All anthems

Croatia

Lijepa naša domovino

Lijepa nasa domovino

Our Beautiful Homeland

1835
1972
Antun Mihanovic
Josip Runjanin
🌿 Nature Love of homeland 🏺 Ancestors / Heritage |

Context

Written by Antun Mihanovic in 1835 during the Illyrian movement, a cultural and political movement among South Slavs. The music was composed by Josip Runjanin based on a melody by Donizetti. It was first performed in 1846.

Lyrics

Lijepa naša domovino, Oj junacka 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!

Translations are non-official and intended to convey meaning, not replace originals

Interesting facts

  • One of the oldest national anthems in Europe, written during the Croatian National Revival of the 1830s
  • The melody bears resemblance to a Donizetti opera passage, suggesting the composer was inspired by Italian opera
  • Only the first and last stanzas of the original poem are used in the official anthem

Related anthems