Oj, svijetla majska zoro

Lyrics

Many verses are repeated in order to follow the rhythmic composition.

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;English translation :𝄆 O bright dawn of May blazes forth 𝄇 :𝄆 Our mother Montenegro 𝄇 :𝄆 We are the sons of your gravel 𝄇 :𝄆 And guardians of your candour 𝄇 :We love you, your craggy highlands :And your magnificent gorges :Which never came to experience :The chains of shameful slavery :𝄆 Our mother Montenegro 𝄇

:𝄆 O bright dawn of May blazes forth 𝄇 :𝄆 Our mother Montenegro 𝄇 :For the cause of our Lovćen :Our unity gives us wings :All proud and lauded shall we be :Our dear homeland beloved :Estuary of our waves :That surges into the two seas :𝄆 Shall bear voice into the ocean :That Montenegro is ageless 𝄇 :That Montenegro is ageless!

History

Original version from the 19th century

The following is the oldest known version of the anthem, known as "O Bright Dawn of Bravery, Oi!" (""). It was played in public for the first time in 1863 in the national theater in Belgrade. 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. The play and the Montenegrin folk song was also played/sung in the National Theater again in 1870 and 1876.

World War II collaborationist version

In 1944, Sekula Drljević, a Montenegrin fascist collaborator, rearranged the lyrics of the Montenegrin patriotic song "Oj, svijetla majska zoro" to celebrate the creation of the Montenegrin puppet regime that had been established in July 1941.

World War II partisan version

Popular song

The song survived until today under various names as a popular Montenegrin folk song under the name "O Bright Dawn of May" (""). This version of the song has been one of the several versions proposed in 1993 during the first discussion on the official state anthem, however, on which there was no consensus because of the disputed melodic value.

Controversies

As the president of Montenegro, Filip Vujanović participated on several occasions public debates regarding the disputed parts of the national anthem, which was made official in 2004. On that occasion, the official text of the anthem also included two stanzas (third and fourth) sung by the Montenegrin fascist and war criminal Sekula Drljević. Controversy over the disputed parts of the anthem in the following years led to open divisions among the citizens of Montenegro, and Vujanović himself on various occasions publicly criticized the adoption of Drljevic's stanzas, from which he distanced himself, advocating changes to the official text of the anthem. Vujanović repeatedly pointed out that the adoption of Drljevic's verses was not acceptable because their creator was a fascist or Nazi, and on the same occasion he warned of the danger of strengthening extreme Montenegrin nationalism and chauvinism.

References

References

1. [http://www.gov.me/files/1143206664.doc Закон о државним симболима и дану државности Црне Горе] (2004).
2. "Црногорска химна настала је у Србији, да би из ње био избачен стих у ком се помиње српски род".
3. Repertoire of the National Theatre in Belgrade 1868-1965, Sava V. Cvetkovic, Belgrade, 1966
4. Istorija srpskog pozorišta od srednjeg veka do modernog doba, Borivoje Stojković, 1979.
5. (2011-07-22). "Zadovoljni zbog neusvajanja himne :: Dnevni list Pobjeda".
6. Kenneth Morrison. (2009). "Montenegro: A Modern History". Bloomsbury Academic.
7. [https://znaci.org/poezija/listaj-goro-cvjetaj-cvijece.php Listaj goro, cvjetaj cvijeće]
8. "Oj svijetla majska zoro". PCNEN.
9. (13 December 2007). "Da li su stihovi crnogorske himne "Oj svijetla majska zoro" neonacistički i fašistički?".
10. "Vujanović: Državna himna ne zbližava već odvaja ljude".
11. (2019-06-26). ""Смењују" Вујановића {{!}} Регион {{!}} Novosti.rs".
12. "ЦГ: Повратак правим симболима".
13. "Вујановић: Нападају ме црногорски националисти".
14. (4 November 2011). "Ima li crnogorskog nacionalizma u Crnoj Gori".