National Anthem Comparison
Croatia vs Slovenia
0
Shared themes
✗
Different moods
9
9 years apart
✓
Same continent
Comparison Analysis
Croatia and Slovenia, both Europe nations, take distinct approaches to their national anthems. Croatia's "Our Beautiful Homeland" was written in 1835, while Slovenia's "A Toast" dates to 1844.
The two anthems take different thematic approaches. Croatia's focuses on nature, love of homeland, ancestors / heritage and identity, while Slovenia's centers on peace, unity, hope and freedom.
The emotional tones differ: Croatia's anthem is proud, while Slovenia's is hopeful.
Shared themes
Croatia
🌿 Nature ❤ Love of homeland 🏺 Ancestors / Heritage 🏛 Identity
Slovenia
☮ Peace 🤝 Unity 🌅 Hope 🕊 Freedom
Metadata
| Croatia | Slovenia | |
|---|---|---|
| Written | 1835 | 1844 |
| Adopted | 1972 | 1989 |
| Lyricist | Antun Mihanović | France Prešeren |
| Composer | Josip Runjanin | Stanko Premrl |
| Language | hr | sl |
| Region | Southern Europe | Southern Europe |
Lyrics Side by Side
Croatia
Lijepa naša domovino
Original
Lijepa naša domovino,
Oj junačka zemljo mila,
Stare slave djedovino,
da bi vazda sretna bila!
Mila, kano si nam slavna,
Mila si nam ti jedina.
Mila, kuda si nam ravna,
Mila, kuda si planina!
Teci Dravo, Savo teci,
Nit' ti Dunav silu gubi,
Sinje more svijetu reci,
Da svoj narod Hrvat ljubi.
Dok mu njive sunce grije,
Dok mu hrašće bura vije,
Dok mu mrtve grobak krije,
Dok mu živo srce bije!
Translation
Our beautiful homeland,
Oh dear heroic land,
Ancestral land of ancient glory,
May you be happy forever!
Dear, as you are glorious to us,
Dear you are to us, our only one,
Dear, where your fields are flat,
Dear, where you are mountainous!
Flow on, Drava, Sava flow,
Nor you, Danube, lose your strength,
Azure sea, tell the world
That a Croat loves his people.
While the sun warms his fields,
While the storm wind shakes his oaks,
While the grave hides his dead,
While his living heart still beats!
Slovenia
Zdravljica
Original
Žive naj vsi narodi
ki hrepene dočakat' dan,
da koder sonce hodi,
prepir iz sveta bo pregnan,
da rojak
prost bo vsak,
ne vrag, le sosed bo mejak!
Translation
Long live all the nations,
that long to see the day
when, wherever the sun walks,
strife will be banished from the world,
when every fellow countryman
will be free,
and not a foe, but a neighbour will be at the border!
Interesting facts
Croatia
- 1. The words first appeared on 14 March 1835 in the literary paper Danica, as "Horvatska domovina" ("Croatian Homeland"), during the Croatian National Revival
- 2. The melody has often been compared with the duet of Edgardo and Enrico in Act 3 of Donizetti's opera Lucia di Lammermoor (1835); whether Runjanin borrowed from it is still debated
- 3. The official anthem uses adapted versions of the first two and the last two stanzas of Mihanović's poem
- 4. In 1907 the Association of Croatian Singing Societies asked the Croatian Sabor to make the song the state anthem by law; the initiative failed, and it remained Croatia's unofficial anthem until 1972
Slovenia
- 1. Although written in 1844, the poem could only be published in 1848, after censorship was abolished in the Habsburg Empire
- 2. According to historian Božo Repe, Zdravljica is one of the few non-militant anthems: it rejects wars and disputes and emphasises friendship among nations
- 3. France Prešeren is considered the greatest Slovenian poet, and February 8 (his death anniversary) is a national holiday
Listen
Croatia
Slovenia
