Marjane, Marjane

Marjane, Marjane (lit. Marjan, Marjan) is a Croatian song from Dalmatia. The name refers to the Marjan hill which overlooks the capital of Dalmatia, the city of Split, and on which the main (large) city flag is raised. It originates from a folk song sung in the city during the late 1930s, which was first recorded by the poet Ivo Tijardović.
During World War II the song (with somewhat expanded wording) became very popular among the Yugoslav Partisans. This did much to expand the song's meaning to the level of the Croatian nation instead of just Split and Dalmatia. The original lyrics serve as the official festive song of the city of Split. The song, being traditional, does not have a strictly defined ending, so its ending has changed through time and ideologies.

Split City Harbor (Gradska luka) and the scenic Marjan hill, where the city flag is hoisted.

Original (core) lyrics

Croatian	English translation
Marjane, Marjane, Marjane, Marjane, Marjane, Marjane, ča barjak ne viješ, ča barjak ne viješ, ča barjak ne viješ, ča barjak ne viješ, milu trobojnicu. Milu trobojnicu, milu trobojnicu, milu trobojnicu, crven, bijeli, plavi, crven, bijeli, plavi, crven, bijeli, plavi, crven, bijeli, plavi, to je barjak pravi.	Marjan, Marjan, Marjan, Marjan, Marjan, Marjan, why don't you fly a flag, Why don't you fly a flag, why don't you fly a flag, Why don't you fly a flag, the dear tricolour. Dear tricolour, dear tricolour, Dear tricolour, red, white, blue, Red, white, blue, red, white, blue, Red, white, blue, that's the right flag.

Historical full versions

File:Hr-yu45b.gif

World War II flag of Croatia, used by the Partisans.

Partisan version

Croatian

English translation

Marjane, Marjane, Marjane, Marjane, Marjane, Marjane, ča barjak ne viješ, ča barjak ne viješ, ča barjak ne viješ, ča barjak ne viješ, milu trobojnicu. Na kojoj se čita, na kojoj se čita Na kojoj se čita, ime druga Tita. A na drugoj strani, a na drugoj strani, A na drugoj strani, naprid Partizani! A na vrh barjaka, a na vrh barjaka A na vrh barjaka, zvizda petokraka! Tko se pod njim bije, tko se pod njim bije, tko se pod njim bije, kukavica nije, a 'ko se ne bije, a 'ko se ne bije, a 'ko se ne bije, bolje da ga nije. I još jedno slovo, i još jedno slovo, I još jedno slovo, ime Staljinovo I još jedna bratska, i još jedna bratska I još jedna bratska, živila Hrvatska! Živila sloboda, živila sloboda, živila sloboda, Hrvatskog naroda!.

Marjan, Marjan, Marjan, Marjan, Marjan, Marjan, why don't you fly the flag, Why don't you fly the flag, why don't you fly the flag, Why don't you fly the flag, the dear tricolour. On which it reads, on which it reads On which it reads, the name of comrade Tito. And on the other side, and on the other side, And on the other side, "forward Partisans"! And on the top of the flag, and on the top of the flag, And on the top of the flag, the five-pointed star. They who fight beneath it, they who fight beneath it, They who fight beneath it, are not cowards, And they who don't, and they who don't, And they who don't, better they not be. And another thing, and another thing, And another thing, the name of Stalin And another brotherly, and another brotherly And another brotherly, long live Croatia! Long live the freedom, long live the freedom, long live the freedom of the Croatian people!

In later versions, from the beginning of the Informbiro period (1948-1955) to the dissolution of Yugoslavia in 1991 with the Yugoslav wars, the stanza with the reference to Stalin was no longer popular and became used less and less. It was revived in the 1970s nationalist version, with "Jesus" replacing "Stalin" in the wording. The first two stanzas of this version are featured in the Oscar-nominated motion picture The Battle of Neretva.

Nationalist version

Flag of the Republic of Croatia.

Croatian

English translation

Marjane, Marjane, Marjane, Marjane, Marjane, Marjane, ča barjak ne viješ, ča barjak ne viješ, ča barjak ne viješ, ča barjak ne viješ, milu trobojnicu. Milu trobojnicu, milu trobojnicu, milu trobojnicu, crven, bili, plavi, crven, bili, plavi, crven, bili, plavi, crven, bili, plavi, to je barjak pravi. Pod kojim su pali, pod kojim su pali, pod kojim su pali Zrinski-Frankopani. Za kojim se hvali, za kojim se hvali, za kojim se hvali, cila Dalmacija! Tko se pod njim bije, tko se pod njim bije, tko se pod njim bije, kukavica nije, a 'ko se ne bije, a 'ko se ne bije, a 'ko se ne bije, bolje da ga nije. I još jedno slovo, i još jedno slovo, I još jedno slovo, ime Isusovo I još jedna bratska, i još jedna bratska I još jedna bratska, živila Hrvatska! Živila sloboda, živila sloboda, živila sloboda, Hrvatskog naroda!.

Marjan, Marjan, Marjan, Marjan, Marjan, Marjan, why don't you fly the flag, Why don't you fly the flag, why don't you fly the flag, Why don't you fly the flag, the dear tricolour. Dear tricolour, dear tricolour, Dear tricolour, red, white, blue, Red, white, blue, red, white, blue, Red, white, blue, that's the right flag. Under which did fall, under which did fall, under which did fall, the Zrinski-Frankopans. For whom thanks, for whom thanks, for whom thanks all Dalmatia. They who fight beneath it, they who fight beneath it, They who fight beneath it, are not cowards, And they who don't, and they who don't, And they who don't, better they not be. And another thing, and another thing, And another thing, the name of Jesus And another brotherly, and another brotherly And another brotherly, long live Croatia! Long live the freedom, long live the freedom, long live the freedom, of the Croatian people!

This is the version more widely known in post-1989 Croatia. One of its first large scale performances was on May 30, 1990 by the Dalmatian Croat Duško Lokin. It is often sung by Torcida, the supporters of the Split footbal club, the HNK Hajduk.

Despite the fact that it does not contain any overtly nationalistic lyrics, it is loosely known as the "nationalist version" because it was sung by Croatian nationalists.

See also

• Marjan
• Split
• Dalmatia
• Ivo Tijardović
• Croatia
• Music of Croatia
• Flags of Croatia
• History of Croatia