Join the new world

National Anthem
The National Anthem of Bulgaria is based on the music and lyrics of the song "Gorda Stara Planina" (Proud Stara Planina), written by Tzvetan Radoslavov (1863 - 1931) in the year 1885. He composed the song while he was on his way to the battlefield during the Serb-Bulgarian war. "Mila Rodino" (Dear Homeland) became the National Anthem in the year 1964. The lyrics were altered several times, the last time was in 1990.

Dear Homeland

Proud Stara Planina,
next to it-the Danube in blue,
the sun shines on Thrace,
flaming above Pirin.
Chorus:
Dear homeland,
you are a paradise on Earth,
your beauty, your wonders,
oh, they are endless.

Countless soldiers fell
for our beloved people,
mother, give us strength
to continue their ways.



Maritza Murmurs
This song is the National Anthem of Bulgaria from 1886 to 1944. The first lyrics were written by Nikola Zhivkov, the head of the teachers in Veles during the Turkish rule of Bulgaria. After many alterations, the last version remains, edited by Ivan Vazov in 1912.

"Maritza Murmurs" first appears as a song symbolizing revival and revolution. The first records of it are from the year 1876 -it was sang by the troupers of Filip Totiu, the volunteers in the Serbian - Turkish war when they get organized in the town of Zaitchar. Later, during the Russian Turkish was (1877), the Bulgarian soldiers sang in during the hardest parts of the battles. With it they go through the battle near Stara Zagora, then they defend the positions at the Shipka passage, and with it they crush the army of Feisal Pasha near Sheinovo.

The song Maritza Murmurs was widely accepted especially after it was sang by the Bulgarian soldiers as a victorious march in the Serbian-Bulgarian war in the year 1885. Here is what one Prussian officer wrote about the battle near Dragoman: "The sound of `Maritza Murmurs` sounded powerfully, sang by thousands of Bulgarians. Shouting `Hurray!` but without firing guns, the Bulgarians attacked the Serbs which did not expect such an attack and started running around, some of them throwing their weapons."

Kernel Hugerbuger notes: "Without a single gun being fired, waving their flags and beating their drums under heavy Serbian fire, the Danubian Battery reached the high lands - a very powerful advance, resulting in the Serbs being driven away from their positions only by knifes.

The Serbs had not heard the sound of this song before. Later, this sound by itself was enough to make the Serbs shiver with fear and want to run away. Many times Serbs have left their positions after hearing Maritza Murmurs.
After the Serbian-Bulgarian war Maritza Murmurs was performed at celebrations, military parades, literary and musical activities around Bulgaria. With this song, the Bulgarians fought the Balkan war, the Allies war, the First World War and the "Otechestvena" -Homeland war.
Anatol Anchev, 1992

Maritza Murmurs

Maritza murmurs
bloody,
a widow is crying
deadly wounded.

Chorus:
March, march,
With our general!
May we rush into the battle,
and defeat the enemy!

Children of Bulgaria,
the whole world is watching us.
let us march
to our victory.

The Balkan lion-
in a monstrous fight
with the oppressor`s army-
he is leading us.

Young and strong we are
in the fury of the battle.
we are worthy
of winning this fight.

We are the people,
honor and freedom,
our dear country and families,
for them we are not afraid to die.