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The song arose in 1844 during a campaign of the students of the Evangelic Lutheran Lyceum of Bratislava to the town of Levoca in protest against the deprival of Ludovít Štúr by Hungarian authorities (for details see under Ludovít Štúr). The text has been written by Janko Matúška in 1844 during the campaign, but the melody has been taken from the folk song Kopala studienku (She was digging a little well). It became popular during the Slovak Volunteer campaigns of 1848/ 1849. However, it was published in print only in 1851. In 1920 it became part of the Czechoslovak anthem, which consisted of the present-day Czech anthem Kde domov muj? followed by the first part of the present-day Slovak anthem. In 1993, it became the national anthem of independent Slovakia. Only two items are Slovak anthem

1 Text

Nad Tatrou sa blýska

hromy divo bijú.

Zastavme ich bratia,

ved' sa ony stratia,

Slováci ožijú.

To Slovensko naše

posial tvrdo spalo.

Ale blesky hromu

vzbudzujú ho k tomu,

aby sa prebralo.

Už Slovensko vstáva

putá si strháva

Hej rodina milá

hodina odbila,

žije matka Sláva

Ešte jedle rastú

na krivánskej strane

Kto jak Slovák cíti,

nech sa šable chytí,

a medzi nás vstane

2 Literal translation:

There is lightening over the Tatra,

thunders are striking ferociously.

Let us stop them, brothers,

(you will see that) they will disappear,

the Slovaks will revive.

This our Slovakia

has been sleeping for a long time.

But the lightening of the thunder

is rousing it

to wake up.

By now is Slovakia waking up,

bonds is dragging out

Hey dear family

the hour ticked away

Mother Slavia is alive

There still growing firs

on Kriván downhill

Who as (he is) Slovak is feeling,

let he take sword

and let between us stand.

3 External Links

• Score and audio files on the website of Slovak government