National Anthem Comparison
Montenegro vs Serbia
3
Shared themes
✗
Different moods
132
132 years apart
✓
Same continent
Comparison Analysis
Montenegro and Serbia, both Europe nations, take distinct approaches to their national anthems. Montenegro's "Oh, Bright Dawn of May" was written in 2004, while Serbia's "God of Justice" dates to 1872.
Both anthems share themes of identity, freedom and resilience. Montenegro additionally explores nature and love of homeland, while Serbia also touches on god / faith and unity.
The emotional tones differ: Montenegro's anthem is proud, while Serbia's is prayerful.
Serbia's anthem predates Montenegro's by 132 years, having been written in 1872 compared to 2004.
Montenegro changed its national anthem in 2004, reflecting a shift in the nation's identity or political landscape.
Shared themes
Montenegro
🌿 Nature ❤ Love of homeland 🏛 Identity 🕊 Freedom 💪 Resilience
Serbia
✝ God / Faith 🕊 Freedom 🤝 Unity 💪 Resilience 🏛 Identity
Shared themes:
🏛 Identity 🕊 Freedom 💪 Resilience
Metadata
| Montenegro | Serbia | |
|---|---|---|
| Written | 2004 | 1872 |
| Adopted | 2004 | 2006 |
| Lyricist | Sekula Drljevic (original poem) | Jovan Đorđević |
| Composer | Žarko Mirković (after a traditional melody) | Davorin Jenko |
| Language | sr | sr |
| Region | Southern Europe | Southern Europe |
Lyrics Side by Side
Montenegro
Oj svijetla majska zoro
Original
Oj svijetla majska zoro,
Majko naša Crna Goro,
Sinovi smo tvog stijenja
I čuvari tvog poštenja.
Volimo vas, brda tvrda,
I stravične vaše klance
Koji nikad ne poznaše
Sramotnoga ropstva lance.
Dok lovćenskoj našoj misli
Naša sloga daje krila,
Biće gorda, biće slavna
Domovina naša mila.
Rijeka će naših vala,
Uskačući u dva mora,
Glas nositi okeanu,
Da je vječna Crna Gora.
Translation
Oh, bright dawn of May,
Our mother Montenegro,
We are the sons of your rocky cliffs
And guardians of your honor.
We love you, hard mountains,
And your fearsome gorges,
Which never knew
The chains of shameful bondage.
While to our Lovćen thought
Our unity gives wings,
Proud and glorious will be
Our beloved homeland.
The river of our waves,
Leaping into two seas,
Will carry word to the ocean
That Montenegro is eternal.
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
Montenegro
- 1. The words are fixed by law: Article 6 of the 2004 Law on State Symbols sets out all sixteen lines. At protocol events, however, a shortened instrumental version of about 1 minute 40 seconds is played; the complete anthem, over three minutes long, is performed only with a choir.
- 2. Sekula Drljevic collaborated with the Axis occupiers during World War II, first in Italian-occupied Montenegro and then in the Ustaše-ruled Independent State of Croatia. When the anthem was proposed in 2004, Patriarch Pavle of the Serbian Orthodox Church asked the Montenegrin government in an open letter not to use the text, calling Drljevic a war criminal and a quisling.
- 3. How much of the text comes from Drljevic's poem 'Our Eternal Montenegro' is disputed: scholars' views range from only the last stanza to the whole anthem. At some local events only the first two stanzas, thought to come from the older folk song, are sung.
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
Montenegro
Serbia
