Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm

Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm

English: My Fatherland, My Happiness and Joy
National anthem of Estonia
Lyrics	Johann Voldemar Jannsen, 1869 (1869)
Music	Fredrik (Friedrich) Pacius, 1848 (1848)
Adopted	1920 (1920)
Readopted	May 1990 (1990-05)
Relinquished	June 1940 (1940-06)
Preceded by	Anthem of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic
Audio sample
U.S. Navy Band instrumental version in D-flat major (one verse) file help

"Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm" (IPA: [mu ˈisɑmɑː mu ˈɤnʲː jɑ ˈrɤːm]; lit. "My Fatherland, My Happiness and Joy") is the national anthem of Estonia. It was adopted as the national anthem ((riigi)hümn) in 1920.

The lyrics were written by Johann Voldemar Jannsen and are set to a melody composed in 1848 by Fredrik (Friedrich) Pacius which is also that of the national anthem of Finland: "Maamme" (Template:Lang-sv, which was the unofficial anthem of the Grand Duchy of Finland). The only differences between the two anthems are their key signature and the repetition of the last four lines of each verse in the Finnish anthem. It is also considered to be an ethnic anthem for Livonian people with text "Min izāmō".

History

The song was first presented to the public as a choral work in the Grand Song Festival of Estonia in 1869 and quickly became a symbol of the Estonian National Awakening.

"Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm" was officially adopted as the national anthem of Estonia in 1920, after the Estonian War of Independence.

In 1944, the Soviet Union occupied Estonia, and "Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm" ended up being banned by the Soviet government. The Soviet Estonia had its own regional anthem. Yet the people of Estonia could often hear their former national anthem, as Finland's state broadcaster Yleisradio, whose radio and television broadcasts were received in northern Estonia, played an instrumental version of the Finnish national anthem, identical to this song (except for an additional repetition of the last verse in the Finnish version), at the conclusion of its broadcast every night.

Lyrics

Estonian original	Literal English translation	Metrical English translation
I Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm, kui kaunis oled sa! Ei leia mina iial teal see suure, laia ilma peal, mis mul nii armas oleks ka, kui sa, mu isamaa! II Sa oled mind ju sünnitand ja üles kasvatand; sind tänan mina alati ja jään sull' truuiks surmani, mul kõige armsam oled sa, mu kallis isamaa! III Su üle Jumal valvaku mu armas isamaa! Ta olgu sinu kaitseja ja võtku rohkest õnnista, mis iial ette võtad sa, mu kallis isamaa!	I My fatherland, my joy and happiness, How beautiful you are! I shall not find such ever In this huge wide world Which would be so dear to me As you, my fatherland! II You have given me birth And raised me up; I shall thank you always And remain faithful to you ’til death, To me most beloved are you, My precious fatherland! III May God watch over you, My precious fatherland! Let Him be your defender And provide bountiful blessings For whatever you undertake, My precious fatherland!	I My native land, my joy – delight, How fair thou art – how bright! For nowhere in the world around Can ever such a place be found So well belov'd, from sense profound, My native country dear! II My tiny crib stood on thy soil, Whose blessings eased my toil. May my last breath be thanks to thee, For true to death I'll ever be, O worthy, most belov'd and fine, Thou, dearest country mine! III May God in Heaven thee defend, My own beloved land! May He be guard, may He be shield, For ever bless and guardian wield Protection for all deeds of thine, My own, my dearest land!

See also

• "Maamme"
• "Min izāmō"

External links

• The Estonian national anthem - web page of the State Chancellery, an audio stream. The anthem is played by The Defence Forces Orchestra, vocals by the National Male Choir.
• Streaming audio, lyrics and details of the Estonian anthem.