Nokor Reach
Nokor Reach (also spelt Nokoreach; Khmer: នគររាជ, Nôkôr Réach ; lit. 'Majestic Kingdom') is the national anthem of Cambodia.
It is based on a Cambodian folk tune and was written by Chuon Nath.
| English: Majestic Kingdom | |
|---|---|
| នគររាជ | |
 | |
National anthem of  Cambodia | |
| Lyrics | Chuon Nath |
| Music | Norodom Suramarit, F. Perruchot, J. Jekyll, 1938 |
| Adopted | 1941 |
| Readopted | 17 April 1975 21 September 1993 |
| Relinquished | 9 October 1970 6 January 1976 |
| Preceded by | March of the Khmer Republic (1975) Anthem of the People's Republic of Kampuchea (1992) |
| Succeeded by | March of the Khmer Republic (1970) Victorious Seventeenth of April (1976) |
| Audio sample | |
U.S. Navy Band instrumental version (two verses) | |
History
"Nokor Reach" originated from a folk poetry usually performed with chapei in ancient era for storytelling and to disclose any recent events.
The music of "Nokor Reach" was composed between 1938 and 1939 by Prince Norodom Suramarit during the reign of King Sisowath Monivong with help of Sir J. Jekyll and Sir François Perruchot, the Royal Palace's musical instructors. The lyrics were not finished until 20 July 1941 by Choun Nath, a few months after King Norodom Sihanouk's coronation. In the same year, it was adopted then reconfirmed in 1947 as a national anthem for the country.
In 1970, the monarchy was abolished by the Khmer Republic, thereby replacing the state's national anthem as well. After the communists' victory in 1975, former royalist symbols, including "Nokor Reach", were reinstated for a short while. The Khmer Rouge then replaced it with "Dap Prampi Mesa Chokchey" ("Glorious Seventeenth of April") in January 1976. After the royalist party FUNCINPEC defeated the former communists (Cambodian People's Party) in the 1993 elections, the royalist state anthem was restored.
Lyrics
"Nokor Reach" is a poem consisting of three verses and each verse consists of five lines. The first verse is considered to be official and is usually performed at most official settings.
| Khmer original | UNGEGN Romanisation | IPA transcription | English translation |
|---|---|---|---|
I | I | 1 | I |
Until the end of the French protectorate, a fourth verse praising the friendship between the Khmer and the French people was sang:
| Khmer original | English translation |
|---|---|
| IV ក្នុងគ្រាក្សេមក្សាន្តដូចគ្រាមានចម្បាំង | IV In peace and in battle Campuchéa was the friend of France The blood of their heroes was not shed in vain Because a day will dawn that will see the triumph As well as the union of all Khmers |
See also
- "March of the Khmer Republic" (Khmer Republic's national anthem [1970–1975])
- "Dap Prampi Mesa Chokchey" (Democratic Kampuchea's national anthem [1976–1979])
- Anthem of the People’s Republic of Kampuchea (People's Republic of Kampuchea and revised as the State of Cambodia's national anthem [1979–1989]–[1989–1993])
- National symbols of Cambodia
- Angkor Wat
- Krama
Notes
References
External links
- Cambodia: "Nokor Reach" - Audio of the national anthem of Cambodia, with information and lyrics
- Nokor Reach Instrumental VDO clip on YouTube
- Nokor Reach with lyrics VDO clip on YouTube
- Cambodian National Anthem - The page "Cambodian View" includes a page about the anthem, which includes a vocal version of the anthem.
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