| italic=no|Ој, свијетла мајска зоро | |
| Transcription: | italic=no|Oj, svijetla majska zoro |
| English Title: | 'O Bright Dawn of May' |
| Prefix: | National |
| Country: | Montenegro |
| Composer: | Arranged by Žarko Mirković |
| Music Date: | 19th century |
| Lyrics Date: | 19th century |
| Author: | Edited by Sekula Drljević |
| Adopted: | 12 July 2004 (official) |
| Sound: | National Anthem of Montenegro.ogg |
| Sound Title: | U.S. Navy Band instrumental rendition in D minor |
"italic=no|Oj, svijetla majska zoro" (Ој, свијетла мајска зоро, pronounced as /cnr/;) is the national anthem of Montenegro adopted in 2004. Before its adoption, it was a popular folk song with many variations of its text. The oldest version dates back to the second half of the 19th century.[1] [2]
Many verses are repeated in order to follow the rhythmic composition.
O bright dawn of May blazes forth
Our mother Montenegro
For the cause of our Lovćen
Our unity gives us wings
All proud and lauded shall we be
Our dear homeland beloved
Estuary of our waves
That surges into the two seas
Shall bear voice into the ocean
That Montenegro is ageless
That Montenegro is ageless!
The following is the oldest known version of the anthem, known as "O Bright Dawn of Bravery, Oi!" ("Serbian: italic=no|Oj, Junaštva Svjetla Zoro, oj!"). It was played in public for the first time in 1863 in the national theater in Belgrade. It was a component song of the "Battle of Grahovo or blood feud in Montenegro" (Serbian: Бој на Грахову или крвна освета у Црној Гори) heroic play in three parts.[3] The play and the Montenegrin folk song was also played/sung in the National Theater again in 1870 and 1876.[4] [5]
In 1944, Sekula Drljević, a Montenegrin fascist collaborator, rearranged the lyrics of the Montenegrin patriotic song "Oj, svijetla majska zoro" to celebrate the creation of the Montenegrin puppet regime that had been established in July 1941.[6]
The song survived until today under various names as a popular Montenegrin folk song under the name "O Bright Dawn of May" ("italic=no|Oj svijetla majska zoro"). This version of the song has been one of the several versions proposed in 1993 during the first discussion on the official state anthem, however, on which there was no consensus because of the disputed melodic value.[8]
As the president of Montenegro, Filip Vujanović participated on several occasions public debates regarding the disputed parts of the national anthem, which was made official in 2004. On that occasion, the official text of the anthem also included two stanzas (third and fourth) sung by the Montenegrin fascist and war criminal Sekula Drljević.[9] Controversy over the disputed parts of the anthem in the following years led to open divisions among the citizens of Montenegro,[10] and Vujanović himself on various occasions publicly criticized the adoption of Drljevic's stanzas, from which he distanced himself, advocating changes to the official text of the anthem.[11] [12] Vujanović repeatedly pointed out that the adoption of Drljevic's verses was not acceptable because their creator was a fascist or Nazi, and on the same occasion he warned of the danger of strengthening extreme Montenegrin nationalism and chauvinism.[13] [14]