Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm
| English: 'My Fatherland, My Happiness and Joy'[1] | |
|---|---|
Sheet music | |
National anthem of Estonia | |
| Lyrics | Johann Voldemar Jannsen, 1869 |
| Music | Fredrik Pacius, 1848 |
| Adopted | 1920 |
| Audio sample | |
U.S. Navy Band instrumental version (one verse)
| |
"Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm"[a] is the national anthem of Estonia, originally adopted in 1920.[1]
The lyrics were written by Johann Voldemar Jannsen and are set to a melody composed in 1848 by Fredrik Pacius, which is also that of the national anthem of Finland, "Maamme".[2] The only differences between the two anthems are their key signature and the repetition of the last four lines of each verse in the Finnish anthem. The melody is also used as an ethnic anthem of the Livonian people, titled "Min izāmō".
History
The song was first presented to the public as a choral work as part of the first Estonian Song Festival, held in Tartu in 1869. It gained instant popularity and soon became one of the main symbols of Estonian national awakening.[2]
"Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm" was officially adopted as the national anthem in 1920, two years after Estonia had become an independent country.[3]
In 1944, the Soviet Union occupied Estonia, and "Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm" was subsequently banned by the Soviet government.[2] The Soviet-occupied Estonia had its own official regional anthem. However, Estonians could often hear their banned national anthem, as Finland's state broadcaster Yleisradio, whose radio and television broadcasts were received in northern Estonia, played an instrumental version of the Finnish national anthem, identical to this song (except for an additional repetition of the last verse in the Finnish version), at the conclusion of its broadcast every night.[2][4]
The lyrics of the anthem were translated into Võro by Sulev Iva in 2005.
Lyrics
| Estonian original[5][6] | IPA transcription[b] |
|---|---|
Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm, |
[mu ˈi.sɑ.mɑː mu ɤnʲ.nʲ‿jɑ rɤːm ǀ] |
| Poetic English translation[1] | Literal English translation[7] |
|---|---|
My native land, my joy – delight, |
My fatherland, my joy and happiness, |
See also
- Coat of arms of Estonia
- Flag of Estonia
- "Mu isamaa on minu arm", an Estonian patriotic song
- "Maamme", the national anthem of Finland
- "Min izāmō", the ethnic anthem of the Livonians
Notes
- ^ Estonian pronunciation: [mu ˈisɑmɑː mu ˈɤnʲː jɑ ˈrɤːm]; lit. "My Fatherland, My Happiness and Joy"
- ^ See Help:IPA/Estonian and Estonian phonology.
References
- ^ a b c "National anthem of the Republic of Estonia". Republic of Estonia. Retrieved 2017-09-04.
- ^ a b c d Miljan, Toivo (2015-05-21). Historical Dictionary of Estonia. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 314. ISBN 978-0-8108-7513-5.
- ^ Central Intelligence Agency (2015-01-01). The World Factbook. Masterlab. p. 118. ISBN 978-83-7991-213-1.
- ^ Cloet, Pierre-Robert; Legué, Bénédicte; Martel, Kerstin (December 2013). "United in diversity: Anthems and Flags of the European Union" (PDF). Jacques Delors Institute. Retrieved 2022-01-17.
- ^ "Riiklikud sümbolid". 13 April 2009. Archived from the original on 13 April 2009.
- ^ "The President of the Republic of Estonia: National Symbols". 14 January 2006. Archived from the original on 14 January 2006.
- ^ "Estonia – nationalanthems.info". Retrieved 2022-12-22.
External links
- The Estonian national anthem - webpage of the State Chancellery, an audio stream. The anthem is played by The Defence Forces Orchestra, vocals by the National Male Choir.
- Streaming audio, lyrics and details of the Estonian anthem.
- Estonia – nationalanthems.info