Hey, Slavs

patriotic Slavic song

"Hey, Slavs" is a patriotic song made for the Slavs which was used as the national anthem of Yugoslavia and later of Serbia and Montenegro. Its tune is based off that of "Poland is Not Yet Lost", the national anthem of Poland.

Hej, Slaveni
Hej, Sloveni
Hej, Slovani
Еј, Словени
English: Hey, Slavs
A Croatian language version print of the poem that would become the national anthem of Yugoslavia.

Former national anthem of
 Yugoslavia
 Serbia and Montenegro
State of Slovakia
Also known as"Hej, Slovenci"
"Hej, Słowianie"
LyricsSamuel Tomášik, 1834
MusicComposer unknown, 1820s
Adopted1977 (by Yugoslavia, provisionally)
1988 (by Yugoslavia, constitutionally)
1992 (by Serbia and Montenegro)
Relinquished1992 (by Yugoslavia)
2006 (by Serbia and Montenegro)
Audio sample
"Hey, Slavs" (instrumental, one verse)

Lyrics

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The song has been translated into all of the major Slavic languages. However, the song was most commonly sung in Yugoslavia.

Slovak adaptation

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Slovak original English translation

Hej, Slováci, ešte naša
slovenská reč žije,
Dokiaľ naše verné srdce
za náš národ bije.
Žije, žije, duch slovenský,
bude žiť naveky,
𝄆 Hrom a peklo, márne vaše
proti nám sú vzteky! 𝄇
Jazyka dar zveril nám Boh,
Boh náš hromovládny,
Nesmie nám ho teda vyrvať
na tom svete žiadny;
I nechže je koľko ľudí,
toľko čertov v svete;
𝄆 Boh je s nami: kto proti nám,
toho Parom zmetie. 𝄇
A nechže sa i nad nami
hrozná búrka vznesie,
Skala puká, dub sa láme
a zem nech sa trasie;
My stojíme stále pevne,
ako múry hradné.
𝄆 Čierna zem pohltí toho,
kto odstúpi zradne! 𝄇

Hey, Slovaks, there still lives
the Slovak language
As long as our faithful heart
beats for our nation!
There lives, lives, lives the Slovak spirit,
it will live for ages!
Thunder and Hell, in vain are
your rages against us!
God entrusted to us our language
our thunderwielding god.
Therefore, it must not be ripped from us,
by anyone in the world!
Let there be as many devils,
as there are people in the world
God is with us: who's against us,
will by Perun be swept
Even if a tremendous storm
rises above us,
The stone cracks, the oak breaks,
and the earth quakes!
We will stand always firm
like the castle walls,
To pits of the black earth be damned
whom betrays treacherously!

Yugoslav lyrics

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Serbo-Croatian

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Serbo-Croatian original (Latin) Serbo-Croatian original (Cyrillic) English translation

Hej Slaveni, jošte živi
R[ij]eč (duh) naših d[j]edova
Dok za narod srce bije
Njihovih sinova
Živi, živi duh slavenski
Živjet će v[j]ekov'ma
𝄆 Zalud pr[ij]eti ponor pakla
Zalud vatra groma 𝄇
Nek se sada i nad nama
Burom sve raznese
St[j]ena puca, dub se lama
Zemlja nek se trese
Mi stojimo postojano
Kano klisurine
𝄆 Proklet bio izdajica
Svoje domovine! 𝄇

Хеј Словени, јоште живи
Реч (дух) наших дедова
Док за народ срце бије
Њихових синова
Живи, живи дух словенски
Живеће веков'ма
𝄆 Залуд прети понор пакла,
Залуд ватра грома 𝄇
Нек' се сада и над нама
Буром све разнесе
Стена пуца, дуб се лама,
Земља нек' се тресе
Ми стојимо постојано
Кано клисурине,
𝄆 Проклет био издајица
Своје домовине! 𝄇

Hey, Slavs, there still lives
the word (spirit) of our grandfathers
While for the nation beats the heart
of its sons!
There lives, there lives the Slavic spirit,
It will live for ages!
𝄆 In vain threatens the abyss of Hell
In vain the fire of thunder! 𝄇
Let now everything above us
be blown away by the bora.
The stone cracks, the oak breaks,
Let the earth quake!
We stand firm
like the big cliffs,
𝄆 May he be damned, the traitor
of his homeland! 𝄇

Macedonian

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Macedonian original Transliteration English translation

Еј, Словени, жив е тука
зборот свет на родот
штом за народ срце чука
преку син во внукот!
Жив е вечно, жив е духот
словенски во слога.
𝄆 Не нѐ плашат адски бездни
ниту громов оган! 𝄇
Пустошејќи, нека бура
и над нас се втурне!
Пука даб и карпа сура,
тлото ќе се урне:
Стоиме на стамен-прагот
- клисури и бедем!
𝄆 Проклет да е тој што предал
Родина на врагот! 𝄇

Ej, Sloveni, živ e tuka
zborot svet na rodot
štom za narod srce čuka
preku sin vo vnukot!
Živ e večno, živ e duhot
slovenski vo sloga.
𝄆 Ne nè plašat adski bezdni
nitu gromov ogan! 𝄇
Pustošejḱi, neka bura
i nad nas se vturne!
Puka dab i karpa sura,
tloto ḱe se urne:
Stoime na stamen-pragot
- klisuri i bedem!
𝄆 Proklet da e toj što predal
Rodina na vragot! 𝄇

Hey, Slavs, herein lives on
the sacred word of our lineage
as long as the heart beats for our nation
from son to grandson!
The Slavic spirit lives on
forever in unity.
𝄆 Infernal abysses do not frighten us,
nor the blazes of thunder. 𝄇
May a bora devastate
and rage above us!
Oak trees and ashen rocks will crack,
the earth will cave in:
For we stand at the doorstep of
gorges and bulwarks!
𝄆 Cursed is he who betrays his
homeland to the enemy! 𝄇

Slovenian

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Slovenian original English translation[1]

Hej Slovani, naša reč
slovanska živo klije
dokler naše verno srce
za naš narod bije
Živi, živi, duh slovanski,
bodi živ na veke,
𝄆 grom in peklo, prazne vaše
proti nam so steke 𝄇
Naj tedaj nad nami
strašna burja se le znese,
skala poka, dob se lomi,
zemlja naj se strese
Bratje, mi stojimo trdno
kakor zidi grada,
𝄆 črna zemlja naj pogrezne
tega, kdor odpada! 𝄇

Hey, Slavs, our Slavic
word sprouts alive,
as long as our devout heart
beats for our nation,
Live, live, the Slavic spirit,
be alive forever,
thunder and hell, your stacks
are empty against ours,
Let above us then
a terrible wind vent,
rocks crack, oaks break,
let the ground shake.
Brothers, we're standing firmly
like castle walls,
let the black soil swallow
those who fall off!

References

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  1. "Hey, Slavs - Hej, Slovani lyrics + English translation".