Vietnam
Tiến Quân Ca
Tien Quan Ca
Marching Song of the Army
1944
1945
Văn Cao
Văn Cao
⚔ Battle / War 🕊 Freedom 🤝 Unity 🚩 Flag 💪 Resilience |
Key Facts
- 1. Van Cao received no royalties or formal recognition for composing the anthem during his lifetime; he lived in poverty for decades and was only posthumously honored with Vietnam's highest cultural award.
- 2. The anthem's original second verse, which contained graphic references to enemy blood, was quietly dropped from official performances in the 1980s, though it technically remains part of the legal text.
- 3. In 2019, Vietnam's government made it a legal requirement for the anthem to be played at the start of every school day nationwide, affecting over 20 million students.
Lyrics
Đoàn quân Việt Nam đi
Chung lòng cứu quốc,
Bước chân dồn vang trên đường gập ghềnh xa.
Cờ in máu chiến thắng mang hồn nước,
Súng ngoài xa chen khúc quân hành ca.
Đường vinh quang xây xác quân thù,
Thắng gian lao cùng nhau lập chiến khu.
Vì nhân dân chiến đấu không ngừng,
Tiến mau ra sa trường,
Tiến lên, cùng tiến lên.
Nước non Việt Nam ta vững bền.
Translations are non-official and intended to convey meaning, not replace originals
Analysis
EditorialWritten in 1944 by Van Cao during the Viet Minh resistance against Japanese and French occupation, the song became the anthem when Ho Chi Minh declared independence in 1945. After reunification in 1976, it became the anthem of all Vietnam.