National Anthem of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
# National Anthem of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia

The "National anthem of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia" (Serbo-Croatian: Himna Kraljevine Jugoslavije, Химна Краљевине Југославије, lit. 'Anthem of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia') was created in December 1918 from the national anthems of the Kingdom's three historical constituent lands: Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia (Croatia), Kingdom of Serbia (Serbia) and Duchy of Carniola (Slovenia).

At the time, the Yugoslav authorities considered the three dominant South Slavic ethnic groups – Croats, Serbs, and Slovenes – as three interchangeable names for one ethnic group (Serbo-Croatian and Slovene: narod "nation" or "people"), while the Pan-Slavic politicians and parts of academia viewed them as three subgroups of one South Slavic nation (Croatian: Jugoslaveni, Serbian: Jugosloveni, Југословени Slovene: Jugoslovani; "Yugoslavs"). Accordingly, the official language was thus called Serbo-Croato-Slovene.

## History

Although a law on the national anthem did not exist, the anthems of all three South Slavic nations were unified into a single anthem of the Kingdom. It started with a few measures from the Serbian anthem "Bože pravde", continued with a few lines from the Croatian anthem "Lijepa naša domovino", which were in turn followed by a few lines from the traditional Slovenian anthem "Naprej zastava slave". The anthem finished with some lines from the Serbian anthem again.

It was officially used between 1919 and 1941; there was no official document that declared it invalid or void. The Constitution of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia was not in effect after the April capitulation.

## Lyrics

| Serbo-Croatian | Poetic English Translation |
| - | - |
| Боже правде, Ти што спасе Од пропасти до сад нас, Чуј и од сад наше гласе, И од сад нам буди спас! Лијепа наша домовино, Ој јуначка земљо мила, Старе славе дједовино, Да би вазда сретна била! 𝄆 Напреј застава славе, На бој јунашка кри! За благор очетњаве Нај пушка говори! 𝄇 Боже спаси, Боже храни Нашег Краља и наш род! Краља Петра, Боже храни, Моли ти се сав наш род. | God of justice, save thy people, Lord, protect us day by day; Hear our voices supplicating, Grant salvation now, we pray. Blessed homeland, we salute thee, Fairest proud soil, heroes hold dear. Fatherland, allegiance we pledge, Honouring thee, land without peer. 𝄆 "Advance with banners waving! Fight on!" our heroes cry. To save our country's glory The roaring guns reply. 𝄇 God protect our noble monarch, God watch over great and small, God sustain and guide King Peter, God defend and keep us all! |
