National Anthem Comparison
India vs Pakistan
2
Shared themes
✓
Same mood
41
41 years apart
✓
Same continent
Comparison Analysis
India and Pakistan, both Asia nations, take distinct approaches to their national anthems. India's "Jana Gana Mana" was written in 1911, while Pakistan's "The National Anthem" dates to 1952.
Both anthems share themes of unity and god / faith. India additionally explores diversity and nature, while Pakistan also touches on flag and prosperity.
Both anthems carry a majestic tone, creating a similar emotional register despite their geographic distance.
India's anthem predates Pakistan's by 41 years, having been written in 1911 compared to 1952.
Shared themes
India
🤝 Unity 🌈 Diversity 🌿 Nature ✝ God / Faith
Pakistan
✝ God / Faith 🚩 Flag 🤝 Unity 🌾 Prosperity
Shared themes:
🤝 Unity ✝ God / Faith
Metadata
| India | Pakistan | |
|---|---|---|
| Written | 1911 | 1952 |
| Adopted | 1950 | 1954 |
| Lyricist | Rabindranath Tagore | Hafeez Jalandhari |
| Composer | Rabindranath Tagore | Ahmed Ghulamali Chagla |
| Language | bn | ur |
| Region | South Asia | South Asia |
Lyrics Side by Side
India
জন গণ মন
Original
জনগণমন-অধিনায়ক জয় হে
ভারত ভাগ্য বিধাতা।
পঞ্জাব সিন্ধু গুজরাট মরাঠা
দ্রাবিড় উৎকল বঙ্গ
বিন্ধ্য হিমাচল যমুনা গঙ্গা
উচ্ছল জলধি তরঙ্গ
তব শুভ নামে জাগে
তব শুভ আশিষ মাগে
গাহে তব জয়গাথা।
জনগণমঙ্গলদায়ক জয় হে
ভারত ভাগ্য বিধাতা।
জয় হে! জয় হে! জয় হে!
জয় জয় জয় জয় হে!
Translation
Victory to thee, ruler of the minds of all people,
Dispenser of India's destiny.
Thy name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sindh, Gujarat and Maratha,
Of the Dravida and Odisha and Bengal.
It echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas,
Mingles in the music of Yamuna and Ganga
And is chanted by the waves of the Indian Sea.
They pray for thy blessings
And sing thy praise.
Victory to thee, giver of good to all people,
Thou dispenser of India's destiny.
Victory, victory, victory to thee!
Victory, victory, victory, victory to thee!
Pakistan
قومی ترانہ
Original
پاک سرزمین شاد باد
کشورِ حُسین شاد باد
تُو نشانِ عزمِ عالیشان
ارضِ پاکستان!
مرکزِ یقین شاد باد
پاک سرزمین کا نظام
قُوّتِ اُخُوّتِ عوام
قوم ، ملک ، سلطنت
پائندہ تابندہ باد!
شاد باد منزلِ مراد
پرچمِ ستارہ و ہلال
رہبرِ ترقّی و کمال
ترجُمانِ ماضی شانِ حال
جانِ اِستقبال!
سایۂ خُدایِ ذوالجلال
Translation
Blessed be the sacred land,
Happy be the beautiful realm,
Thou symbol of high resolve,
O Land of Pakistan!
Blessed be the citadel of faith.
The order of this sacred land,
The might of the brotherhood of the people,
May the nation, the country, and the state
Shine in glory everlasting!
Blessed be the goal of our ambition.
The flag of the crescent and star
Leads the way to progress and perfection,
Interpreter of our past, glory of our present,
Inspiration of our future!
Shadow of God, the Lord of Majesty.
Interesting facts
India
- 1. Rabindranath Tagore also wrote Bangladesh's national anthem, 'Amar Shonar Bangla'
- 2. The anthem names Sindh, which became part of Pakistan at Partition in 1947; in 2005 India's Supreme Court dismissed a petition to remove the word, ruling that an anthem 'is not a chronicle which defines the territory of the nation'
- 3. Official instructions give the full version a playing time of approximately 52 seconds; a short version of the first and last lines takes about 20 seconds
Pakistan
- 1. The tune's first performance at an official event came on 1 March 1950, when a Pakistan Navy band played it, still without words, at Karachi airport for the visiting Shah of Iran
- 2. The anthem's playing time is about 80 seconds
- 3. Its vocabulary is so heavily Persian that it is sometimes said only one word, 'kā' (of), is Urdu; the Urdu scholar Rauf Parekh rejects this, pointing out that although most of its words were borrowed from Arabic or Persian, every one of them is in common Urdu use
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India
Pakistan
