God Bless Fiji

Meda Dau Doka or God Bless Fiji is the national anthem of Fiji. The melody was adapted from a 1911 hymn by Charles Austin Miles entitled Dwelling in Beulah Land due to the country's Christian influences. The lyrics and music were composed by Michael Francis Alexander Prescott and adopted upon independence in 1970.

Meda Dau Doka
English: God Bless Fiji
National anthem of  Fiji
LyricsMichael Francis Alexander Prescott
MusicCharles Austin Miles, 1911
Adopted1970

The English and Fijian lyrics are not translations of each other, and in fact have very little in common.

English lyrics

Blessing grant oh God of nations on the isles of Fiji
As we stand united under noble banner blue
And we honour and defend the cause of freedom ever
Onward march together
God bless Fiji

CHORUS:
For Fiji, ever Fiji, let our voices ring with pride
For Fiji, ever Fiji, her name hails far and wide,
A land of freedom, hope and glory, to endure what ever befalls
May God bless Fiji
Forever more!

Blessing grant, oh God of nations, on the isles of Fiji
Shores of golden sand and sunshine, happiness and song
Stand united, we of Fiji, fame and glory ever
Onward march together
God bless Fiji.

Fijian lyrics

Meda dau doka ka vinakata na vanua
E ra sa dau tiko kina na savasava
Rawa tu na gauna ni sautu na veilomani
Me sa Biu na i tovo tawa yaga

CHORUS:
Me bula ga ko Viti
Ka me toro ga ki liu
Me ra turaga vinaka ko ira na i liuliu
Me ra liutaki na tamata
E na veika vinaka
Me oti kina na i tovo ca

Me da dau doka ka vinakata na vanua
E ra sa dau tiko kina na savasava
Rawa tu na gauna ni sautu na veilomani
Me sa biu na i tovo tawa yaga

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

Translation of Fijian lyrics

Let us show our pride and honour our nation
Where righteous people reside
Where prosperity and fellowship may persevere
Abandon deeds that are immoral

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

Let us show pride and honour our nation
Where righteous people reside
Where prosperity and fellowship may persevere
Abandon deeds that are immoral

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

Fiji-Hindi Lyrics

Transliteration of Hindi Lyrics

Āśīrvāda phijī
Kē dvīpōṁ para ōha rāṣṭrōṁ kē bhagavāna anudāna jaisā ki hama mahāna bainara talē nīlē
Ēkajuṭa aura hama sam'māna aura svatantratā kē kāraṇa bacāva kabhī
Āgē ēka sātha
Mārca bhagavāna bhalā karē phijī

Kōrasa:
Phijī kē li'ē, kabhī phijī, calō hamārī āvāja garva
Sātha aṅgūṭhī phijī kē li'ē, kabhī phijī, usakā nāma jaya dūra aura cauṛē,
Svatantratā āśā hai, aura mahimā, kā ēka bhūmi sahanā karanē kē li'ē kyā kabhī
Bītanā bhagavāna bhalā karē phijī
Hamēśā kē li'ē aura adhika!

Āśīrvāda anudāna, phijī
Kē dvīpōṁ para rāṣṭrōṁ kē bhagavāna, ōha sunaharī rēta aura dhūpa, khuśī aura gīta
Kī kinārē ēkajuṭa khaṛē hō jā'ō, phijī, prasid'dhi aura mahimā sē hama kabhī
Āgē ēka sātha
Mārca bhagavāna phijī bhalā karē.

Proposed change

In August 2008, the draft version of the People's Charter for Change, Peace and Progress, a government document intended to supplement the Constitution, recommended a change in the national anthem. It suggested that the national anthem should be in the country's three main languages: Fijian, Hindi and English.[1]

See also

References
  1. "Charter proposes common name" Archived 2012-03-22 at the Wayback Machine, Fiji Times, August 7, 2008
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