The anthem was presented to the central government of the USSR in May 1944, three months after the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR had issued a decree on 3 February 1944, "On the State Anthems of the Soviet Republics."[3]
The melody of the anthem was composed by
Gustav Ernesaks, and the lyrics written by
Johannes Semper. The anthems of the Estonian SSR, the
Karelo-Finnish SSR, and the
Georgian SSR were the only Soviet regional anthems not to mention the
Russianpeople. After the Soviet dictator
Joseph Stalin died in 1953, during the following period of "
de-Stalinization" in the USSR, on 21 July 1956, the third stanza of the lyrics of the Estonian SSR anthem were changed to remove all mentions of Stalin.
During the
Soviet occupation of Estonia performing or reciting the melody or lyrics of the anthem of Estonia Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm was forbidden by law, and considered a punishable criminal offence by the Soviet regime. While another song with Ernesaks' melody Mu isamaa on minu arm, served as means of expressing national feelings, and was widely regarded by Estonians as their "unofficial anthem". On 8 May 1990, Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm was restored as the state anthem, together with the blue-black-white
Estonian flag and state official name Republic of Estonia.[4]
Lyrics
Estonian
English translation
I
Jää kestma, Kalevite kange rahvas,
ja seisa kaljuna, me kodumaa!
Ei vaibund kannatustes sinu vahvus,
end läbi sajanditest murdsid sa
ja tõusid õitsvaks sotsialismimaaks,[b]
et päikene su päevadesse paista saaks.
II
Nüüd huuga, tehas, vili, nurmel vooga,
sirp, lõika, alasile, haamer, löö!
Nõukogu elu, tuksu võimsa hooga,
too õnne rahvale, me tubli töö!
Me Liidu rahvaste ja riike seas
sa, Eesti, sammu esimeste kindlas reas!
III[c]
Sa kõrgel Leninlikku lippu kannad
ja julgelt kommunismi rada käid.
Partei me sammudele suuna annab
ja võidult võitudele viib ta meid.
Ta kindlal juhtimisel kasva sa
ja tugevaks ning kauniks saa, me kodumaa!
I
Endure, strong people of the
Kalevs
And stand as a boulder, our homeland!
Your courage did not subside in the sufferings,
You broke yourself through the centuries,
and became a flourishing socialist country,[b]
So the sun could shine in your days.
II
Now roar, factories, wave, cornfields;
Reap, sickle and strike, anvil and hammer!
May the Soviet life, in full swing
Bring happiness to the people through good labor!
Among the people and nations of our union,
You, Estonia, march at the firm forefront!
III[c]
You’re holding the Flag of Lenin high,
And boldly following the path of Communism.
Our Party will give us direction
And will lead us from victory to victory.
You will grow under its firm leadership
And become strong and beautiful, our Homeland!
^
abIn the original 1945–56 lyrics, it was "ja tõusid töötajate vabaks maaks" ("and became a flourishing land of free
workers").
^
abOriginal lyrics:
"Kui kants-nii seisavad su kodurannad,
su ees vaid lainetavad laiad veed.
Sa kõrgel Leninlikku lippu kannad
suur Stalin juhtimas su tõusuteed.
Käi kindlalt, saatmas sind su õnneteel
me võitlusvaim ja kohkumatu mehemeel!"
Translation:
"Your home beaches stand as a castle,
wide waters only wave before you.
You're bearing
Leninist banner high,
great
Stalin leading your ascent.
March steadily with our fighting spirit
and bold manly mind guiding you!"