Here is another patriotic song that almost every Nepali knows. This is also one of those ‘old’ songs that did not mention the Monarch in any way, so it is still surviving till this day sung proudly.
This song is so good that I just cannot leave out the Nepali lyrics this time. I had to type it though, as there was none in the internet. Chandra surya literally means ‘Moon-Sun’ but it is meant to be our National Flag, kind of like how the flag of UK is also known as the Union Jack or the flag of US is known as The star-spangled banner.
You can listen to the song here.
There are various iterations of this song, so you can go over youtube and watch them all.
रातो र चन्द्र सूर्य (rato ra chandra surya) means ‘Red and our Flag’ although ‘Crimson’ is a more accurate name for the shade. (crimson is ‘simrik’ in Nepali)
LYRICS
रातो र चन्द्र सूर्य (rato ra chandra surya)
जङ्गी निशान हाम्रो (jangi nishan hamro)
जिउँदो रगत सरि यो (jiudo ragat sari yo)
बल्दो यो शान हाम्रो (baldo yo shaan hamro)
रातो र चन्द्र सूर्य (rato ra chandra surya)
हिमालझैँ अटल यो (himal`jhai atal yo)
झुकेन यो कहिल्यै (jhukena yo kahilyai)
लत्रेन यो कहिल्यै (latrena yo kahilyai)
जङ्गी निशान हाम्रो (jangi nishan hamro)
यो जन्मदै जगतमा (yo janmadai jagat`ma)
कैयौं प्रहार आए (kayai prahaar aae)
साम्राज्य दुई हारे (saamraajya dui haare)
हारेन शान हाम्रो (harena shaan hamro)
रातो र चन्द्र सूर्य (rato ra chandra surya)
जबसम्म चन्द्र सूर्य (jaba`samma chandra surya)
आकाशमा रहन्छन् (aakash`ma rahancha)
तबसम्म हुन्छ आफ्नै (taba`samma huncha aafnai)
रातो रगत यो हाम्रो (raato ragat yo hamro)
गाई सरि छन् साधु (gai sari chan saadhu)
जो जो यहाँ जगतमा (jo jo yaha jagat`ma)
सबको शरण बलियो (sab`ko sharan baliyo)
जङ्गी निशान हाम्रो (jangi nishan hamro)
रातो र चन्द्र सूर्य (rato ra chandra surya)
जङ्गी निशान हाम्रो (jangi nishan hamro)
जिउँदो रगत सरि यो (jiudo ragat sari yo)
बल्दो यो शान हाम्रो (baldo yo shaan hamro)
रातो र चन्द्र सूर्य (rato ra chandra surya)
MEANING
रातो र चन्द्र सूर्य (rato ra chandra surya)
जङ्गी निशान हाम्रो (jangi nishan hamro)
= Red and the flag (literally: red and the Moon-Sun)
Esteemed mark/symbol of ours
जिउँदो रगत सरि यो (jiudo ragat sari yo)
बल्दो यो शान हाम्रो (baldo yo shaan hamro)
= On an equal footing to live blood
Unyielding is our dignity
हिमालझैँ अटल यो (himal`jhai atal yo)
झुकेन यो कहिल्यै (jhukena yo kahilyai)
= Firm like the Mountains
It never bowed down to anything
लत्रेन यो कहिल्यै (latrena yo kahilyai)
= Did not get disregarded
यो जन्मदै जगतमा (yo janmadai jagat`ma)
कैयौं प्रहार आए (kayai prahaar aae)
= When it was being born in this ground
Numerous attacks came
साम्राज्य दुई हारे (saamraajya dui haare)
हारेन शान हाम्रो (harena shaan hamro)
= An empire twice defeated (lost)
But our dignity did not lose
जबसम्म चन्द्र सूर्य (jaba`samma chandra surya)
आकाशमा रहन्छन् (aakash`ma rahancha)
= Till the Sun and the Moon
Remain in the sky
तबसम्म हुन्छ आफ्नै (taba`samma huncha aafnai)
रातो रगत यो हाम्रो (raato ragat yo hamro)
= Until then it will remain ours
This red blood of ours
गाई सरि छन् साधु (gai sari chan saadhu)
जो जो यहाँ जगतमा (jo jo yaha jagat`ma)
= On an equal footing to the cow is the Saint
Whoever on this ground
सबको शरण बलियो (sab`ko sharan baliyo)
= Strong is (this) everyone’s haven
VOCABULARY
जङ्गी (jangi) = Esteemed; Big; Dignified
निशान (nishan) = Mark; Symbol
जिउँदो (jiudo) = Live (rhymes with hive)
सरि (sari) = On an equal footing to; equal to; equivalent to
बल्दो (baldo) = Having strength; Unyielding; Strong
शान (shaan) = Dignity; Pride; Honour; Self-esteem
झैँ (jhai) = Like; As
अटल (atal) = Firm; Unyielding; Unmovable
झुकेन (jhukena) = A form of the verb ‘झुक्नु’ (jhuknu) which means ‘To Bow Down/Surrender/Yield to’
कहिल्यै (kahilyai) = Always or never (depends upon the positivity of the verb)
लत्रेन (latrena) = A form of the verb ‘ लत्रनु’ (latranu) which means ‘To be disregarded; dishonoured; trampled; dragged on’
जगत (jagat) = Ground
कैयौं (kaiyau) = Several; Many
प्रहार (prahaar) = Strike; Assault; Attack
साम्राज्य (saamraajya) = Empire
साधु (saadhu) = Saint; Sage
शरण (sharan) = Shelter; Refuge; Haven
बलियो (baliyo) = Strong
MEANING
This song calls of the unyielding spirit of the Nepali people. The colour Red and the flag are our national and unbroken symbols that represent us. Their worth can only be equated by blood and as such they remain an emblem of dignity and self-respect.
Like the unmoving mountain, it never bowed down to any threat or attack. This meaning, Nepal has always remained sovereign and independent (not bowing down = not being ‘slaves’ or not being colonized). When this country was born in this ground, numerous attacks tried to ruin it and destroy it but Nepal still remained independent. A particular line of remembrance is ‘samrajya dui hare’, referring to the Anglo-Nepalese War. In this war, the British Empire (in the form of British East India Company) mounted an attack against Nepal, in the hopes of an easy win. However, Nepal offered stiff resistance and defeated the British. The British took this by a surprise and mounted a second battle, which ended in a stalemate. Hence, there were ‘two’ battles and the lines says it defeated the ‘Empire twice’. Yet, even when it ended in a treaty we did not have to lose our honour (harena shaan hamro) as Nepal still remained Sovereign.
Until the end of time, we will still retain this sovereignty and integrity with the Red colour and the flag still being our symbols (as in, the flag is still standing there). The last line tells that Nepal is a safe haven on this Earth, with its sovereignty protected that cannot be changed by anything else.