"Nokor Reach" originated from a folk poetry usually performed with
chapei in ancient era for storytelling and to disclose any recent events.[2][3]
The music of "Nokor Reach" was composed between 1938 and 1939 by Prince
Norodom Suramarit during the reign of King
Sisowath Monivong with help of Sir J. Jekyll and Sir François Perruchot,[1][4] the
Royal Palace's musical instructors. The lyrics were not finished until 20 July 1941 by
Choun Nath, a few months after King
Norodom Sihanouk's coronation. In the same year, it was adopted then reconfirmed in 1947 as a national anthem for the country.[5]
In 1970, the monarchy was abolished by the
Khmer Republic, thereby replacing the state's national anthem as well. After the communists'
victory in 1975, former royalist symbols, including "Nokor Reach", were reinstated for a short while. The
Khmer Rouge then replaced it with "
Dap Prampi Mesa Chokchey" ("Glorious Seventeenth of April") in January 1976.[6] After the royalist party
FUNCINPEC defeated the former communists (
Cambodian People's Party) in the
1993 elections, the royalist state anthem was restored.[2]
Lyrics
"Nokor Reach" is a poem consisting of three verses and each verse consists of five lines. The first verse is considered to be official and is usually performed at most official settings.
I
May the Angels save our king
Granting him happiness and prosperity
We, his servants, wish to refuge under his completeness
Of sovereign's line, ones being to build temples
Reigning over
old Khmer's glorious land.
II
Temples of stone, hidden amid forests
Bethought of the mighty great kingdom triumphs
Khmer race stands tough and solid as eternal stone
We pray for the best upon Cambodia's destiny
A grand nation've ever occurred for.
III
Dharma risen, up from monasteries
Chant with joy, commemorate of Buddhism
Let us be faithful to
our ancestors' belief
Assuredly, Angels will grant its bounty
Toward Khmer's, the grand nation.
Until the end of the
French protectorate, a fourth verse praising the friendship between the Khmer and the French people was sang:[7]
^Hymnes et Pavillons d'Indochine (in French). Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Philosophie, histoire, sciences de l'homme, 4-LK10-918: Imprimerie d'Extrême Orient. 1941.{{
cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (
link)