtokavian dialect of Serbo-Croatian used as the official language of Montenegro... - Cyrillic |
Montenegrin language Montenegrin language Montenegrin is a name used for the Serbo-Croatian language as spoken by Montenegrins; it also refers to an incipient standardized form of the Shtokavian dialect of Serbo-Croatian used as the official language of Montenegro... - Latin |
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... |
|---|---|---|
Ој, јунаштва свјетла зоро, Мајко наша Црна Горо! На твојим се врлетима, Разби сила душманима. Једина си за слободу Ти остала српском роду. Дат' ће Бог и света мати Да се једном све поврати. |
Oj, junaštva svjetla zoro, Majko naša Crna Goro! Na tvojim se vrletima, Razbi sila dušmanima. Jedina si za slobodu Ti ostala srpskom rodu. Dat' će Bog i sveta Mati Da se jednom sve povrati. |
O, bright dawn of heroism, Our mother Montenegro! On your mountains, Broke the force of the enemy. Only you have left for the freedom of the Serb kin God will give and the Holy Mother That everything is once returned. |
World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Sekule Drljević, party strongman of a minor political partyPolitical party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
which was active in the Yugoslavian Kingdom
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...
in Montenegro known as the Montenegrin Federalist Party
Montenegrin Federalist Party
The Montenegrin Federalist Party or Montenegrin Peasants' Federalist Movement was a Montenegrin political party in the Kingdom of Serbs,...
, rewrote the text and published it in 1937 in the book of then's Croatian writer of Montenegrin origins Savić Marković "Štedimlija"
Savic Markovic Štedimlija
Savić Marković Štedimlija was a Montenegrin-Croatian nationalist publicist and writer, best known for his revisionist theories on the origins of the Montenegrin people...
known as "Crvena Hrvatska" (Red Croatia), which confounded the thesis not of a Serb
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
ethnic origin of the Montenegrins, which was the dominant one back then, but rather from the Croats
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
. Its name was "Eternal Ours..." (Vječna naša). When Nikola Hercigonja wrote down Oh, Bright Dawn of May shortly after WWII ended after 1945, he erroneously concluded that Drljevic was the original wholesale author of this song, which also led to its considerable decline in popularity as a Montenegrin folk song altogether.
Drljevic later on became the leader of the Montenegrin Fascist collaborationist group, but after maintaining power for a single day, he was banished from Montenegro by the anti-fascist uprising. He joined the Ustashi 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...
and headed a pro-Nazi Montenegrin National Council as well as a Montenegrin National Army composed out of collaborationist Montenegrin Chetniks
Chetniks
Chetniks, or the Chetnik movement , were Serbian nationalist and royalist paramilitary organizations from the first half of the 20th century. The Chetniks were formed as a Serbian resistance against the Ottoman Empire in 1904, and participated in the Balkan Wars, World War I, and World War II...
. Montenegro was taken over by pro-collaborationist Chetniks and was engulfed in a civil war with the Communist Partisans
Partisans (Yugoslavia)
The Yugoslav Partisans, or simply the Partisans were a Communist-led World War II anti-fascist resistance movement in Yugoslavia...
. In 1944 he published in Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
a political analysis called "Balkan Conflicts 1905 - 1941" (Balkanski sukobi 1905 - 1941). In it he presented the final version of what should be the official anthem of an independent Montenegrin state which should be realized after Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
's victory in his vision of a New Europe.
This song was attacked by Unionists for supposedly purposely removing any references of the Serbian identity of Montenegro, and also intentionally not mentioning the most famous Montenegrin ruler, Petar II Petrović Njegoš, the author of The Mountain Wreath
The Mountain Wreath
The Mountain Wreath is a poem and a play, a masterpiece of Montenegrin and Serbian literature, written by Montenegrin Prince-Bishop and poet Petar II Petrović-Njegoš.Njegoš wrote The Mountain Wreath during 1846 in Cetinje and published it the following year after the...
. The song celebrates Montenegro and its peasants' heroism, as well as a controversial event in Montenegrin history known as "The Inquisition of the Turkicized" in which all Montenegrin converts to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
were killed or expelled in a secret and organized operation by the order of Prince-Bishop Danilo Petrović
Metropolitan Danilo I Petrovic-Njegoš
Danilo I Šćepčević Petrović-Njegoš known simply as Vladika Danilo was a Serbian Orthodox Metropolitan of Cetinje 1697-1735. He styled himself "vojevodič srpskoj zemlji" .-Biography:Danilo Šćepčević was born in circa 1670, in Njeguši...
in 1707 in two parts of Old Montenegro
Old Montenegro
Old Montenegro is a geo-historical part of the modern Republic of Montenegro. It refers to the territory of the Principality of Montenegrin prior to its expansion and the proclamation of a kingdom during the Balkan Wars...
. It was arguably written in a more 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...
version of the Serbo-Croatian
Serbo-Croatian
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...
speech, with the part "bit će" and "domovina" instead of "biće" and "otadžbina" as croatisms.
| Montenegrin language Montenegrin language Montenegrin is a name used for the Serbo-Croatian language as spoken by Montenegrins; it also refers to an incipient standardized form of the Shtokavian dialect of Serbo-Croatian used as the official language of Montenegro... |
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... |
|---|---|
Vječna naša Crna Goro, Tvoj Lovćen je car Jadrana, Ka seljaka tvojih djela, Kad su čija opjevana? Volimo vas, brda tvrda, I stravične vaše klance Koji nikad ne poznaše Sramotnoga ropstva lance. Lovćen nam je oltar sveti, Vazda smo mu vjerni bili, U njega smo vjerovali I njime se ponosili. Otkada je Badnje Veče Našu vjeru očistilo, Među nama, seljacima, Nevjernika nije bilo. Dok lovćenskoj našoj misli Naša sloga daje krila, Bit će gorda, bit će slavna Domovina naša mila. Slobode će čuvar biti Naša brda, naše gore, Dokle zemlju sunce grije I dokle se ljudi bore. Rijeka će naših vala, Uskačući u dva mora, Glas nositi oceanu, Da je vječna Crna Gora. |
Eternal Our Montenegro, Your Lovcen is the Emperor of the Adriatic, Like the peasants of your rocks, When were they sang?' We love you, the rocky hills, And your horrifying gorges That never came to know The shameful slavery chains. Lovcen is our Saint Oltar, Forever were we to him faithful, In it we have believed An with it we were proud. Ever since Christmas Evening. Our faith cleansed, Among us peasants, No infidel there was. As long as our Lovcen's thought Our concord gives strength, It shall be proud, it shall be famous Our dear homeland. Freedom's keeper shall be Our hills, our highlands, As long as the earth receives warmth from the sun And as long as men are fighting. Rivers of our waves shall, Jumping into two seas Bring the voice to the ocean Eternal be our Montenegro. |
Popular Song
The song survived till today under various names as a popular Montenegrin folk song under the name "Oh, Bright Dawn of May" (Oj svijetla majska zoro). This version of the song has been one of the several versions proposed in 1993 during the first discussion on the official anthem, however, on which there was no consensus because of the disputed melodic value. While discussing on the Montenegrin national anthem in 2004 and a joint anthem of the Serbo-Montenegrin state union, the Serbian Orthodox ChurchSerbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church is one of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, ranking sixth in order of seniority after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Russia...
has promoted this version as the more authentic text of the song. It was rejected because references to Montenegro's Serbdom are considered anachronistic. It was also contested by the promoters of the current official anthem as not an authentic version, but a newer one than Drljevic's, Serbian version.
| Montenegrin language Montenegrin language Montenegrin is a name used for the Serbo-Croatian language as spoken by Montenegrins; it also refers to an incipient standardized form of the Shtokavian dialect of Serbo-Croatian used as the official language of Montenegro... - Cyrillic |
Montenegrin language Montenegrin language Montenegrin is a name used for the Serbo-Croatian language as spoken by Montenegrins; it also refers to an incipient standardized form of the Shtokavian dialect of Serbo-Croatian used as the official language of Montenegro... - Latin |
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... |
|---|---|---|
Ој свијетла мајска зоро, Мајко наша Црна Горо, Синови смо твог стијења И чувари твог поштења. Ловћен нам је олтар свети, У њега смо сви заклети. На Ловћену Његош спава Најмудрија српска глава. Ловћен красе Петровићи А Косово Обилићи. Ловћен краси гроб Његошев А Косово гроб Милошев. Дурмиторе је л' ти жао Што се Ловћен опјевао? -Не, нека га, нек' се пјева Заслуга је Његошева. |
Oj svijetla majska zoro, Majko naša Crna Goro, Sinovi smo tvog stijena I čuvari tvog poštenja Lovćen nam je oltar sveti, U njega smo svi zakleti. Na Lovćenu Njegoš spava Najmudrija srpska glava. Lovćen krase Petrovići A Kosovo Obilići. Lovćen krasi grob Njegošev A Kosovo grob Milošev. Durmitore je l' ti žao Što se Lovćen opjevao? -Ne, neka ga, nek' se pjeva Zasluga je Njegoševa. |
Oh bright dawn of May, Mother ours Montenegro, Sons we are of your rocks And keepers of your honesty Lovcen is our Altar of Sainthood, In him we're all sworn. On Lovcen Nyegos sleeps The wisest Serb head. Lovcen is decorated by the Petrovics And Kosovo by the Obilics. Lovcen is decorated by the grave of Njegos And Kosovo by the grave of Milos. Durmitor are you sorry That Lovćen became famous? -No, let it be, let it sing Thankful for that is Njegos. |
Serbo-Montenegrin hybrid
In August of 2004 after both Member States adopted their own national anthems, a common anthem was proposed by federal parliamentary speaker Zoran Šami. It was made by composer Slobodan MarkovićSlobodan Markovic
Slobodan Marković is a Serbian international football midfielder playing currently for Tavriya Simferopol in the Ukrainian Premier League. He came to Tavriya in the summer of 2007....
as a combination of the Montenegrin national anthem, and the Serbian national anthem Lord, Give Us Justice
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...
. The hybrid was difficult to make because of the unmelodic musical streams of Oh, Bright Dawn of May and the end result was sharply criticized by the public, especially also by the Serbian Orthodox Church, for including the words of Sekule Drljevic. In the end the official deadline presented by the 2002 Belgrade Agreement and the Constitutional Charter passed so Union President Svetozar Marović
Svetozar Marovic
Svetozar Marović ; born March 31, 1955) is a lawyer and a Montenegrin politician. He was the only president of Serbia and Montenegro...
had declared Hey, Slavs! of the old Yugoslavia would still continue to be used, which it did until the union's dissolution in 2006
Montenegrin independence referendum, 2006
The Montenegrin independence referendum was a referendum on the independence of the Republic of Montenegro from the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro that was held on 21 May 2006.The total turnout of the referendum was 86.5%...
.
Notable Montenegrin historian Živko Andrijašević
Živko Andrijaševic
Dr. Živko M. Andrijašević is a Montenegrin historian and writer.-Works:*Pokrštabanje Muslimana 1913 , Published: 2003 *History of Montenegro: From Ancient Times to 2003 , Published: 2006 in Podgorica...
wrote back to Patriarch Paul's appeals, denying SOC's claims of Drljevic's authorship of the song. Andrijasevic had noted that Drljevic was born in 1884, while the very first record of the song is dated to 1887. Proponents of the "Oj, svijetla majska zoro" had pointed out that Drljevic only made changes to an already existing song, reworking it by rewriting some of the words.
| Montenegrin language Montenegrin language Montenegrin is a name used for the Serbo-Croatian language as spoken by Montenegrins; it also refers to an incipient standardized form of the Shtokavian dialect of Serbo-Croatian used as the official language of Montenegro... - Cyrillic |
Montenegrin language Montenegrin language Montenegrin is a name used for the Serbo-Croatian language as spoken by Montenegrins; it also refers to an incipient standardized form of the Shtokavian dialect of Serbo-Croatian used as the official language of Montenegro... - Latin |
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... |
|---|---|---|
Боже правде, ти што спасе од пропасти досад нас, чуј и одсад наше гласе и одсад нам буди спас. Ој, свијетла мајска зоро, Мајко наша Црна Горо, Синови смо твог стијења и Чувари твог поштења. Моћном руком брани, води Кроз олује српски брод, Боже спаси, Боже храни, Моли ти се сав наш род. Док ловћенској нашој мисли Наша слога даје крила, Биће горда, биће славна Домовина наша мила. |
Bože pravde, ti što spase od propasti dosad nas, čuj i odsad naše glase i odsad nam budi spas. Oj, svijetla majska zoro, Majko naša Crna Goro, Sinovi smo tvog stijenja i Čuvari tvog poštenja. Moćnom rukom brani, vodi Kroz oluje srpski brod, Bože spasi, Bože hrani, Moli ti se sav naš rod. Dok lovćenskoj našoj misli Naša sloga daje krila, Biće gorda, biće slavna Domovina naša mila. |
God of Justice; Thou who saved us when in deepest bondage cast, Hear Thy Serbian children's voices, Be our help as in the past. Oh bright dawn of May, Mother ours Montenegro, Sons we are of your rocks And keepers of your honesty With Thy mighty hand sustain us, Through storms 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 vessel trace; God, our hope; protect and cherish Thus entreats our race! While our unity gives wings to our Lovćen cause Proud shall be, celebrated will be Our dear homeland. |
Controversy
The song is controversial in two views - contextual and melodical:Although the Montenegrin Serbs
Serbs of Montenegro
Montenegrin Serbs is a regional, ethnographic group of ethnic Serbs. They compose the second largest ethnic group in Montenegro after the Montenegrins....
object the song and favor older versions mainly because it does not mention the Serbian national identity, favoring There, o'er There!
Onamo, 'namo!
"Onamo, 'namo!" also known as the Serbian Marseillaise was a popular anthem in Montenegro in the late 19th to early 20th century...
as their national anthem, the main controversy in its text lies in its alleged authorship of a WWII Nazi collaborator. That was pointed during its adoption in 2004 and during the constitutional discussion of 2007, with various extreme accusations of Montenegro rejuvenating its fascist heritage occasionally heard including from the SOC and 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...
when the official centaur-anthem proposal was made for the State Union which would include half of the anthems of both member-states.
Because of its controversy, there are municipalities in which the opposition is in power in which the Montenegrin national anthem was never ever played since its adoption. In others with the opposition in power, it is played either shortened by removing the verses traditionally contributed to Drljevic, all just as an instrumental, on the proposal of President
President of Montenegro
-Presidents of Montenegro:-See also:*President of Serbia and Montenegro*President of Yugoslavia*List of Presidents of Montenegro*Prime Minister of Montenegro-External links:*...
Filip Vujanović
Filip Vujanovic
Filip Vujanović is a Montenegrin politician who, since 2003, has served as the President of Montenegro. He is the first President of Montenegro since it split ties with Serbia and became an independent nation in June 2006...
. The common proposal of the opposition was presented by the leader of the 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...
Srđan Milić, which is to amend the law on national symbols and remove the controversial verses. The Montenegrin president has supported this initiative, noting that the current version is not in the anti-fascist character of Montenegro, which is in its basis, also considering the text historically unfounded and rightful. President Vujanovic, vice-president of the ruling DPS CG, also has noted that he has expressed the opinion numerous times before, ever since its adoption in 2004. This was followed by the President's clash with the coalition Socialdemocratic Party of Montenegro over the process of changing the anthem's text, clarifying that the Constitution only defines the anthem's name, and not its content, which is defined by the Law on National Symbols, and for which's change a simple majority is needed. President Vujanovic personally favors precisely because of these reasons the instrumental, which plays on his official website.
The other main point of the controversy was exposed for the first time in 1993, during the first proposal to make the song the official anthem of the Republic of Montenegro, then's constituent republic of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In the final round of choices it was excluded on the grounds of problematic melody which doesn't suite a national anthem. This was mentioned again during the draft of an official anthem of the Serbo-Montenegrin State Union. Federal Parliamentary speaker Zoran Šami
Zoran Šami
Ph.D Zoran Šami was the speaker of the Parliament of Serbia and Montenegro from Democratic Party of Serbia....
had hired composer Slobodan Marković to create a centaur-anthem for the State Union, a project which ended in failure. Markovic had called the attempt very difficult because of the "lack of harmony" of the Montenegrin anthem. In early 2010 Head of DPS Executive Board Miodrag Vuković admitted that the DPS CG is officially open for discussion on changing the anthem, noting that even textual and musical experts are pointing out its flaws, in precise its length.
Opposition leader Milic and President Vujanovic have stated that the initiative to change the national symbols will come after the forthcoming local elections on 23 May 2010, possibly ending in the removal of the 3rd and 4th stanzas, which are considered to be the literary work of Drljevic, making it structurally more as an anthem, more acceptable to the population of Montenegro and its anti-fascist determination, the country which raised the very first Anti-fascist uprising in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
during WWII against the aggressor and its collaborator Drljevic, after merely a single day of their reign.
Shortening of the anthem has already begun in some municipalities, e.g. Bijelo Polje
Bijelo Polje
Bijelo Polje is a town in northern Montenegro. It has a population of 15,883 .Bijelo Polje is the center of municipality . It is unofficial center of north-eastern region of Montenegro...
, where on the proposal of President Filip Vujanovic the local mayor Tarzan Milošević had cut the lyrics which are alleged to be Drljevic's.
External links
- A midi version of the anthem exists at the official websites of
- Himnuszok - A vocal version of the Anthem, featured in "Himnuszok" website.
- The Songs section of the Italian language website "NewMontenegro.eu" features two alternative versions of the anthem.
- nationalanthems.info - The sheet music and lyrics are featured in the "nationalanthems.info" site.