Nokor Reach

Nokor Reach
English: Majestic Kingdom
នគររាជ
National anthem of  Cambodia
LyricsChuon Nath
MusicNorodom Suramarit, F. Perruchot, J. Jekyll, 1938
Adopted1941
Readopted17 April 1975
21 September 1993
Relinquished9 October 1970
6 January 1976
Preceded byMarch of the Khmer Republic (1975)
Anthem of the People's Republic of Kampuchea (1992)
Succeeded byMarch of the Khmer Republic (1970)
Victorious Seventeenth of April (1976)
Audio sample
U.S. Navy Band instrumental version (two verses)

"Nokor Reach" (also spelt Nokoreach;[1] Khmer: នគររាជ, Nôkôr Réach [nɔˈkɔː riəc̚]; lit. 'Majestic Kingdom') is the national anthem of Cambodia. It is based on a Cambodian folk tune and was written by Chuon Nath.

History

"Nokor Reach" originated from a folk poetry usually performed with chapei in ancient era for storytelling and to disclose any recent events.[2][3]

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,[1][4] 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.[5]

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.[6] After the royalist party FUNCINPEC defeated the former communists (Cambodian People's Party) in the 1993 elections, the royalist state anthem was restored.[2]

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[a] English translation

I
សូមពួកទេព្តា រក្សាមហាក្សត្រយើង
ឱ្យបានរុងរឿង ដោយជ័យមង្គលសិរីសួស្តី
យើងខ្ញុំព្រះអង្គ សូមជ្រកក្រោមម្លប់ព្រះបារមី
នៃព្រះនរបតីវង្ស ក្សត្រាដែលសាងប្រាសាទថ្ម
គ្រប់គ្រងដែនខ្មែរ បុរាណថ្កើងថ្កាន ។

II
ប្រាសាទសិលា កំបាំងកណ្តាលព្រៃ
គួរឱ្យស្រមៃ នឹកដល់យសស័ក្តិមហានគរ
ជាតិខ្មែរដូចថ្ម គង់វង្សនៅល្អរឹងប៉ឹងជំហរ
យើងសង្ឃឹមពរ ភ័ព្វព្រេងសំណាងរបស់កម្ពុជា
មហារដ្ឋកើតមាន យូរអង្វែងហើយ ។

III
គ្រប់វត្តអារាម ឮតែសូរស័ព្ទធម៌
សូត្រដោយអំណរ រំឭកគុណពុទ្ធសាសនា
ចូរយើងជាអ្នក ជឿជាក់ស្មោះស្ម័គ្រតាមបែបដូនតា
គង់តែទេវតា នឹងជួយជ្រោមជ្រែងផ្គត់ផ្គង់ប្រយោជន៍ឱ្យ
ដល់ប្រទេសខ្មែរ ជាមហានគរ ។

I
Som puŏk tépda rôksa môhaksâtr yeung
Aôy ban rŭngrœăng daôy chey môngkôl sĕri suŏsdei
Yeung khnhŭm preăh ângk som chrôk kraôm mlób preăh barômi
Ney preăh nôrbtei vôngs ksâtra dêl sang prasat thmâ
Króbkrông dên khmêr bŏréan thkaeungthkan

II
Prasat sĕléa kâmbăng kândal prey
Kuŏr aôy srâmey nœ̆k dál yôssăk môhanôkôr
Chéatĕ khmêr doch thmâ kóngvôngs nŏu l’â rœ̆ng pœ̆ng chŭmhâr
Yeung sângkhœ̆m pôr phoăpv préng sâmnang rôbás kâmpŭchéa
Môharôdth kaeut méan yu ângvêng haeuy

III
Krób vôtt aréam lœ tê so săpt thôrm
Sotr daôy âmnâr rumlœ̆k kŭn pŭtthôsasnéa
Chor yeung chéa ‘nôk chœăcheăk smaôhsmăkr tam bêb donta
Kóng tê tévta nœ̆ng chuŏy chroŭmchrêng phkótphkóng prâyoŭchn aôy
Dál prâtés khmêr chéa môhanôkôr

1
[sou̯m puə̯k̚ teːp̚.ɗaː rĕə̯k̚.saː‿m(ɔ).haːk̚.sat̚ jəːŋ]
[ʔao̯j ɓaːn ruŋ.rɨə̯ŋ ɗao̯j cɨj mĕə̯ŋ.kɔːl s(ə)riː suə̯.sɗəj]
[jəːŋ kʰɲom prĕə̯h.ʔɑŋ sou̯m crɔːk̚ krao̯m‿m.lup̚ prĕə̯h ɓaː.rɔːʔ.məj]
[nɨj prĕə̯h nɔːr(u)p̚.p(ɑ)ɗəj ʋŭə̯ŋ kʰsat̚.traː ɗae̯l saːŋ praː.saːt̚ tʰmɑː]
[krup̚.krɔːŋ ɗae̯n kʰmae̯ ɓo.raːn tʰkaə̯ŋ.tʰkaːn]

2
[praː.saːt̚ səj.laː kɑm.ɓaŋ kɑn.ɗaːl prɨj]
[kuə̯ ʔao̯j srɑ.maj nɨk̚ ɗɑl jŭə̯h.sak̚ m(ɔ.)haː.nɔ.kɔː]
[ciə̯t̚ kʰmae̯ ɗou̯c̚ tʰmɑː kɔŋ.ʋɔŋ nɨw‿l.ʔɑː rɨŋ.pəŋ cum.hɑː]
[jəːŋ sɑŋ.kʰɨm pɔː pʰŏə̯p̚ preːŋ sɑm.naːŋ r(ɔ.)ɓɑh kam.p(u.)ciə̯]
[m(ɔ)haː.rŏə̯t̚ kaə̯t̚ miə̯n juː ʔɑŋ.ʋaə̯ŋ haə̯j]

3
[krup̚ ʋŏə̯t̚ ʔaː.raːm lɨː tae̯ sou̯.sap̚ tʰɔə̯]
[sou̯t̚ ɗao̯j ʔɑm.nɑː rum.lɨk̚ kun put̚.tʰĕə̯ʔ.sah.snaː]
[cou̯ jəːŋ ciə̯ nĕə̯ʔ cɨə̯.cĕə̯ʔ smɑh.smak̚ taːm ɓae̯p̚ ɗou̯n.taː]
[kŭə̯ŋ tae̯ teːʋ(ə).ɗaː nɨŋ cuə̯j croːm.crɛːŋ pʰkɔt̚.pʰkɔŋ prɑ.jao̯c̚ ʔao̯j]
[ɗɑl prɑ.teːh kʰmae̯ ciə̯‿m(ɔ).haː.nɔ.kɔː]

I
May the Angels save our king
Granting him happiness and prosperity
We, his servants, wish to refuge under his completeness
Of sovereign's line, ones being to build temples
Reigning over old Khmer's glorious land.

II
Temples of stone, hidden amid forests
Bethought of the mighty great kingdom triumphs
Khmer race stands tough and solid as eternal stone
We pray for the best upon Cambodia's destiny
A grand nation've ever occurred for.

III
Dharma risen, up from monasteries
Chant with joy, commemorate of Buddhism
Let us be faithful to our ancestors' belief
Assuredly, Angels will grant its bounty
Toward Khmer's, the grand nation.

Until the end of the French protectorate, a fourth verse praising the friendship between the Khmer and the French people was sung:[7]

Khmer original English translation

IV
ក្នុងគ្រាក្សេមក្សាន្ត ដូចគ្រាមានចម្បាំង
កម្ពុជានិងបារាំង ជាមិត្តរួមចិត្តមួយ
យោធាក្លាហាន បានបង្ហូរឈាមដោយក្តីទុក្ខព្រួយ
គង់មានថ្ងៃមួយ និងមានជុំនេះដូចដើមវិញពុំខាន
ពួកខ្មែរនិងបាន ជួបជុំគ្នាវិញ

IV

In peace and in battle
Cambodia 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

Notes

  1. ^ See Help:IPA/Khmer and Khmer language § Phonology.
  2. ^ De facto with Nokor Reach since 1990.

References

  1. ^ a b "Complete National Anthems of the World: 2013 Edition" (PDF). www.eclassical.com. 2012.
  2. ^ a b Kalmanowitz, Debra; Chan, Siu Mei (2012). Art Therapy in Asia: To the Bone Or Wrapped in Silk. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. p. 210. ISBN 978-1-84905-210-8.
  3. ^ Koskoff, Ellen (2008). The Concise Garland Encyclopedia of World Music: The Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-99404-0.
  4. ^ Cultures of Independence. Reyum. 2001. p. 195. ISBN 9781588860378.
  5. ^ Shores, Louis (1964). Collier's Encyclopedia: With Bibliography and Index. Crowell-Collier Publishing Company. p. 153.
  6. ^ "A nation built on the rule of song". PEN/Opp. 2017-04-18. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
  7. ^ Hymnes et Pavillons d'Indochine (in French). Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Philosophie, histoire, sciences de l'homme, 4-LK10-918: Imprimerie d'Extrême Orient. 1941.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  8. ^ "The People's Republic of Kampuchea 1979 - 1989: A Draconian Savior?" (PDF). Ohio University. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
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