Nokor Reach

"Nokor Reach" (Khmer: បទនគររាជ, lit. 'Royal Kingdom or Majestic Kingdom') is the national anthem of Cambodia. It is based on a Cambodian folk tune and was written by Chuon Nath.

Nokor Reach

National anthem of  Cambodia
Lyrics	Chuon Nat, 1949
Music	Norodom Suramarit / F. Perruchot / J. Jekyll, 1938
Adopted	1941
Readopted	September 21, 1993
Relinquished	1970
Audio sample
"Nokor Reach" (instrumental, two verses) file help

History

"Nokor Reach" originated from a folk poetry usually performed with chapei in ancient era for storytelling and to disclose any recent events.

The music of "Nokor Reach" was composed between 1938 and 1939 by Prince Norodom Suramarit during the reign of King Sisowath Monivong with help of Sir J.Jekyll and Sir F.Perruchot, both were Royal Palace's musical instructors. The lyrics were yet finished until 20 July 1941 by Choun Nath, a few months after King Norodom Sihanouk's coronation. In the same year it was adopted then reconfirmed in 1947 as a national anthem for the country.

In 1970, the monarchy was abolished, 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. The Khmer Rouge then replaced it with "Dap Prampi Mesa Chokchey" ("Glorious Seventeenth of April"). After the royalist party FUNCINPEC defeated the former communists (Cambodian People's Party) in the 1993 elections, the royalist state anthem was restored.

Lyrics

"Nokor Reach" is a poem consisting of three verses and each verse consists of five lines.

Original in Khmer	ALA-LC Romanisation	IPA transcription	English translation
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។	Sūm buak debtā raksā mahāksatr yoeṅ Qoy pān ruṅ rẏaṅ ṭoy jăy maṅgal sirī suastī Yoeṅ khñuṃ braḥ qaṅg sūm jrak krom mláp braḥ Pāramī Nai braḥ Naraptī vaṅs ksatrā ṭael sāṅ prāsād thma Gráp graṅ ṭaen Khmaer purāṇ thkoeṅ thkān. Prāsād sīlā kaṃ pāṃṅ kaṇṭāl brai Guar qoy sramai nẏk ṭál yassăkti Mahā Nagar Jāti Khmaer ṭūc thma gáṅ vaṅs nau lqa rẏṅ pʹẏṅ jaṃhar Yoeṅ sāṅghẏm bar bhăbv breṅ saṃṇāṅ rapás Kambujā Mahā raṭṭh koet mān yūr qaṅveṅ hoey. Gráp vatt qārām ḹ tae sūr săbd dharm Sūr ṭoy aṃ ṇar raṃ ḹk guṇ buddh sāsnā Cūr yoeṅ jā qnak jẏa jâk smoḥ smăgr tām paep ṭūn tā Gáṅ tae devtā nẏṅ jūy jrom jraeṅ phgád phgaṅ pra yojna° oy Ṭál prades Khmaer jā Mahā Nagar.	[soʊm puək teːpdaː rĕəʔaː mɔhaːkʰsat jəːŋ] [ʔaoj baːn ruŋrɨəŋ daoj cɨj mɔŋkɔl s^ərəj suəhsdəj] [jəːŋ kʰɲom prĕəhʔɑŋ soʊm crɔːk kraom mlup prĕəh baːrəməj] [nɨj prĕəh nɔruppadəj ʋɔŋ kʰsattraː dael saːŋ praːsaːt tʰmɑː] [krupkrɔːŋ daen kʰmaːe ɓoʔraːn tʰkaəŋtʰkaːn] [praːsaːt selaː kɑmɓaŋ kɑndaːl prɨj] [kuə ʔaoj srɑmaj nɨk ɗɑl jŭəhsak mɔhaːnɔkɔː] [ciət kʰmae doʊc tʰmɑː kɔŋʋɔŋ nɨw lʔɑː rɨŋpəŋ cumhɑː] [jəːŋ sɑŋkʰəm pɔː pʰŏəp preːɲ sɑmnaːŋ rɔbɑh kampuciə] [mɔhaːrŏət kaət miən juː ʔɑŋʋaeŋ haəj] [krup ʋŏət ʔaːraːm lɨː tae soʊsap tʰŏəm] [soʊ daoj ʔɑm.nɑː rumlɨk kun put.tʰĕəʔ.sahsnaː] [coʊ jəːŋ ciə nĕəʔ cɨəcĕəʔ smɑhsmak taːm baep doʊntaː] [kɔŋ tae teːʋədaː nɨŋ cuəj croːmcrɛːɲ pʰkɔtpʰkɔŋ prɑjaoc ʔaoj] [ɗɑl prɑteːh kʰmae ciə mɔhaːnɔkɔː]	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 old Khmer's glorious land. Temples of stone, hidden amid forests Bethought of the mighty Maha Nokor's triumphs Khmer race stands tough and solid as eternal stone We pray for the best upon Kampuchea'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 Khmer's, the grand nation.

See also

• "Anthem of the Khmer Republic" (Khmer Republic's national anthem [1970–1975])
• "Dap Prampi Mesa Chokchey" (Democratic Kampuchea's national anthem [1976–1979])
• National Anthem of Cambodia (1979–1989) (People's Republic of Kampuchea and revised as the State of Cambodia's national anthem[1] [1979–1989]–[1989–1993])[lower-alpha 1]
• National symbols of Cambodia
• Angkor Wat
• Krama
• Palm Tree

Notes

1. De facto with Nokor Reach since 1990.

References

1. "The People's Republic of Kampuchea 1979 - 1989: A Draconian Savior?" (PDF). Ohio University. Retrieved 6 July 2014.

External links

• Cambodia: "Nokor Reach" - Audio of the national anthem of Cambodia, with information and lyrics
• Nokor Reach Instrumental VDO clip on YouTube
• Nokor Reach with lyrics VDO clip on YouTube
• Cambodian National Anthem - The page "Cambodian View" includes a page about the anthem, which includes a vocal version of the anthem.