Marjane, Marjane

File:Marjan hill Split.jpg

Split City Harbor (Gradska luka) and the scenic Marjan hill, where the city flag is hoisted.

"Marjane, Marjane" (lit. "Marjan, Marjan") is a Croatian song from Dalmatia. The name refers to the Marjan hill which overlooks the capital of Dalmatia, the city of Split, and on which the main (large) city flag is raised. It originates from a folk song sung in the city during the late 1930s, which was first recorded by the poet Ivo Tijardović.

. The original song was played on the radio of the Nazi-puppet Independent State of Croatia, the Croatian Radio (Hrvatski krugoval). The original lyrics serve as the official festive song of the city of Split. The song, being traditional, does not have a strictly defined ending, so its ending has changed through time and ideologies. Numerous artists have recorded the song. Najbolji Hrvatski Tamburaši included it in their 1989 release Hrvatska pjesmarica. Trio Gušt released a version with new lyrics in 2009.

Original (core) lyrics

Croatian	English translation
Marjane, Marjane, Marjane, Marjane, Marjane, Marjane, ča barjak ne viješ, ča barjak ne viješ, ča barjak ne viješ, ča barjak ne viješ, milu trobojnicu. Milu trobojnicu, milu trobojnicu, milu trobojnicu, crven, bili, plavi, crven, bili, plavi, crven, bili, plavi, crven, bili, plavi, to je barjak pravi.	Marjan, Marjan, Marjan, Marjan, Marjan, Marjan, why don't you fly the flag, Why don't you fly the flag, why don't you fly the flag, Why don't you fly the flag, the dear tricolour. Dear tricolour, dear tricolour, Dear tricolour, red, white, blue, Red, white, blue, red, white, blue, Red, white, blue, that's the right flag.

Historical full versions

World War II flag of Croatia

Partisan version

Croatian

English translation

Marjane, Marjane, Marjane, Marjane, Marjane, Marjane, ča barjak ne viješ, ča barjak ne viješ, ča barjak ne viješ, ča barjak ne viješ, milu trobojnicu. Milu trobojnicu, milu trobojnicu, milu trobojnicu, crven, bili, plavi, crven, bili, plavi, crven, bili, plavi, crven, bili, plavi, to je barjak pravi. Na kojon se čita, na kojoj se čita Na kojon se čita, ime druga Tita. A na drugoj strani, a na drugoj strani, A na drugoj strani, naprid Partizani! A na vrh barjaka, a na vrh barjaka A na vrh barjaka, zvizda petokraka! Tko se pod njim bije, tko se pod njim bije, tko se pod njim bije, kukavica nije, a 'ko se ne bije, a 'ko se ne bije, a 'ko se ne bije, bolje da ga nije. I još jedno slovo, i još jedno slovo, I još jedno slovo, ime Staljinovo I još jedna bratska, i još jedna bratska I još jedna bratska, živila Hrvatska! Živila sloboda, živila sloboda, živila sloboda, Hrvatskog naroda!.

Marjan, Marjan, Marjan, Marjan, Marjan, Marjan, why is the flag not waving?, Why is the flag not waving, why is the flag not waving, Why don't you fly the flag, the dear tricoloured one. Dear tricoloured flag, dear tricoloured flag, Dear tricoloured fla, red, white and blue, Red, white and blue, red, white and blue, Red, white and blue, that is the real flag. On which is read, on which is read On which is read, the name of comrade Tito. And on the other side, and on the other side, And on the other side, "forward Partisans"! And on top of the flag, and on top of the flag, And on top of the flag, a five-pointed star. Those who fight beneath it, those who fight beneath it, Those who fight beneath it, are not cowards, And those who do not, and those who do not, And those who do not, it is better they not exist. And another word, and another word, And another word, the name of Stalin And another brotherhood, and another brotherhood And another brotherhood, long live Croatia! Long live freedom, long live freedom, long live freedom of the Croatian people!

In later versions, from the beginning of the Informbiro period (1948–1955) to the dissolution of Yugoslavia in 1991 with the Yugoslav wars, the stanza with the reference to Stalin was no longer popular and became used less and less. It was revived in the 1970s nationalist version, with "Jesus" replacing "Stalin" in the wording. The first two stanzas of this version are featured in the Academy Award-nominated motion picture The Battle of Neretva.

Contemporary version

Flag of the Republic of Croatia.

Croatian

English translation

Marjane, Marjane, Marjane, Marjane, Marjane, Marjane, ča barjak ne viješ, ča barjak ne viješ, ča barjak ne viješ, ča barjak ne viješ, milu trobojnicu. Milu trobojnicu, milu trobojnicu, milu trobojnicu, crven, bili, plavi, crven, bili, plavi, crven, bili, plavi, crven, bili, plavi, to je barjak pravi. Pod kojim su pali, pod kojim su pali, pod kojim su pali Zrinski-Frankopani. Za kojim se hvali, za kojim se hvali, za kojim se hvali, cila Dalmacija! Tko se pod njim bije, tko se pod njim bije, tko se pod njim bije, kukavica nije, a 'ko se ne bije, a 'ko se ne bije, a 'ko se ne bije, bolje da ga nije. I još jedno slovo, i još jedno slovo, I još jedno slovo, ime Isusovo I još jedna bratska, i još jedna bratska I još jedna bratska, živila Hrvatska! Živila sloboda, živila sloboda, živila sloboda, Hrvatskog naroda!.

Marjan, Marjan, Marjan, Marjan, Marjan, Marjan, why don't you fly the flag, Why don't you fly the flag, why don't you fly the flag, Why don't you fly the flag, the dear tricolour. Dear tricolour, dear tricolour, Dear tricolour, red, white, blue, Red, white, blue, red, white, blue, Red, white, blue, that's the right flag. Under which did fall, under which did fall, under which did fall, the Zrinski-Frankopans. For whom thanks, for whom thanks, for whom thanks all Dalmatia. They who fight beneath it, they who fight beneath it, They who fight beneath it, are not cowards, And they who don't, and they who don't, And they who don't, better they not be. And another thing, and another thing, And another thing, the name of Jesus And another brotherly, and another brotherly And another brotherly, long live Croatia! Long live the freedom, long live the freedom, long live the freedom, of the Croatian people!

This is the version more widely known in post-1989 Croatia. One of its first large scale performances was on May 30, 1990 by the Dalmatian Croat Duško Lokin. It is often sung by Torcida, the supporters of the Split football club, HNK Hajduk.

Some of the verses of this version contain historical inaccuracies. The 17th century Croatian noblemen Petar Zrinski and Fran Krsto Frankopan, the main Croatian actors of the Hungarian Magnate conspiracy, were noblemen of the Habsburg Monarchy while Split was for centuries a part of the Venetian Republic (and would remain outside the Monarchy for more than a hundred years after their death). Both feudal noblemen never saw Split and had little to do with the city, or Dalmatia in general. Furthermore, they did not "fall under the red, white and blue Croatian banner", and their participation in the Magnate conspiracy was not an attempt to liberate or in any way assist Dalmatia and/or its Croat population under Venetian rule. In fact, the red, white and blue Croatian flag was not introduced for another c. 160 years after their execution, and the Venetian Republic was one of their potential allies against the Holy Roman Emperor and King, Leopold I.

See also

• Marjan
• Split
• Dalmatia
• Ivo Tijardović
• Croatia
• Music of Croatia
• Flags of Croatia
• History of Croatia

External links

• Marjane, Marjane lyrics at Cro Music