Sayaun Thunga Phulka
National anthem of Nepal
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"Sayaun Thunga Phulka"[note 1] is the national anthem of Nepal. It was officially adopted as the anthem on 3 August 2007 during a ceremony held at the conference hall of National Planning Commission, inside Singha Durbar, by the speaker of the interim parliament, Subas Chandra Nemwang.[1][2] The previous national anthem "Shriman Gambhir" was adopted in 1962 but was dropped following the treaty of the monarchy.[3]
| English: Hundreds of Flowers | |
|---|---|
Sheet music | |
National anthem of Nepal | |
| Lyrics | Byakul Maila, 2007 |
| Music | Amber Gurung, 2007 |
| Published | 2007 |
| Adopted | 3 August 2007 |
| Preceded by | "Shriman Gambhir" |
| Audio sample | |
Instrumental rendition in G minor performed by the U.S. Navy Band | |
The lyrics of the national anthem were penned by the poet Pradip Kumar Rai, who went by his alias Byakul Maila. The music was composed by Amber Gurung. The theme of the national anthem praises Nepalese sovereignty, unity, courage, pride, scenic beauty, progress, peace, cultural and biological diversity, and respect. In August 2016, the BBC ranked Nepal's national anthem third in its list of Rio 2016: The most amazing national anthems, citing its musical differences compared to other anthems.[4]
Lyrics
Nepali official
| Devanagari script[5][6] | Transliteration | IPA transcription[note 2] |
|---|---|---|
𝄆 सयौं थुँगा फूलका हामी, एउटै माला नेपाली |
|
𝄆 [sʌ.jʌ̃ũ̯ t̪ʰũŋ.ɡa ɸul.ka ɦã.mi | eu̯.t̠ʌi̯ ma.la ne.pa.li |] |
English translation
𝄆 Woven from hundred flowers, we are garland Nepali
Sovereignly extended from Mechi to Mahakali. 𝄇
Millions of natural beauties, history like a shawl
Bloods of the braves make it free and immotile.
Land of knowledge and peace, the plains, hills and mountains
One piece beloved country, our motherland Nepal.
Peoples, languages, religions and cultures are incredible
This progressive nation of ours, victory to thee, Nepal![7]
History
Following the unanimous decision on 19 May 2006, by the interim House of Representatives of the Kingdom of Nepal, the old national anthem was discontinued. Subsequently, on 30 November 2006, the National Anthem Selection Task Team selected a new composition written by poet Byakul Maila. This anthem was chosen from among 1,272 submissions received from across the country. It was officially approved on 20 April 2007.[8]
Later, on 3 August 2007, "Sayaun Thunga Phulka" was officially declared as Nepal's national anthem by the House of Representatives.
Musically, the anthem spans one octave, with both its lowest and highest notes at D.
Protocol
The public performance of the anthem is regulated by the law. All citizens must stand and show respect to the flag while radio and television stations shall broadcast the anthem during "startup" and "closedown".[citation needed]
Controversy
During the selection process, Byakul Maila was required to prove he was not a royalist and encountered difficulties when it was discovered that he had once edited a book of poetry that contained a contribution from King Gyanendra.[9]
Some of Nepal's Maoist leaders preferred a stronger, more revolutionary anthem akin to the communist "Internationale", and even took their own CDs into the final selection meeting hoping to overturn Byakul Maila's and Amber Gurung's effort.[3][9]
See also
- "Shriman Gambhir", the national anthem of the Kingdom of Nepal
Notes
- Nepali: सयौँ थुँगा फूलका, pronounced [sʌjʌ̃ũ̯ tʰũŋɡa ɸulka]; transl. 'Hundreds of Flowers'