National Anthem Comparison
Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Serbia
0
Shared themes
✗
Different moods
126
126 years apart
✓
Same continent
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Intermeco
Comparison Analysis
Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, both Europe nations, take distinct approaches to their national anthems. Bosnia and Herzegovina's "Intermeco" was written in 1998, while Serbia's "God of Justice" dates to 1872.
The two anthems take different thematic approaches. Bosnia and Herzegovina's focuses on , while Serbia's centers on god / faith, freedom, unity, resilience and identity.
The emotional tones differ: Bosnia and Herzegovina's anthem is solemn, while Serbia's is prayerful.
Serbia's anthem predates Bosnia and Herzegovina's by 126 years, having been written in 1872 compared to 1998.
Bosnia and Herzegovina changed its national anthem in 1999, reflecting a shift in the nation's identity or political landscape.
Shared themes
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Serbia
✝ God / Faith 🕊 Freedom 🤝 Unity 💪 Resilience 🏛 Identity
Metadata
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Serbia | |
|---|---|---|
| Written | 1998 | 1872 |
| Adopted | 1999 | 2006 |
| Lyricist | Instrumental (no official lyrics) | Jovan Đorđević |
| Composer | Dušan Šestić | Davorin Jenko |
| Language | bs | sr |
| Region | Southern Europe | Southern Europe |
Lyrics Side by Side
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Intermeco
Instrumental (no lyrics)
Serbia
Боже правде
Original
Боже правде, ти што спасе
од пропасти досад нас,
чуј и одсад наше гласе
и од сад нам буди спас.
Моћном руком води, брани
будућности српске брод,
Боже спаси, Боже храни,
српске земље, српски род!
Сложи српску браћу драгу
на свак дичан славан рад,
слога биће пораз врагу
а најјачи српству град.
Нек на српској блиста грани
братске слоге златан плод,
Боже спаси, Боже храни
српске земље, српски род!
Нек на српско ведро чело
твог не падне гнева гром
Благослови Србу село
поље, њиву, град и дом!
Кад наступе борбе дани
к' победи му води ход
Боже спаси, Боже храни
српске земље, српски род!
Из мрачнога сину гроба
српске славе нови сјај
настало је ново доба
Нову срећу, Боже дај!
Отаџбину српску брани
пет вековне борбе плод
Боже спаси, Боже брани
моли ти се српски род!
Translation
God of justice, You who saved us
from ruin until now,
hear our voices from now on
and from now on be our salvation.
With Your mighty hand guide and defend
the ship of the Serbian future,
God save, God protect
the Serbian lands, the Serbian people!
Unite the dear Serbian brothers
in every worthy, glorious deed,
unity will be the enemy's defeat
and the mightiest fortress of the Serbs.
On the Serbian branch let shine
the golden fruit of brotherly unity,
God save, God protect
the Serbian lands, the Serbian people!
Upon the clear Serbian brow
let the thunder of Your wrath not fall,
bless the Serb's village,
field, farmland, town and home!
When the days of struggle come
lead his march to victory,
God save, God protect
the Serbian lands, the Serbian people!
From the dark grave has shone
the new radiance of Serbian glory,
a new age has dawned,
grant new happiness, O God!
Defend the Serbian fatherland,
the fruit of five centuries of struggle,
God save, God defend,
the Serbian people pray to You!
Interesting facts
Bosnia and Herzegovina
- 1. The anthem is one of only a handful in the world that has no official lyrics; the wordlessness is itself a deliberate political compromise among Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs.
- 2. It came into force on 25 June 1999, on an interim basis, by decision of High Representative Carlos Westendorp under his Bonn powers: the House of Representatives had passed the law, but the House of Peoples could not agree on its text.
- 3. The previous anthem, "Jedna si jedina," was arranged by Dino Merlin from the Bosnian folk song "S one strane Plive"; many Bosniaks still sing it informally.
- 4. Proposed lyrics beginning "Ti si svjetlost duše," written by composer Dušan Šestić with Benjamin Isović, were accepted by a parliamentary commission in 2009 but have never been approved by parliament.
Serbia
- 1. The anthem is written as a prayer, opening with an appeal to the 'God of justice'.
- 2. It was first performed in 1872 in Đorđević's play Markova sablja, set to music by Davorin Jenko, a Slovene composer then working in Belgrade.
- 3. The official text replaces the royalist lines of the version sung after Serbia became a kingdom in 1882 (the 1872 original hailed a prince): 'the Serbian king' became 'the Serbian lands', 'the Serbian crown' became 'Serbian glory', and 'the Serbian Kingdom' became 'the Serbian fatherland'.
- 4. It has been used again since 2004, was named the national anthem in the 2006 Constitution and was confirmed by an act of the National Assembly in 2009.
Listen
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Serbia
