| English: 'Majestic Kingdom' | |
|---|---|
| នគររាជ | |
 | |
National anthem of Cambodia | |
| Lyrics | Chuon Nath |
| Music | Norodom Suramaritet al., 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(1993) |
| Succeeded by | March of the Khmer Republic(1970) Victorious Seventeenth of April(1976) |
| Audio sample | |
U.S. Navy Band instrumental rendition (two verses) | |
"Nokor Reach" (/noʊˈkɔːrriːtʃ/;Khmer:នគររាជ[nɔkɔ́ːriə̯c̚] –lit. 'Majestic Kingdom') is thenational anthem ofCambodia. It is based on a Cambodian folk tune and was written byChuon Nath.[1]
"Nokor Reach" originated from a folk poetry usually performed withchapei 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 PrinceNorodom Suramarit during the reign of KingSisowath Monivong with help of J. Jekyll and François Perruchot,[1][4] theRoyal Palace's musical instructors. The lyrics were not finished until 20 July 1941 byChoun Nath, a few months after KingNorodom 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 theKhmer 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. TheKhmer Rouge then replaced it with "Dap Prampi Mesa Chokchey" ("Glorious Seventeenth of April") in January 1976.[6] After the royalist partyFUNCINPEC defeated the former communists (Cambodian People's Party) in the1993 elections, the royalist state anthem was restored.[2]
"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 transliteration | IPA transcription[a] | English translation |
|---|---|---|---|
សូមពួកទេព្តា រក្សាមហាក្សត្រយើង | Som puŏk tépda rôksa môhaksâtr yeung | [sou̯m puə̯k̚ teːp̚.ɗaː rĕə̯k̚.saː‿m(ɔ).haːk̚.sat̚ jəːŋ] | May the Angels save our king |
Until the end of theFrench protectorate, a fourth verse praising the friendship between the Khmer and the French people was sung:[7]
| Khmer original | English translation |
|---|---|
ក្នុងគ្រាក្សេមក្សាន្ត ដូចគ្រាមានចម្បាំង | In peace and in battle |
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