Afghan National Anthem

The "Afghan National Anthem" (Pashto: ملی سرود‎ - Millī Surūd; Persian: سرود ملی‎ - Surūde Millī, lit. 'National anthem') was adopted and officially announced as such by a Loya Jirga in May 2006. According to article 20 of the Afghan constitution, the national anthem shall be in Pashto with the mention of "God is Greatest" as well as the names of the various tribes of Afghanistan.[1] The lyrics were written by Abdul Bari Jahani and the music was written by German-Afghan composer Babrak Wassa.[2]

Pashto: Millī Surūd
Dari: Surūd-e Millī

English: Afghan National Anthem
Pashto: ملی سرود Dari: سرود ملی
National anthem of  Afghanistan
Lyrics	Abdul Bari Jahani, 2006 (2006)
Music	Babrak Wassa, 2006 (2006)
Adopted	May 2006 (2006-05)
Preceded by	"Fortress of Islam, Heart of Asia"
Audio sample
"Millī Surūd" (instrumental, abridged) file help

History

National anthem (1926–1943)

Former national anthem of  Afghanistan
Adopted	1926
Relinquished	1943

Afghanistan's first national anthem was adopted during its period as a monarchy. It was instrumental and had no lyrics.[3]

National anthem (1943–1973)

Pashto: Loya Salami

English: Grand Salute
Former national anthem of  Afghanistan
Lyrics	Mohammed Makhtar, 1943
Music	Mohammed Farukh, 1943
Adopted	1943
Relinquished	1973
Audio sample
"Grand Salute" file help

This was Afghanistan's second national anthem, during when it was a monarchy.[4]

National anthem (1978–1992)

Pashto: Milli Surood
Dari: Surūd-e Millī

English: National Anthem
Pashto: ملی سرود Dari: سرود ملی
Former national anthem of  Afghanistan
Also known as	"Garam shah lā garam shah" (English: "Be Ardent, Be More Ardent")
Lyrics	Sulaiman Layeq
Music	Jalil Zaland, 1978
Adopted	1978
Relinquished	1992
Succeeded by	"Fortress of Islam, Heart of Asia"
Audio sample
Millī Surūd ملي سرود "National Anthem" file help

Another national anthem was adopted after the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan was set up in 1978. Its lyrics were written by Sulaiman Layeq on behalf of the government of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) headed by Nur Muhammad Taraki, who decided to change the national symbols after the Marxist coup d'état of 1978.[5][6][7] The music was composed by Jalīl Ghahlānd and was arranged by Ustad Salim Sarmad.[8][9] It is known alternatively by the title of "Garam shah lā garam shah" (English: "Be Ardent, Be More Ardent"), which is also the song's incipit. Like many national anthems, it was sometimes sung abbreviated with only the chorus and the first stanza. In 1987, Afghanistan officially abandoned communism but this song was kept as the national anthem until 1992, when it was discontinued.

National anthem (1992–1999, 2002–2006)

Main article: Fortress of Islam, Heart of Asia

Pashto: Milli Surood
Dari: Surūd-e Millī

English: National Anthem
Pashto: ملی سرود Dari: سرود ملی
Former national anthem of Afghanistan
Also known as	قلعه اسلام قلب اسیا (English: "Fortress of Islam, Heart of Asia")
Lyrics	Unknown
Music	Ustad Qasim, 1919
Adopted	1992–1999
Readopted	2002
Relinquished	May 2006
Succeeded by	"Afghan National Anthem"
Audio sample
transl. ur – transl. ALA-LC ملي سرود "The National Anthem" file help

Ustad Qasim, the composer

From 1992 to 2006, Afghanistan used a mujahideen battle song composed in 1919 by Ustad Qasim as its national anthem.[10][11] It is also known alternatively by the title "Fortress of Islam, Heart of Asia" (Persian: قلعه اسلام قلب اسیا‎), which is also the song's incipit.[12][13][14]

During the late 1990s, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan under the Taliban took control over most of Afghanistan from the UN-recognized government and ruled most of the country until late 2001. The Taliban outlawed music throughout the territory that they controlled, which consisted of most of the country. As such, most of Afghanistan practically was left without a national anthem during that time, until late 2001 when the Taliban was overthrown. The song was reintroduced by the new transitional government of Afghanistan in 2002;[15] it remained such when the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan was established in 2004 and was used by the latter until 2006.[16][17]

Lyrics

Pashto Lyrics	Pashto Transliteration	English Translation	Dari Translation	Dari Transliteration
First stanza
دا وطن افغانستان دی دا عزت د هر افغان دى كور د سولې، كور د تورې هر بچى يې قهرمان دى	Dā watan Afgānistān dai, dā izat də har Afgān dai Kor də sor, kor də ture, har bačai ye qahramān dai	This land is Afghanistan, it is the pride of every Afghan The land of peace, the land of sword, each of its sons is brave	این کشور افغانستان است این عزت هر افغان است خانهٔ صلح، خانهٔ شمشیر هر فرزندش قهرمان است	in kishvar afghānistān ast in izzat har afghān ast khāni-yi-sulih, khāni-yi-shamshēr har farzandish qahramān ast
Second stanza
دا وطن د ټولو كور دى د بلوڅو، د ازبكو پــښــتــنو او هزاراو د تركمنو، د تاجكو	Dā watan də ttolo kor dai, də Baločo, də Uzbəko də Pax̌tun aw Hazārawo, də Turkməno, də Tāǰəko	This is the country of every tribe, The land of Balochs and Uzbeks Pashtuns and Hazaras, Turkmens and Tajiks	این کشور خانهٔ همه است از بلوچ، از ازبک از پشتون و هزارها از ترکمن و تاجک	in kishvar khāni-yi-hame ast az baloch, az uzbek az pashtun o hazāraha az turkman o tājik
Third stanza
ور سره عرب، ګوجر دي پاميريان، نورستانيان براهوي دي، قزلباش دي هم ايماق، هم پشايان	Wər sara Arəb, Guǰər di, Pāmiryān, Nuristānyān Brāhuwi di, Qizilbāsh di, ham Aymāq, ham Pašāyān	With them, there are Arabs and Gujjars, Pamiris, Nuristanis Brahuis, and Qizilbash, also Aimaqs and Pashais	هم عرب و گوجر است پامیری‌ها، نورستانی ها براهوی است و قزلباش است هم آیماق و پشه‌ای ها	ham arab o gujar ast pāmirihā, nuristānhā brāhui ast o qizilbāsh ast ham āymāq o pasha-yi-hā
Fourth stanza
دا هيواد به تل ځلېږي لكه لمر پر شنه آسمان په سينې كې د آسيا به لكه زړه وي جاويدان	Dā hiwād ba təl dzaleγ̌i, ləka lmar pər šnə āsmān Pə sine ke də Āsyā ba, ləka zrrə wi ǰāwidān	This land will shine for ever, like the sun in the blue sky In the chest of Asia, it will remain as heart for ever	این کشور همیشه تابان خواهد بد مثل آفتاب در آسمان کبود در سینهٔ آسیا مثل قلب جاویدان	in kishvar hamēshi tābān khwahda bud misl āftāb dar āsmān kabud dar sēni-yi-āsyā misl qalb jāvidān
Fifth stanza
نوم د حق مو دى رهبر وايو الله اكبر وايو الله اكبر وايو الله اكبر	Num də haq mo dai rahbar, Wāyu Allāhu Akbar, Wāyu Allāhu Akbar, Wāyu Allāhu Akbar	We will follow the one God We all say, "Allah is the greatest!", we all say, "Allah is the greatest!", we all say, "Allah is the greatest!"	نام حق است ما را رهبر میگویم الله اکبر میگویم الله اکبر میگویم الله اکبر	nām haq ast mā rā rahbar mēgoēm Allāh hu akbar mēgoēm Allāh hu akbar mēgoēm Allāh hu akbar

See also

• List of historical national anthems
• Music of Afghanistan

References

1. "The Constitution of Afghanistan". afghan-web.com. Retrieved 2013-04-09.
2. "National Anthem". afghan-web.com. Archived from the original on 2013-04-11. Retrieved 2013-04-09.
3. "Afghanistan (1926-1943)". 6 May 2012.
4. "Afghanistan (1943-1973)". 6 May 2012.
5. "State Funeral for Afghan Leader Slain in '78 Coup". The New York Times. 18 March 2009.
6. "An Afghan Secret Revealed Brings End of an Era". The New York Times. 1 February 2009.
7. The Journal. Rabetat al-Alam al-Islami. 1979. p. 62.
8. Visser, Derkwillem (1991). Flaggen, Wappen, Hymnen: Bevölkerung, Religion, Geographie, Geschichte, Verwaltung, Währung (in German). Battenberg. p. 258. ISBN 9783894410445.
9. "Afghanistan (1978-1992)". 9 May 2012.
10. Bristow, Michael; Lim, Josh; Popp, Reinhard (11 May 2012). "Afghanistan (1992-1999, 2002-2006)". NationalAnthems.info. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
11. "National anthems - Islamic State of Afghanistan (1992-2006)". 21 August 2016 – via YouTube.
12. "Fortress of Islam, heart of Asia…" – via Amazon.
13. "Afghanistan: "Fortress of Islam, Heart of Asia…"" – via Amazon.
14. Pigott, Peter (28 February 2007). Canada in Afghanistan: The War So Far. Dundurn. p. 17 – via Internet Archive. Fortress of Islam, Heart of Asia.
15. "Sououd-e-Melli". 15 December 2005. Archived from the original on 15 December 2005.
16. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2006-10-02. Retrieved 2019-09-18.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
17. "National Anthem Downloads, Lyrics, & Information: NationalAnthems.us - Afghanistan: New recording by the composer". www.nationalanthems.us.

External links

• Media related to National anthems of Afghanistan at Wikimedia Commons
• 1992 to 2006 Afghan national anthem
• 1992 to 2006 Afghan national anthem