God Bless Fiji
{{Short description|National anthem of Fiji}}
{{Infobox anthem
| title = God Bless Fiji
| alt_title = {{lang|fj|italic=no|"Meda dau doka"}} (Fijian version)
| alt_title_2 = "Bhagavaan Fiji ko Aasheervaad Den" ({{lang|hif|italic=no|भगवान फिजी को आशीर्वाद दें}}) (Fiji Hindi version)
| image = Flag of Fiji.svg
| prefix = National
| country = Fiji
| author = Michael Francis Alexander Prescott
| composer = Charles Austin Miles (original), 1911
Viliame Bale (band arrangement)
| adopted = 1970
| sound = Fiji National Anthem.ogg
| sound_title = U.S. Navy Band instrumental version (one verse and chorus)
}}
"God Bless Fiji" is the national anthem of Fiji. It is called "Meda Dau Doka" ({{IPA|fj|me.ⁿda ⁿdɔu̯ ⁿdo.ka|lang}}) in Fijian and "Bhagavaan Fiji ko Aasheervaad Den" (भगवान फिजी को आशीर्वाद दें) in Fiji Hindi. The lyrics were written by Michael Francis Alexander Prescott (1928–2006) to the tune of the hymn "Dwelling in Beulah Land" by Charles Austin Miles (1911),{{Cite book|last=Agency|first=Central Intelligence|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jZIZCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT1755|title=The CIA World Factbook 2016|date=2015-11-24|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=978-1-5107-0089-5|pages=1755|language=en}} and the music was adapted by Viliame Bale, Superintendent and Director of Music in the Royal Fiji Police Band.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uL5BAAAAYAAJ|title=Fiji Handbook: Business and Travel Guide|date=1987|publisher=Pacific Publications|isbn=978-0-85807-060-8|language=en|page=82}} The anthem was adopted upon independence from the United Kingdom in 1970.{{Cite web|last=Williams|first=Atasa|date=2021-10-10|title=Let our voices ring with pride|url=https://www.fijitimes.com/let-our-voices-ring-with-pride/|access-date=2022-01-19|website=The Fiji Times|language=en}}
Lyrics
The anthem's English version is usually sung. The English and Fijian lyrics are not translations of each other and have very little in common.
In August 2008, the draft version of the People's Charter for Change, Peace and Progress, a government document intended to supplement the Constitution and reconcile ethnic and linguistic divides, suggested that the national anthem should be in the country's three main languages: Fijian, Hindi and English.{{Cite web|date=2008-08-07|title=Charter proposes common name|url=http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=97186|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322005020/http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=97186|archive-date=2012-03-22|website=The Fiji Times}} The Charter later served as the basis for the 2013 Constitution of Fiji.
= English lyrics =
= Fijian lyrics =
| class="wikitable"
!Fijian original !IPA transcription{{efn|See Help:IPA/Fijian, Fijian language § Phonology and Fijian language § Orthography.}} !English translation |
| style="vertical-align:top; white-space:nowrap;"
| Meda dau doka ka vinakata na vanua E ra sa dau tiko kina na savasava Rawa tu na gauna ni sautu na veilomani Biu na i tovo tawa savasava{{efn|name=Me sa biu|Sometimes sung as {{lang|fj|Me sa biu na i tovo tawa yaga}} ({{IPA|fj|me sa ᵐbi̯u na‿i to.βo ta.ɰa ja.ŋa |
{{small|Chorus:}}
Me bula ga ko Viti ka me toro ga ki liu
Me ra turaga vinaka ko ira na i liuliu{{efn|name=ra|{{lang|fj|Ra}} is sometimes omitted.{{Cite web|last=DeroVolkTV|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ov9Z6EFSv5o|title=National Anthem of Fiji (Fijian Version) - "Meda Dau Doka" 🎵|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120033132/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ov9Z6EFSv5o|archive-date=2022-01-20|date=2021-09-21|access-date=2022-01-20|website=YouTube}}}}
Me ra liutaki na tamata e na veika vinaka
Me oti kina na i tovo ca
II
Bale ga vei kemuni na cauravou e Viti
Ni yavala me savasava na vanua
Ni kakua ni vosota na dukadukali
Ka me da sa qai biuta vakadua{{efn|name=Me sa biu}}
{{yesitalic|{{small|Chorus}}}}}}
|
[me.ⁿda ⁿdɔu̯ ⁿdo.ka ka βi.na.ka.ta na βa.nu.a]
[e ra sa ⁿdɔu̯ ti.ko ki.na na sa.βa.sa.βa]
[ra.ɰa tu na ŋɔu̯.na ni sɔu̯.tu na βei̯.lo.ma.ni]
[ᵐbi̯u na‿i to.βo ta.ɰa sa.βa.sa.βa]{{efn|name=Me sa biu}}
[me ᵐbu.la ŋa ko βi.t(ʃ)i ka me to.ro ŋa ki li̯u]
[me (ra) tu.ra.ŋa βi.na.ka ko i.ra na‿i li̯u.li̯u]{{efn|name=ra}}
[me ra li̯u.ta.ki na ta.ma.ta e na βei̯.ka βi.na.ka]
[me o.ti ki.na na‿i to.βo ða]
2
[ᵐba.le ŋa βei̯ ke.mu.ni na ðɔu̯.ra.βɔu̯ e βi.t(ʃ)i]
[ni ja.βa.la me sa.βa.sa.βa na βa.nu.a]
[ni ka.ku.a ni βo.so.ta na ⁿdu.ka.ⁿdu.ka.li]
[ka me ⁿda sa ᵑɡai̯ ᵐbi̯u.ta βa.ka.ⁿdu.a]{{efn|name=Me sa biu}}
}}
|
Let us show our pride and honour our nation
Where righteous people reside
Where prosperity and fellowship may persevere
Abandon deeds that are immoral
{{small|Chorus:}}
Let Fiji live on and progress onwards
May our leaders be honourable men
Let them lead our people to great things
And bring an end to all things immoral
II
The burden of change lie on your shoulders youth of Fiji
Be the strength to cleanse our nation
Be wary and not harbour malice
For we must abandon such sentiments forever
{{yesitalic|{{small|Chorus}}}}
|}
= Hindi lyrics =
| class="wikitable"
!Fiji Hindi lyrics |
| style="vertical-align:top; white-space:nowrap;"
| He jagdishwar, kripa karo tum Fiji desh pe apne Ahle watan hum teri sharan mein, teri dhwaja ke neehe Ajaadi ki raksha aur samman sada hum karege Sab milke badhte rahege, sarwamangal Fiji {{small|Chorus:}} Yeh Fiji, hamara Fiji, hum sab mil gaate rahe Yeh Fiji Hamara Fiji, yeh naara lagate rahe Dharti hai apni, azaadi, asha aur garva ki Kripa rahe prabhu ki, Fiji par sarwada}} |
See also
Notes
{{Notelist}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{wikisource}}
{{Nationalanthemsofoceaniaandthepacificislands}}
{{Fiji topics}}