"U boj, u boj" is a 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 patriotic song. It was written and composed by Ivan Zajc

Ivan Zajc

Ivan Dragutin Stjepan Zajc or Ivan pl. Zajc , was a Croatian composer, conductor, director and teacher who for over forty years dominated Croatia's musical culture...

 in 1866, who later incorporated it as an aria into his opera Nikola Šubić Zrinski

Nikola Šubić Zrinski (opera)

Nikola Šubić Zrinski is an opera written and composed by Ivan Zajc in 1876. It is a retelling of the Battle of Szigetvár of 1566, in which Nikola Zrinski, Ban of Croatia and captain of the assembled Croatian and Hungarian forces, took a heroic last stand against overwhelming Ottoman forces, led...

(1876) where it is sung by a male choir

Choir

A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...

.

The choir

Choir

A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...

 version of the song, composed by Franjo Marković

Franjo Markovic

Franjo Marković , was a Croatian philosopher and writer.He was an academician, the first professor of philosophy at the renovated University of Zagreb in 1874...

, enjoys a wide popularity in Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

, where for a long time it was thought to be a Czech folk song. After the end of World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

, an American ship Hefron, evacuating Czech and Slovak

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...

 soldiers from Siberia

Siberia

Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...

, perhaps with a few Croats onboard, was damaged by a storm and was forced to settle in the Kobe

Kobe

, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...

 harbour for 2 months for repair. During that period, the soldiers transmitted the tune to the members of the oldest and the most renowned Japanese male choir of the Kwansei Gakuin University

Kwansei Gakuin University

, colloquially abbreviated to , is a non-denominational Christian private and coeducational university located in Nishinomiya, Sanda, Osaka City, and Tokyo, Japan....

, established in 1899. Their repertoire hosts the song to this day, ending with it each of their public performances.

The lyrics "U boj, u boj" can also be heard during sports events in which Croatian national teams participate. Croatian supporters version has also second verse "Za narod svoj!", so in complete it goes: "To the fight, to the fight, for your people/nation"

Lyrics

Croatian		English translation
U boj, u boj! Mač iz toka, braćo, nek dušman zna kako mremo mi! Grad naš već gori, stiže do nas već žar: rik njihov ori, bijesan je njihov jar! K'o požar taj grudi naše plamte, utiša rik mača naših zvek! K'o bratac brata Zrinskog poljub'te svi! Zrinskom na vrata, vjerni junaci vi!		To battle, to battle! Unsheathe your swords, brethren, Let the enemy know how we die! Our city already burns Battle of Szigetvár The Siege of Szigetvár or Battle of Szigeth was a siege of the Szigeth Fortress in Baranya which blocked Suleiman's line of advance towards Vienna in 1566 AD... , The heat is already reaching us: Their roar resounds Ottoman Empire The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries... , Their rage is rampant! Our chests flare up as that fire, The roar is silenced by the rattling of our swords! All of you, kiss Zrinski Nikola Šubic Zrinski Nikola Šubić Zrinski , was a Croatian nobleman and general in service of Habsburg Monarchy, ban of Croatia from 1542 to 1556, and member of the Zrinski noble family... As brethren would kiss one another! To Zrinski Nikola Šubic Zrinski Nikola Šubić Zrinski , was a Croatian nobleman and general in service of Habsburg Monarchy, ban of Croatia from 1542 to 1556, and member of the Zrinski noble family... 's gates, Trustful heroes!
Sad, braćo! Pun'mo puške, samokrese, naše grome, naše trijese, neka ore, ruše, more! Brus'mo ljute naše mače, neka sijeku jače, jače!	Sad zbogom bud', dome naš zauvijek, oj, zbogom, od svud i svud na te dušman ide prijek. I već u grob sveti trup sklada tvoj, al' neće! Za te sin svak u boj se kreće! Dome naš, ti vijekom stoj!	Now, brethren! Load the rifles, pistols, Our thunders, our bang, Let them roar, topple, harry! Let us grind our fierce swords, Make them cut harder, harder!	Good bye and be well, Our home of old, Oh, good bye, From everywhere The grim enemy comes Already they plan To bury your sacred body, But they won't! All your sons move to the fight for you! Our home, you will stand forever!
Hajd' u boj, u boj! Za dom, za dom sad u boj! Ma paklena mnoš na nj diže svoj nož; Hajd' u boj! Nas mal, al' hrabar je broj! Tko, tko će ga strt'? Smrt vragu, smrt! Za domovinu mrijeti kolika slast! Prot dušmaninu! Mora on mora past'!		Into the fight, to the fight! For the home, for the home now to the fight! Even if the infernal might Raises its knife at it; To the fight! We are few, but courageous! Who, who will bring him down? Death to the devil, death! To die for your homeland - such a delight! Battle of Szigetvár The Siege of Szigetvár or Battle of Szigeth was a siege of the Szigeth Fortress in Baranya which blocked Suleiman's line of advance towards Vienna in 1566 AD... Against the enemy! They must fall!

External links

• Youtube video of Japanese choir composed of 1000 singers conducted by maestro Katsuaki Kozai singing U boj, u boj in the Kokugikan Hall in Tokyo on February 26, 2006
• U boj, u boj, by Darko Žubrinić