# Nokor Reach

"Nokor Reach" (/noʊˈkɔːr riːtʃ/; Khmer: នគររាជ – lit. 'Majestic Kingdom') is the national anthem of Cambodia. It is based on a Cambodian folk tune and was written by Chuon Nath.

## History

"Nokor Reach" originated from a folk poetry usually performed with chapei in ancient era for storytelling and to disclose any recent events.
The music of "Nokor Reach" was composed between 1938 and 1939 by Prince Norodom Suramarit during the reign of King Sisowath Monivong with help of J. Jekyll and François Perruchot, the Royal Palace's musical instructors. The lyrics were not finished until 20 July 1941 by Choun Nath, a few months after King Norodom Sihanouk's coronation. In the same year, it was adopted then reconfirmed in 1947 as a national anthem for the country.
In 1970, the monarchy was abolished by the Khmer Republic, thereby replacing the state's national anthem as well. After the communists' victory in 1975, former royalist symbols, including "Nokor Reach", were reinstated for a short while. The Khmer Rouge then replaced it with "Dap Prampi Mesa Chokchey" ("Glorious Seventeenth of April") in January 1976. After the royalist party FUNCINPEC defeated the former communists (Cambodian People's Party) in the 1993 elections, the royalist state anthem was restored.

## Lyrics

"Nokor Reach" is a poem consisting of three verses and each verse consists of five lines. The first verse is considered to be official and is usually performed at most official settings.
| Khmer original | UNGEGN transliteration | IPA transcription | English translation |
| សូមពួកទេព្តា រក្សាមហាក្សត្រយើង ឱ្យបានរុងរឿង ដោយជ័យមង្គលសិរីសួស្តី យើងខ្ញុំព្រះអង្គ សូមជ្រកក្រោមម្លប់ព្រះបារមី នៃព្រះនរបតីវង្ស ក្សត្រាដែលសាងប្រាសាទថ្ម គ្រប់គ្រងដែនខ្មែរ បុរាណថ្កើងថ្កាន ។ ប្រាសាទសិលា កំបាំងកណ្តាលព្រៃ គួរឱ្យស្រមៃ នឹកដល់យសស័ក្តិមហានគរ ជាតិខ្មែរដូចថ្ម គង់វង្សនៅល្អរឹងប៉ឹងជំហរ យើងសង្ឃឹមពរ ភ័ព្វព្រេងសំណាងរបស់កម្ពុជា មហារដ្ឋកើតមាន យូរអង្វែងហើយ ។ គ្រប់វត្តអារាម ឮតែសូរស័ព្ទធម៌ សូត្រដោយអំណរ រំឭកគុណពុទ្ធសាសនា ចូរយើងជាអ្នក ជឿជាក់ស្មោះស្ម័គ្រតាមបែបដូនតា គង់តែទេវតា នឹងជួយជ្រោមជ្រែងផ្គត់ផ្គង់ប្រយោជន៍ឱ្យ ដល់ប្រទេសខ្មែរ ជាមហានគរ ។ | Som puŏk tépda rôksa môhaksâtr yeung Aôy ban rŭngrœăng daôy chey môngkôl sĕri suŏsdei Yeung khnhŭm preăh ângk som chrôk kraôm mlób preăh barômi Ney preăh nôrbtei vôngs ksâtra dêl sang prasat thmâ Króbkrông dên khmêr bŏréan thkaeungthkan Prasat sĕléa kâmbăng kândal prey Kuŏr aôy srâmey nœ̆k dál yôssăk môhanôkôr Chéatĕ khmêr doch thmâ kóngvôngs nŏu l’â rœ̆ng pœ̆ng chŭmhâr Yeung sângkhœ̆m pôr phoăpv préng sâmnang rôbás kâmpŭchéa Môharôdth kaeut méan yu ângvêng haeuy Krób vôtt aréam lœ tê so săpt thôrm Sotr daôy âmnâr rumlœ̆k kŭn pŭtthôsasnéa Chor yeung chéa ‘nôk chœăcheăk smaôhsmăkr tam bêb donta Kóng tê tévta nœ̆ng chuŏy chroŭmchrêng phkótphkóng prâyoŭchn aôy Dál prâtés khmêr chéa môhanôkôr | [sou̯m puə̯k̚ teːp̚.ɗaː rĕə̯k̚.saː‿m(ɔ).haːk̚.sat̚ jəːŋ] [ʔao̯j ɓaːn ruŋ.rɨə̯ŋ ɗao̯j cɨj mĕə̯ŋ.kɔːl s(ə)riː suə̯.sɗəj] [jəːŋ kʰɲom prĕə̯h.ʔɑŋ sou̯m crɔːk̚ krao̯m‿m.lup̚ prĕə̯h ɓaː.rɔːʔ.məj] [nɨj prĕə̯h nɔːr(u)p̚.p(ɑ)ɗəj ʋŭə̯ŋ kʰsat̚.traː ɗae̯l saːŋ praː.saːt̚ tʰmɑː] [krup̚.krɔːŋ ɗae̯n kʰmae̯ ɓo.raːn tʰkaə̯ŋ.tʰkaːn ‖] [praː.saːt̚ səj.laː kɑm.ɓaŋ kɑn.ɗaːl prɨj] [kuə̯ ʔao̯j srɑ.maj nɨk̚ ɗɑl jŭə̯h.sak̚ m(ɔ.)haː.nɔ.kɔː] [ciə̯t̚ kʰmae̯ ɗou̯c̚ tʰmɑː kɔŋ.ʋɔŋ nɨw‿l.ʔɑː rɨŋ.pəŋ cum.hɑː] [jəːŋ sɑŋ.kʰɨm pɔː pʰŏə̯p̚ preːŋ sɑm.naːŋ r(ɔ.)ɓɑh kam.p(u.)ciə̯] [m(ɔ)haː.rŏə̯t̚ kaə̯t̚ miə̯n juː ʔɑŋ.ʋaə̯ŋ haə̯j ‖] [krup̚ ʋŏə̯t̚ ʔaː.raːm lɨː tae̯ sou̯.sap̚ tʰɔə̯] [sou̯t̚ ɗao̯j ʔɑm.nɑː rum.lɨk̚ kun put̚.tʰĕə̯ʔ.sah.snaː] [cou̯ jəːŋ ciə̯ nĕə̯ʔ cɨə̯.cĕə̯ʔ smɑh.smak̚ taːm ɓae̯p̚ ɗou̯n.taː] [kŭə̯ŋ tae̯ teːʋ(ə).ɗaː nɨŋ cuə̯j croːm.crɛːŋ pʰkɔt̚.pʰkɔŋ prɑ.jao̯c̚ ʔao̯j] [ɗɑl prɑ.teːh kʰmae̯ ciə̯‿m(ɔ).haː.nɔ.kɔː ‖] | May the Angels save our king Granting him happiness and prosperity We, his servants, wish to refuge under his completeness Of sovereign's line, the ones being to build temples Reigning over old Khmer's glorious land. Temples of stone, hidden amid forests Bethought of the mighty great kingdom triumphs Khmer race stands tough and solid as eternal stone We pray for the best upon Cambodia's destiny A grand nation've ever occurred for. Dharma risen, up from monasteries Chant with joy, commemorate of Buddhism Let us be faithful to our ancestors' belief Assuredly, Angels will grant its bounty Toward Khmer's, the grand nation. |
Until the end of the French protectorate, a fourth verse praising the friendship between the Khmer and the French people was sung:
| Khmer original | English translation |
| ក្នុងគ្រាក្សេមក្សាន្ត ដូចគ្រាមានចម្បាំង កម្ពុជានិងបារាំង ជាមិត្តរួមចិត្តមួយ យោធាក្លាហាន បានបង្ហូរឈាមដោយក្តីទុក្ខព្រួយ គង់មានថ្ងៃមួយ និងមានជុំនេះដូចដើមវិញពុំខាន ពួកខ្មែរនិងបាន ជួបជុំគ្នាវិញ | In peace and in battle Cambodia was the friend of France The blood of their heroes was not shed in vain Because a day will dawn that will see the triumph As well as the union of all Khmers |