"Oj, svijetla majska zoro" (Cyrillic: "Ој, свијетла мајска зоро", Montenegrin pronunciation: [ˈoj sʋjêːtʎa mâjska zǒro]; "Oh, Bright Dawn of May") 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]
Although these are the official lyrics, many verses are repeated in order to follow the rhythmic composition.
The following is the oldest known version of the anthem, known as "Oh, Bright Dawn of Bravery, oh!" ("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" (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]
Oj svijetla majska zoro,
majko naša Crna Goro.
Sinovi smo tog stijenja,
i čuvari tvog poštenja.
Listaj goro, cvetaj cveće,
Crna Gora u boj kreće.
Robovati nikom neće,
robovati nikom neće.
U boj kreće ovih dana,
prva četa partizana
Suzama se boj ne bije,
već se vrela krvca lije.
Zbijajmo se drug do druga,
ova borba biće duga.
Zbijajmo se brat do brata,
da skinemo jaram s’ vrata.
Dolje lanci i okovi,
ne vežu se sokolovi.[7]
The song survived until today under various names as a popular Montenegrin folk song under the name "Oh, Bright Dawn of May" ("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]