National Anthem Of Cambodia

                             
Lyrics in Khmer

Translation from khmer

Som pouk tepda rak sa moha khsath yeung
Oy ben roung roeung doy chey monkol srey soursdey
Yeung Khnom preah ang som chrok Krom molup preah Baromey
Ney preah Noropdey vong Khsattra del sang preah sat thm­r
Kroup Kraung dèn Khmer borann thkoeung thkann.

Prasath séla kombang kan dal prey
Kuor oy sr­may noeuk d­l yuos sak Moha Nokor
Cheat Khmer dauch Thmar kong vong n­y l­ar rung peung chom hor.
Yeung sang Khim por pheap preng samnang robuos Kampuchea.
Moha r­th koeut mien you ang veanh hey.

Kroup vath aram lu tè so sap thoeur
Sot doy am no rom lik koun poth sasna
Chol yeung chea neak thioeur thiak smos smak tam bep donnta
Kong tè thévoda nùng chuoy chrom chrèng phkot phkang pra yoch oy
Dol prateah Khmer chea Moha Nokor

Lyrics in French

Que le ciel protège notre Roi
Et lui dispense le bonheur et la gloire.
Qu’il règne sur nos coeurs et sur nos destinées,
Celui qui, héritier des Souverains bâtisseurs,
Gouverne le fier et vieux Royaume.

Les temples dorment dans la forêt,
Rappelant la grandeur du Moha Nokor.
Comme le roc, la race khmère est éternelle,
Ayons cofiance dans le sort du Campuchéa,
L’Empire qui défie les années.

Les chants montent dans le pagodes
A la gloire de la Sainte foi Bouddhique.
Soyons fidèles aux croyances de nos pères.
Ainsi le ciel prodiguera-t-il tous ses bienfaits
Au vieux pays khmer, le Moha Nokor.

Lyrics in English

Heaven protects our King
And gives him happiness and glory
To reign over our souls and our destinies,
The one being, heir of the Sovereign builders,
Guiding the proud old Kingdom.

Temples are asleep in the forest,
Remembering the splendour of Moha Nokor.
Like a rock the Khmer race is eternal.
Let us trust in the fate of Campuchea,
The empire which challenges the ages.

Songs rise up from the pagodas
To the glory of holy buddhistic faith.
Let us be faithful to our ancestors’ belief.
Thus heaven will lavish its bounty
Towards the ancient Khmer country, the Moha Nokor.

 Lyrics: His Highness Patriarch Chuon Nat (1883-1969).  Adopted: 1941.

                                          

                                                 Historical Background

The song derives its name from an ancient Khmer kingdom.  Its music was adapted from an old folk tune.  The country originally adopted this anthem in 1941, but it was replaced after the Communist Khmer Rouge took over in 1976.  “Nokoreach” was restored in 1993, when Cambodia became a constitutional monarchy.