Strap in, guys, as we overload on our Cambodian vocab while diving into the words to Khmer national anthem. Or rather, three of them!
Nokor Reach (Majestic Kingdom)
Written by revered Cambodian monk Chuon Nath, with music based on a traditional Cambodian folk tune, Nokor Reach symbolizes the pride and greatness of Cambodia, acknowledging the glory of the ancient Khmer kingdom and the cultural unity of its people. Its origins can be traced back to 1938-9 and the reign of King Sisowath Monivong.
Prince Norodom Suramarit is given credit for its composition, with some help from palace musical instructors Sir François Perrucho and Sir J. Jekyll. However, there was some dissatisfaction with the lyrics, which were finally completed on 20 July 1941 after Chuon Nath was brought on board. Later that year, the song was formally adopted as Cambodia’s national anthem. And here it is:
Khmer Original
សូមពួកទេព្តា រក្សាមហាក្សត្រយើង
ឱ្យបានរុងរឿង ដោយជ័យមង្គលសិរីសួស្តី
យើងខ្ញុំព្រះអង្គ សូមជ្រកក្រោមម្លប់ព្រះបារមី
នៃព្រះនរបតីវង្ស ក្សត្រាដែលសាងប្រាសាទថ្ម
គ្រប់គ្រងដែនខ្មែរ បុរាណថ្កើងថ្កាន ។
ប្រាសាទសិលា កំបាំងកណ្តាលព្រៃ
គួរឱ្យស្រមៃ នឹកដល់យសស័ក្តិមហានគរ
ជាតិខ្មែរដូចថ្ម គង់វង្សនៅល្អរឹងប៉ឹងជំហរ
យើងសង្ឃឹមពរ ភ័ព្វព្រេងសំណាងរបស់កម្ពុជា
មហារដ្ឋកើតមាន យូរអង្វែងហើយ ។
គ្រប់វត្តអារាម ឮតែសូរស័ព្ទធម៌
សូត្រដោយអំណរ រំឭកគុណពុទ្ធសាសនា
ចូរយើងជាអ្នក ជឿជាក់ស្មោះស្ម័គ្រតាមបែបដូនតា
គង់តែទេវតា នឹងជួយជ្រោមជ្រែងផ្គត់ផ្គង់ប្រយោជន៍ឱ្យ
ដល់ប្រទេសខ្មែរ ជាមហានគរ ។
Romanization
Som puŏk tépda rôksa môhaksâtr yeung
Aôy ban rŭngrœăng daôy chey môngkôl sĕri suŏsdei
Yeung khnhŭm preăh ângk som chrôk kraôm mlób preăh barômi
Ney preăh nôrbtei vôngs ksâtra dêl sang prasat thmâ
Króbkrông dên khmêr bŏréan thkaeungthkan
Prasat sĕléa kâmbăng kândal prey
Kuŏr aôy srâmey nœ̆k dál yôssăk môhanôkôr
Chéatĕ khmer dauch thmar kong vôngs nŏu l’â rœ̆ng pœ̆ng chŭmhâr
Yeung sângkhœ̆m pôr phoăpv préng sâmnang rôbás kâmpŭchéa
Môharôdth kaeut méan yu ângvêng haeuy
Krób vôtt aréam lœ tê so sap thoeur
Sot doy âmnâr rumlœ̆k kŭn pŭtthôsasnéa
Chor yeung chéa ‘nôk chœăcheăk smaôhsmăkr tam bêb donta
Kóng tê tévta nœ̆ng chuŏy chroŭmchrêng phkótphkóng prâyoŭchn aôy
Dál prâtés khmêr chéa môhanôkôr
English Translation
May the Angels save our king
Granting him happiness and prosperity
We, his servants, wish to refuge under his completeness
Of sovereign’s line, ones being to build temples
Reigning over the proud old Kingdom.
Temples of stone, hidden amid forests
Bethought of the mighty great kingdom triumphs
Like a rock the Khmer race is eternal
We pray for the best upon Cambodia’s destiny
A grand nation’ve ever occurred for.
Dharma risen, up from monasteries
Chant with joy, commemorate of Buddhism
Let us be faithful to our ancestors’ belief
Assuredly, Angels will grant its bounty
Toward the ancient Khmer country.
However, the story doesn’t end there.
March Of The Khmer Republic
In 1970 the Khmer Republic abolished the monarchy and replaced the state’s national anthem. There is a bit of confusion over who composed the anthem. Some claim it is the work of a group of students from Phnom Penh’s Royal University of Fine Arts, and others say the anthem was created by Khieu Chum, a Buddhist monk activist. Whatever the truth of the matter, the March of the Khmer Republic was used from 1970 to 1975. And here it is:
Khmer Original
ជនជាតិខ្មែរ ល្បីពូកែមួយក្នុងលោក
មានជ័យជោគ កសាងប្រាសាទសិលា
អរិយធម៌ ខ្ពស់បវរជាតិសាសនា
កេរ្តិ៍ដូនតាទុកលើភពផែនដី ។
ខ្មែរក្រោកឡើង
ខ្មែរក្រោកឡើង
ខ្មែរក្រោកឡើង
តស៊ូតម្កើងសាធារណរដ្ឋ
ខ្មាំងរំលោភ
ខ្មែរប្រយុទ្ធ មិនតក់ស្លុត
យកជ័យបំផុតជូនជាតិខេមរា
ឯករាជ្យភ្លឺថ្លាជាមហាប្រទេសតទៅ ។
Romanization
Chônchéatĕ Khmêr lôpi pukê muŏy knŏng loŭk
Mean choăychoŭk kâsang prasat sĕléa
Ârĭyôthôrm khpsá bâvôr chéatĕ sasnéa
Ké donta tŭk leu phôpphên dei.
Khmêr kraôk laeung
Khmêr kraôk laeung
Khmêr kraôk laeung
Tâsu tâmkeung sathéarônârôdth
Khmămng rumloŭphd
Khmêr prâyŭtth mĭn tkáslŏt
Yôk choăy bâmphŏt chun chéatĕ Khémôréa
Êkâréachy phlœ thla chéa môha prâtésâ ttŏu.
English Translation
Khmers are famous and skilful people in the world,
Their victories and success are shown in the building of stone temples,
Culture, nation, and religion are the most supreme and important,
The heritage of our ancestors is kept on earth.
Arise, ye Khmer people!
Arise, ye Khmer people!
Arise, ye Khmer people!
We must fight to preserve the Republic!
When the enemy invades,
The Khmer people will fight without panicking,
And bring the ultimate victory to the Khmer nation,
Bright independence will shine and Cambodia will be a great nation.
Dap Prampi Mesa Moha Chokchey (Victorious Seventeenth of April)
In 1975 came the Communist Khmer Rouge with their own national anthem, and in 1976 Cambodia marched under it. Here are the first three verses:
Khmer Original
ឈាមក្រហមច្រាល
ស្រោចស្រពក្រុងវាល
កម្ពុជាមាតុភូមិ
ឈាមកម្មករ កសិករដ៏ឧត្តម
ឈាមយុទ្ធជន យុទ្ធនារីបដិវត្តន៍ ។
ឈាមប្រែក្លាយជាកំហឹងខ្លាំងក្លា
តស៊ូមោះមុត
ដប់ប្រាំពីរមេសាក្រោមទង់បដិវត្តន៍
ឈាមរំដោះអំពីភាពខ្ញុំគេ!
ជយោ! ជយោ!
ដប់ប្រាំពីរមេសាជោគជ័យ
មហាអស្ចារ្យមានន័យធំធេង
លើសសម័យអង្គរ!
Romanization
Chhéam krâhâm chral
Sraôchsrâp krŏng véal
Kâmpŭchéa méatŏphum
Chhéam kâmâmkâr kâsĕkâr dâ uttâm
Chhéam yŭtthchôn yŭtthnéari bâdĕvôtt.
Chhéam brê klaychéa kâmhœ̆ng khlăngkla
Tâsu mŏăhmŭt
Dâbprăm pir mesa kraôm tông bâdĕvôtt
Chhéam rumdaôh âmpi phéap khnhom ké!
Chyoŭ! Chyoŭ!
Dâb prămpir mesa choŭkchoăy
Môha âschary méannoăy thumthéng
Leus sâmoăy Ângkôr!
English Translation
The bright scarlet blood
Flooded over the towns and plains of our
motherland Kampuchea,
The blood of our great workers and farmers
The men and women who fight for our revolution.
Their blood produced a great anger and the courage
To contend with heroism.
On the 17th of April, under the revolutionary banner,
Their blood freed us from the state of slavery!
Hurrah! Hurrah!
For the glorious 17th of April!
That wonderful victory had greater significance
Than the Angkor period!
Words To Khmer National Anthem Post Pol Pot
Following the overthrow of Pol Pot, the Anthem of the People’s Republic of Kampuchea was adopted between 1979 and 1992. With the restoration of the Cambodian monarchy in 1993, so were former royalist symbols and traditions, including the royalist anthem: Nokor Reach, which is the anthem used today. And there we have it. That’s the story of the words of the Khmer national anthem.
Brush Up On Your Khmer With Ling App
Learning the words to the Khmer national anthem is a fun way to learn more Khmer vocab and practice Khmer pronunciation. But the fun doesn’t stop there if you have Ling app at your fingertips. Ling app makes learning fun with quizzes, games, and puzzles, so you’ll never get bored. Download Ling app today on the App Store or Google Play.
