| Persian:ای ایران,romanised: Ey Irân | |
Unofficial anthem ofIran Former national anthem of theInterim Government of Iran | |
| Lyrics | Hossein Gol-e-Golab, 1944 |
|---|---|
| Music | Ruhollah Khaleghi, 1944 |
| Adopted | 1979 |
| Relinquished | 1979 |
| Audio sample | |
Instrumental rendition inE minor | |
"Ey Iran"[a] is an Iranian patriotic song, often regarded as thede facto national anthem of Iran.[citation needed] The music was composed byRuhollah Khaleghi, and the lyrics were written byHossein Gol-e-Golab.[1] It was first performed byGholam-Hossein Banan in 1944.
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The anthem was created duringWorld War II.[2] In September 1941,Allied forces occupied Iran following theAnglo-Soviet invasion that overthrewReza Shah. Hossein Gol-e-Golab was inspired to write a poem onIranian nationalism when he saw Allied flags waving from an Iranian military barracks inTehran.[3] Shortly afterwards, Hossein Gol-e-Golab witnessed Allied flags raised over a military barracks inTehran, an image that strengthened his resolve to compose a patriotic piece reflecting Iranian spirit in spite of the occupation
According to Gol-e-Golab, a confrontation between a British soldier and an Iranian officer further encouraged him to write the poem. Khaleghi later set it to music, and Banan recorded the vocal performance.[4]
Gol-e-Golab later said:
In 1944, the footsteps of the invading armies in the streets were enough to rattle any patriot and inspired me to write this anthem. Professor Ruhollah Khaleghi wrote the music and, despite all the political opposition, it found its way into the heart and soul of the people.[5]
During the transitional period in the immediate aftermath of the1979 Iranian Revolution, the composition briefly served as the country's de facto national anthem under theinterim government.
The piece was first performed over two consecutive nights on 27 October 1944 at the military primary school on Istanbul Street, with Banan as the soloist. The audience response was enthusiastic, leading to several encores. Its popularity prompted the Minister of Culture to commission a studio recording, which was subsequently broadcast daily onRadio Tehran.
After theIslamic takeover in 1979, several people involved in its preparation were imprisoned, and public performance of the song was discouraged. Despite this, the melody continued to circulate and served as a morale-boosting symbol during theIran–Iraq War.[6]
In 1990,Golnoush Khaleghi, daughter of the composer, arranged a new version while in Tehran for the 25th anniversary of her father's death. This recording appeared on the album "May Nab"[b] released by Sorush Publications, featuring a monologue performed byRashid Vatandoust.[7]
The lyrics of the anthem are presented below inFarsi (original Perso-Arabic script, Latin script, and IPA transcription), alongside an English translation.[8][9][10][11]
| Arabic script | Latin script | IPA transcription | English translation |
|---|---|---|---|
،ای ایران، ای مرز پر گهر | UniPers romanisation Ey Irân, ey marz-e por gohar, UN romanisation Ey Irān, ey marz-e por gohar, | [ʔej ʔiːˈɹɒːn ʔej ˈmæɹ.ze pʰoɹ‿goˈhæɹ |] | O Iran, the land of gems abound, |
