Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm (My Fatherland, My Pride and Joy) was adopted as the national anthem (Estonian: riigihümn, or rahvushümn) of the Republic of Estonia in 1920, and again in 1990. The National Anthem is the name of a song by the band Radiohead. ... The Estonian language (eesti keel) is spoken by about 1. ... The Republic of Estonia is a country in Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the north. ...

The lyrics were written by Johann Voldemar Jannsen and are set to a melody composed in 1848 by Fredrik (Friedrich) Pacius which is also that of the national anthem of Finland: Maamme. Lyrics are the written words in a song. ... Johann Voldemar Jannsen was an Estonian journalist and poet, born in Vana-Vändra on 16 May 1819. ... 1848 is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Fredrik Pacius (or Friedrich Pacius) (1809-1891) was a Hamburg-born German composer and conductor who lived most of his life in Finland. ... Maamme (Finnish) or Vårt land (Swedish), meaning Our land, is the title of Finlands national anthem. ...

The song was first presented to the public as a choral work in the Grand Song Festival of Estonia in 1869 and quickly became a symbol of the Estonian National Awakening. 1869 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Between 1956 and 1990 the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic, a part of the Soviet Union, had a different anthem: Eesti NSV hümn. 1956 is a leap year starting on Sunday. ... State motto: Kõigi maade proletaarlased, ühinege Official language According to the constition, all languages were equal. ... The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) .( Russian: Сою́з Сове́тских Социалисти́ческих Респу́блик (СССР)  listen?; tr. ... The Anthem of the Estonian SSR (Estonian: Eesti Nõukogude Sotsialistliku Vabariigi Hümn) was the national anthem of Estonia when it was an union republic in the USSR, used from 1945 to 1990 (The lyrics were modified in 21st Jul. ...

Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm

Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm,
kui kaunis oled sa!
Ei leia mina iial teal
see suure, laia ilma peal,
mis mul nii armas oleks ka,
kui sa, mu isamaa!

Sa oled mind ju sünnitand
ja üles kasvatand;
sind tänan mina alati
ja jään sull' truuiks surmani,
mul kõige armsam oled sa,
mu kallis isamaa!

Su üle Jumal valvaku,
mu armas isamaa!
Ta olgu sinu kaitseja
ja võtku rohkest õnnista,
mis iial ette võtad sa,
mu kallis isamaa!

English translation

My native land, my joy, delight,
How fair thou art and bright!
And nowhere in the world all round
Can ever such a place be found
So well beloved as I love thee,
My native country dear!

My little cradle stood on thy soil,
Whose blessings ease my toil.
With my last breath my thanks to thee,
For true to death I'll ever be,
O worthy, most beloved and fine,
Thou, dearest country mine!

May God in Heaven thee defend,
My best, my dearest land!
May He be guard, may He be shield,
For ever may He bless and wield
O graciously all deeds of thine,
Thou dearest country mine!

Alternative translation

The English language translation above rhymes nicely, but it does not convey the deeply patriotic feeling of the anthem. For example, the Estonian word "isamaa", "fatherland" in English, or "Vaterland" in German, have a deep emotional content that is not present if translated as "dearest country mine", or "native country dear".

Below is an alternative translation which strives to transmit the true meaning of the anthem rather than poetic beauty. Each line in Estonian below is followed by the author's English translation:

Original Estonian Words

 Translated into English 

Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm,

 My fatherland, my luck and joy 

Kui kaunis oled sa!

 How beautiful thou art 

Ei leia mina iial teal see

 I shall not find such ever 

See suure laia ilma peal,

 On the surface of this huge wide world 

Mis mul nii armas oleks ka,

 Which would be so dear to me 

Kui sa, mu isamaa!

 As you, my fatherland! 

Sa oled mind ju sünnitand

 You have given me birth 

Ja üles kasvatand;

 And raised me 

Sind tänan mina alati

 I shall thank you always 

Ja jään sull' truuiks surmani,

 And I shall remain faithful to you 'til death 

Mul kõige armsam oled sa,

 To me most beloved are you 

Mu kallis isamaa!

 My precious fatherland! 

Su üle Jumal valvaku,

 May God guard you 

Mu armas isamaa!

 My precious fatherland! 

Ta olgu sinu kaitseja

 Let Him be your defender 

ja võtku rohkest' õnnista',

 And provide bountiful blessings 

Mis iial ette võtad sa,

 For whatever you undertake 

Mu kallis isamaa!

 My precious fatherland! 

Note

In English-language mediums, the title is sometimes misspelt without the diacritical signs, so "Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm" becomes "Mu isamaa, mu onn ja room". Although Estonians can mostly recognize the incorrect form, it is usually considered humorous since it severely changes the meaning: while "õnn ja rõõm" means "happiness and joy," "onn ja room" can roughly be translated as "small hut and crawl."

External links

• Listen to the melody (http://www.riik.ee/et/rahvushy.wav) (Gov't website)
• The Estonian national anthem (bottom of page) (http://www.president.ee/en/estonia/symbols.php)