The Sacred War

"The Sacred War"
"The Sacred War"
Song
Written	1941
Genre	Martial music
Composer(s)	Alexander Vasilyevich Alexandrov
Lyricist(s)	Vasily Lebedev-Kumach

"The Sacred War",^[a] also known as "Arise, Great Country!",^[b] is one of the most famous Soviet songs of World War II. The music is by Alexander Alexandrov, founder of the Alexandrov Ensemble and the musical composer of the State Anthem of the Soviet Union. The lyrics are by Vasily Lebedev-Kumach.^[1]

The circumstances of the composition and first performance of the song were hurried; the lyrics were published on 24 June 1941, and Alexandrov immediately wrote the music for them, writing the notes out on a blackboard for the singers to copy manually. The first performance was on 26 June at Belorussky Railway Station, where according to eyewitnesses it was sung five times in succession.^[2]

In the 1990s, Russian media published the allegation that the lyrics had been plagiarized by Lebedev-Kumach, and that they were indeed written during the First World War by Aleksandr Bode [ru] (1865–1939). These claims were taken to court, and the newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta in June 2000 was forced to publish a retraction of the claim.^[3] Prof. Evgeniy Levashev (2000) still upheld doubts on the authorship, and on the reasonableness of the court's decision.^[4]

One of the most famous Soviet patriotic songs, "The Sacred War" has been sung in several languages including Russian,^[5] Finnish,^[6] Hungarian,^[7] Estonian,^[8] Latvian,^[9] Chinese,^[10] Korean,^[11] Japanese,^[12] Vietnamese,^[13] Hindi,^[14] Punjabi,^[15] German,^[16] French^[17] and English,^[18] as well as several other languages of the Soviet Union. There exists a version of the song in Ukrainian,^[19] however it is repurposed for the War in Donbas from the Ukrainian side and instead has anti-Soviet and anti-Russian themes. Like Katyusha, it is one of the most translated Soviet songs.

Lyrics

Russian original	Romanization of Russian	English translation
Вставай страна огромная, Вставай на смертный бой С фашистской силой тёмною, С проклятою ордой. Припев: Пусть ярость благородная Вскипает как волна! Идёт война народная, Священная война! Дадим отпор душителям Всех пламенных идей, Насильникам грабителям, Мучителям людей! Припев Не смеют крылья чёрные Над Родиной летать, Поля её просторные Не смеет враг топтать! Припев Гнилой фашистской нечисти Загоним пулю в лоб, Отребью человечества Cколотим крепкий гроб! Припев	Vstaváj straná ogrómnaja, Vstaváj na smértnyj boj S fašístskoj síloj tjómnoju, S prokljátoju ordój. Pripév: Pustj járostj blagoródnaja Vskipájet, kak volná! Idjót vojná naródnaja, Svjaščénnaja vojná! Dadím otpór dušíteljam Vseh plámennyh idej, Nasíljnikam, grabíteljam, Mučíteljam ljudéj! Pripév Ne sméjut krýljja čjórnyje Nad Ródinoj letátj, Poljá jejó prostórnyje Ne sméjet vrag toptátj! Pripév Gnilój fašístskoj néčisti Zagónim púlju v lob, Otrébjju čelovéčestva Skolótim krépkij grob! Pripév	Arise, vast country, Arise for a fight to the death Against the dark fascist force, Against the cursed horde. Chorus: Let noble wrath Boil over like a wave! This is the people's war, A Sacred War! We shall repulse the oppressors Of all ardent ideas, The rapists and the plunderers, The torturers of people! Chorus The black wings shall not dare Fly over the Motherland, On her spacious fields; The enemy shall not dare tread! Chorus We'll drive a bullet into the forehead Of the rotten fascist filth. For the scum of humanity, We shall build a solid coffin! Chorus

Notes

^ Russian: Священная война, romanized: Svyashchénnaya voyná, IPA: [svʲɪˈɕːenːəjə vɐjˈna]
^ Russian: Вставай, страна огромная, romanized: Vstaváy straná ogrómnaya!, IPA: [fstɐˈvaj strɐˈna ɐˈɡromnəjə]

References

^ David R. Marples (2014). Russia in the Twentieth Century: The quest for stability. Routledge. p. 154. ISBN 978-1-317-86228-4.
^ В. Олару. Стихотворение в газете Независимая Молдова, 21 июня 2001 ("Архив за 21.06.2001 - "Независимая Молдова"". Archived from the original on July 11, 2008. Retrieved 2009-09-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link))
^ Опровержение Независимая газета, 5 июля 2000; A. Barinov, Бард сталинской эпохи. 105 лет со дня рождения Василия Лебедева-Кумача, «АиФ Долгожитель» № 15 (27), 8 August 2003.
^ Е. М. Левашев. Судьба песни // Архив наследия — 2000 / Сост. и науч. ред. Плужников В. И.; РАН. Российский Научно-исследовательский институт культурного и природного наследия им. Д. С. Лихачёва. — М.: Институт Наследия, 2001, 305–330. (online version).
^ The Sacred War in Russian (Священная война), 25 February 2021, retrieved 2021-02-25
^ The Sacred War in Finnish (Pyhä Sota), 10 May 2021, retrieved 2021-05-11
^ The Sacred War in Hungarian (Fel küzdelemre hős haza), 15 January 2015, retrieved 2015-01-15
^ The Sacred War in Estonian (Püha sõda), 21 June 2023, retrieved 2023-06-22
^ The Sacred War in Latvian (Svētais karš), retrieved 2023-09-10
^ The Sacred War in Chinese (神聖的戰爭), 12 May 2021, retrieved 2021-05-12
^ The Sacred War in Korean (성스러운 전쟁), 3 June 2012, retrieved 2012-06-03
^ The Sacred War in Japanese (聖なる戦い), retrieved 2022-06-25
^ The Sacred War in Vietnamese (Cuộc Chiến tranh Thần thánh), retrieved 2023-05-09
^ The Sacred War in Hindi (महान युद्ध), retrieved 2023-05-11
^ The Sacred War in Punjabi (ਸਾਡੀ ਲੜਾਈ), retrieved 2023-07-27
^ The Sacred War in German (Der Heilige Krieg), 27 March 2020, retrieved 2020-03-27
^ The Sacred War in French (La Guerre Sacrée), 9 May 2021, retrieved 2021-05-10
^ The Sacred War in English (The Sacred War), 20 December 2014, retrieved 2014-12-21
^ The Sacred War in Ukrainian (Священна війна), 13 May 2021, retrieved 2021-05-14

External links

[1] Russian: Священная война, romanized: Svyashchénnaya voyná, IPA: [svʲɪˈɕːenːəjə vɐjˈna]

[2] Russian: Вставай, страна огромная, romanized: Vstaváy straná ogrómnaya!, IPA: [fstɐˈvaj strɐˈna ɐˈɡromnəjə]

[3] David R. Marples (2014). Russia in the Twentieth Century: The quest for stability. Routledge. p. 154. ISBN 978-1-317-86228-4.

[4] В. Олару. Стихотворение в газете Независимая Молдова, 21 июня 2001 ("Архив за 21.06.2001 - "Независимая Молдова"". Archived from the original on July 11, 2008. Retrieved 2009-09-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link))

[5] Опровержение Независимая газета, 5 июля 2000; A. Barinov, Бард сталинской эпохи. 105 лет со дня рождения Василия Лебедева-Кумача, «АиФ Долгожитель» № 15 (27), 8 August 2003.

[6] Е. М. Левашев. Судьба песни // Архив наследия — 2000 / Сост. и науч. ред. Плужников В. И.; РАН. Российский Научно-исследовательский институт культурного и природного наследия им. Д. С. Лихачёва. — М.: Институт Наследия, 2001, 305–330. (online version).

[7] The Sacred War in Russian (Священная война), 25 February 2021, retrieved 2021-02-25

[8] The Sacred War in Finnish (Pyhä Sota), 10 May 2021, retrieved 2021-05-11

[9] The Sacred War in Hungarian (Fel küzdelemre hős haza), 15 January 2015, retrieved 2015-01-15

[10] The Sacred War in Estonian (Püha sõda), 21 June 2023, retrieved 2023-06-22

[11] The Sacred War in Latvian (Svētais karš), retrieved 2023-09-10

[12] The Sacred War in Chinese (神聖的戰爭), 12 May 2021, retrieved 2021-05-12

[13] The Sacred War in Korean (성스러운 전쟁), 3 June 2012, retrieved 2012-06-03

[14] The Sacred War in Japanese (聖なる戦い), retrieved 2022-06-25

[15] The Sacred War in Vietnamese (Cuộc Chiến tranh Thần thánh), retrieved 2023-05-09

[16] The Sacred War in Hindi (महान युद्ध), retrieved 2023-05-11

[17] The Sacred War in Punjabi (ਸਾਡੀ ਲੜਾਈ), retrieved 2023-07-27

[18] The Sacred War in German (Der Heilige Krieg), 27 March 2020, retrieved 2020-03-27

[19] The Sacred War in French (La Guerre Sacrée), 9 May 2021, retrieved 2021-05-10

[20] The Sacred War in English (The Sacred War), 20 December 2014, retrieved 2014-12-21

[21] The Sacred War in Ukrainian (Священна війна), 13 May 2021, retrieved 2021-05-14

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Lyrics

See also

Notes

References

External links