Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm
National anthem of Estonia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm"[a] is the national anthem of Estonia, originally adopted in 1920 (readopted 1990).[1]
| 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 |
| Readopted | May 1990 |
| Audio sample | |
U.S. Navy Band instrumental version (one verse) | |
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 Finnish national anthem "Maamme", then the unofficial anthem of the Grand Duchy of Finland.[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 in the Grand Song Festival of Estonia in 1869 and quickly became a symbol of the Estonian National Awakening.[2]
"Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm" was officially adopted as the national anthem of Estonia in 1920, after the Estonian War of Independence.[3]
During 1940–1941, and again in 1944, the Soviet Union occupied Estonia, and "Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm" was subsequently banned by the Soviet government.[2] The Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic had its own official regional anthem. However, Estonians could often hear the 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 nearly-identical Finnish national anthem at the conclusion of its broadcast every night.[2][4]
In 1990, with the restoration of Estonian independence, use of the anthem and other symbols of the Estonian SSR was terminated and "Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm" was restored as the national anthem.[1]
The lyrics of the anthem were translated into Võro by Sulev Iva on 23 August 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 with a similar name
- "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.