Pheng Xat Lao

Pheng Xat Lao

English: National Anthem of Laos
File:Flag of Laos.jpg
National anthem of Laos
Lyrics	Sisana Sisane, 1975
Music	Thongdy Sounthonevichit, 1941
Adopted	1945
Music sample
National Anthem of Laos (Instrumental)

"Pheng Xat Lao" (Lao: ເພງຊາດລາວ; lit. English: Hymn of the Lao People) is the national anthem of the Lao People's Democratic Republic. Dr. Thongdy Sounthonevichit composed the music and wrote the lyrics in 1941. This was adopted as the national anthem of the Kingdom of Laos in 1945. The original lyrics were revised after the Pathet Lao won the Laotian Civil War and the Lao People's Democratic Republic was established in 1975, with the new lyrics written by Sisana Sisane.

Official lyrics

Official Lao	Latin transcription	English translation
ຊາດລາວຕັ້ງແຕ່ໃດມາ ລາວທຸກທົ່ວຫນ້າເຊີດຊູສຸດໃຈ ຮ່ວມແຮງຮ່ວມຈິດຮ່ວມໃຈ ສາມັກຄີກັນເປັນກຳລັງດຽວ ເດັດດ່ຽວພ້ອມກັນກ້າວຫນ້າ ບູຊາຊູກຽດຂອງລາວ ສົ່ງເສີມໃຊ້ສິດເປັນເຈົ້າ ລາວທຸກຊົນເຜົ່າສະເຫມີພາບກັນ ບໍ່ໃຫ້ພວກຈັກກະພັດ ແລະພວກຂາຍຊາດເຂົ້າມາລົບກວນ ລາວທັງມວນຊູເອກະລາດ ອິດສະຫລະພາບຂອງຊາດລາວໄວ້ ຕັດສິນໃຈສູ້ຊີງເອົາໄຊ ພາຊາດກ້າວໄປສູ່ຄວາມວັດທະນາ	Xat Lao thung tae dai ma Lao tooktua na sertsoo soodjai, Huamhang huamjid huamjai Samakki gun bpen gumlung diao. Detdiao pom gun gaona Booxa soo giat kong Lao, Songserm sai sit pen jao Lao tooq sonepao summer pab gun. Baw hai puak juggapud Lae puak kaixat kaoma lob guan, Lao tung muan soo ekalat Itsalapab kong xat Lao wai, Thud sinjai soo sing ao xay Pa sad Lao pai soo kwarm watthana.	For all time the Lao people Have glorified their Fatherland, United in heart, Spirit and vigour as one. Resolutely moving forwards, Respecting and increasing the dignity of the Lao people And proclaiming the right to be their own masters. The Lao people of all origins are equal And will no longer allow imperialists And traitors to harm them. The entire people will safeguard the independence And the freedom of the Lao nation. They are resolved to struggle for victory In order to lead the nation to prosperity.

History

In 1893, Laos became a protectorate of France within its colonial empire. The French claimed their takeover was intended to protect Laos from its hostile neighbours like Siam, which was forced to cede Laos to the colonial power. Consequently, nationalistic sentiment did not develop as quickly as it did in Vietnam. However, the outbreak of the Second World War saw the fall of France to Nazi Germany. The new right-wing government in Siam saw this as an opportunity to reconquer Laos. To counteract this, the French actively promoted nationalism among the Lao people.

As a direct result of this new liberalization, many patriotic songs were composed during this time. "Pheng Xat Lao" was one of them, having been composed by Dr. Thongdy Sounthonevichit in 1941. The song was chosen as the national anthem of Laos in 1945, when the king was forced by the Japanese to declare Laos' independence from France. This newfound freedom was short-lived as France soon regained control of French Indochina. Two years later, the French granted Laos limited autonomy within the French Union and "Pheng Xat Lao" once again became the national anthem.

When the Pathet Lao emerged victorious in Laotian Civil War in 1975, the Communist government decided to change the lyrics to the anthem in order to reflect the ideology of the new regime. As a result, the anthem became all-encompassing in mentioning all ethnic groups in Laos, instead of focussing solely on the Lao race and Buddhism. However, the music from the former anthem was retained.

Original lyrics used in 1947

Lao Language	Latin transcription	English translation (Literal)	English translation (singable)
ຊາດລາວຕັ້ງແຕ່ເດີມມາ ຂຶ້ນຊື່ລືຊາຢູ່ໃນອາຊີ ຊາວລາວຜູກພັນໄມຕຣີ ຮ່ວມສາມັກຄີຮັກຫໍ່ໂຮມກັນ ຮັກຊາດຮັກປະເທດເຮົາ ຮັກເຈົ້າປົກເກດເກສາ ໂຮມຮັກຮ່ວມສາສນາ ແຕ່ບູຮານມາຮັກສາດິນແດນ ບໍ່ໃຫ້ຊາດໃດມາລວນ ຮາວີຮົບກວນຍາດແຍ່ງຊີງເອົາ ໃຜຂືນເຂົ້າມາລູ່ວຸ່ນວາຍ ສູ້ຈົນຕົວຕາຍຕ້ານທານສັດຕຣູ ຊ່ວຍເຊີດຊູເລືອດເນື້ອເຊື້ອເຜົ່າ ຟື້ນຟູກູ້ເອົາບັນເທົາທຸກກັນ	Xat Lao thung thae derm ma, Khun xu lu xa yu nai ahzi, Sao Lao phouk pun maitri, Huam samakkhi huk ho hôm gun. Huk xat huk pathét hao, Huk jao pôk két késa, Hôm huk huam satsana, Thae buhahn ma huksa din daen. Baw hai xat dai ma luan, Havi hôp kuan yat yaeng xing ao, Phai khun khao ma loun vounvai, Sou jôn thua tai tan than sattru, Suay xeut xu leuat nua xua phao, Feun fu ku ao banthao thouk gun.	In the old days, our Lao people Were famous all over Asia. Because the Lao Were united in love. Still today, they love their people and country And rally around their leaders. They preserve the religion of their fathers, And protect the soil of their ancestors. They will never allow another nation to threaten them Or to occupy their territory. Every enemy who enters their country Will find them ready to fight until death. All together, they can restore the ancient glory of their blood, and they will stand together in the days of danger.	Once our Laotian race in Asia highly honored stood And at that time the folk of Laos were united in love Today they love their race and rally round their chiefs They guard the land and the religion of their ancestors They will resist each foe who may oppress them or invade And such invaders will be met with battle unto death They'll restore the fame of Laos and through ills united stand.

External links

• A video of "Pheng Xat Lao", broadcast on Lao National Television (LNTV) on YouTube
• A recording of "Pheng Xat Lao"'s pre-communist version on YouTube
• Michael Sauser and Gilbert Greeve - Sauser and Greeve sing the anthem on their CD "Hymnen der Welt: Asien"
• "Pheng Xat Lao" at empas.com
• Dookola Swiata - This travel website has an instrumental version of the Anthem, as an .asx file.