# National anthem of Manchukuo

The National anthem of Manchukuo was one of the many national symbols of independence and sovereignty created to foster a sense of legitimacy for Manchukuo in both an effort to secure international diplomatic recognition and to foster a sense of nationalism among its inhabitants.
During Manchukuo's 13-year existence, two national anthems were used.
The National anthem of Manchukuo was widely taught in schools and used in ceremonies in Manchukuo.

## 1932 proposed version

It is unclear when Manchuria began its first national anthem production, but it seems that preparations had already begun around the Manchuria National Declaration on March 1, 1932. On May 21, 1932, the Manchuria Sports Association formally applied to the Organizing Committee of the Olympics to dispatch players to the Los Angeles Olympics (held in July 1932). The Organizing Committee urges the Manchuria country to apply to the International Olympic Committee as “participation is approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC)” and informs the Organizing Committee to send the national flag and national anthem, they have done it. On the other hand, there is still a record that the Manchuria Sports Association sent a document stating that “the national flag and national anthem were sent to the organizing committee” to the secretary general of the Olympic organizing committee. Before May, the song was completed.
However, the line "a country good at defense uses humaneness, a country bad at defense uses military force." upset the Kwantung Army, and the lyrics written in Classical Chinese were too difficult to be understood by the ordinary citizens, the drafted anthem was not favored.
| Traditional Chinese | Pinyin | English translation |
| 地闢兮天開 | Dì pì xī tiān kāi | The universe created and opened up the heaven and ground |
| 松之涯兮白之隈 | Sōng zhī yá xī Bái zhī wēi | Along the Songhua River and Changbai Mountain |
| 我伸大義兮繩於祖武 | Wǒ shēn dàyì xī shéng yú zǔwǔ | The righteousness we advocate can be traced to the ancestors |
| 我行博愛兮懷於九垓 | Wǒ xíng bó'ài xī huái yú jiǔgāi | The fraternity we conduct to the nive levels of heaven |
| 善守國兮以仁 | Shàn shǒu guó xī yǐ rén | A country good at defense uses humaneness |
| 不善守兮以兵 | Bùshàn shǒu xī yǐ bīng | A country bad at defense uses military force |
| 天不愛道地不愛寶 | Tiān bù ài dào dì bù ài bǎo | (With that virtue) the heaven would present its principle and the ground would present its treasure |
| 貨惡其棄於地兮獻諸蒼昊 | Huò wù qí qì yú dì xī xiàn zhū cānghào | Goods would be presented to the universe, instead of being left on the ground |
| 孰非橫目之民兮視此洪造 | Shú fēi héngmù zhī mín xī shì cǐ hóng zào | Isn't the ordinary people who have witnessed this grand grace |

## 1933 version

The first national anthem was declared by State Council Decree No.4, dated 24 February Dàtóng 2 (1933) but publicized on March 1. The lyrics were written by Manchukuo's first Prime Minister Zheng Xiaoxu, who was a devout Confucianist and Qing loyalist in addition to being an accomplished poet and calligrapher.
| Traditional Chinese | Pinyin | English translation |
| 天地內，有了新滿洲。 | Tiān dì nèi, yǒu liǎo xīn mǎnzhōu. | (Now) on Earth, there is the new Manchuria, |
| 新滿洲，便是新天地。 | Xīn mǎnzhōu, biàn shì xīn tiān dì. | This new Manchuria is our new homeland. |
| 頂天立地，無苦無憂，造成我國家。 | Dǐng tiān lì dì, wú kǔ wú yōu, zào chéng wǒ guójiā. | Let us make our country upright and free of sadness. |
| 只有親愛並無怨仇， | Zhǐ yǒu qīn'ài bìng wú yuànchóu, | With only love and without hatred, |
| 人民三千萬，人民三千萬， | Rénmín sān qiān wàn, rénmín sān qiān wàn, | Thirty million people, thirty million people, |
| 縱加十倍也得自由。 | Zòng jiā shí bèi yě dé zìyóu. | at ten times more we would still be free. |
| 重仁義，尚禮讓，使我身修； | Zhòng rényì, shàng lǐràng, shǐ wǒ shēn xiū; | With virtue and rite, rectified am I; |
| 家已齊，國已治，此外何求。 | Jiā yǐ qí, guó yǐ zhì, cǐwài hé qiú. | with the family in order and the state well-ruled, there is nothing else I want. |
| 近之則與世界同化， | Jìn zhī, zé yǔ shìjiè tónghuà, | In the present, may we assimilate with the world; |
| 遠之則與天地同流。 | Yuǎn zhī, zé yǔ tiāndì tóng liú. | In the future, we shall resemble the Heavens and Earth. |

## 1942 version

The national anthem was changed on 5 September Kāngdé 9 (1942), by State Council Order No. 201. Prime Minister of Manchukuo Zhang Jinghui cited the 1933 version of the anthem was unsuitable for the current situations of the Empire as the reason for the change. The new anthem, with Manchurian (i.e. Mandarin Chinese) and Japanese lyrics, was written by a committee, according to Zhang. The 1933 anthem was renamed the Manchukuo Independence Song (滿洲國建國歌, pinyin: Mǎnzhōuguó jiàn guógē, Japanese Hepburn romanization: Manshukoku-kenkoku uta).

### Lyrics

| Traditional Chinese | Pinyin | English translation |
| 神光開宇宙 表裏山河壯皇猷 | Shén guāng kāi yǔzhòu, biǎolǐ shānhé zhuàng huáng yóu | With the Universe created in God's Light, the vast land strengthens the Emperor's rule; |
| 帝德之隆 巍巍蕩蕩莫與儔 | Dì'dé zhī lóng wēiwēi dàngdàng mò yǔ chóu | So full is His virtue, so wide that it is beyond compare |
| 永受天祐兮 萬壽無疆薄海謳 | Yǒng shòu tiān yòu xī, wànshòuwújiāng bó hǎi ōu | May He always receive divine guidance, with his years surpassing the sea; |
| 仰贊天業兮 輝煌日月侔 | Yǎng zàn tiān yè xī, huīhuáng rì yuè móu | [Let us] worship the divine work, its glory equals the sun and moon. |
| Japanese | Hepburn romanization | English translation |
| 大（おほ）御（み）光（ひか）り天地（あめつち）に滿（み）ち | Ōmi-hikari ametsuchi ni michi | Filling the world with Divine light, |
| 帝德（ていとく）は貴（たか）く尊（たふと）し | Teitoku wa takaku tōtoshi | The Emperor's virtue is noble and worshipped. |
| 豐榮（とよさか）の萬壽（ばんじゆ）言（こと）祝（ほ）ぎ | Toyosaka no banju kotohogi | Let us salute him with long life and prosperity |
| 天（あま）つ御（み）業（わざ）仰（あふ）ぎ祭（まつ）らむ | Amatsu-miwaza aogimatsuran | And we revere the Emperor's deeds |

### Official Interpretation

According to the official interpretation of the anthem issued on the same day of its adoption, the "God" in the first line of the Chinese version refers to Amaterasu, the sun goddess in Shinto, referring to Manchukuo's adoption of State Shinto as its state religion in 1940. Also, God's Light is interpreted as Arahitogami, i.e. Emperor of Japan. The whole of the first line is interpreted as
   with this Divine Light, the Universe is created, and the bright and peaceful (it used the kanji 昭和, cognate of Shōwa, for bright and peaceful.) Light fills and shines over our Manchurian land and rivers, and with that we have our independence and our successes after independence. His Majesty the Emperor (i.e. Kangde) received this Divine Light to rule our country and to love our citizens. The first line [...] is an ode to our state.
"The Divine Work" in the fourth line came from Kangde's Imperial Rescript on the Tenth Anniversary of the Nation on 1 March 1942, in which he mentioned,
   We should sharpen our mind and spirits to sacrifice to the holy Greater East Asia War and help in the Divine Work of our Parent Nation...
and hence interpreted as:
   This line describes the determination of our citizens. The Imperial Message on March 1 stated "[to] help in the Divine Work of the Parent Nation," and the Divine Work of Japan, our Parent Nation, is to revitalize East Asia and to create the Co-prosperity Sphere[...] Our country is the pioneer in the prosperity of East Asia[...] Our citizens should revere this Divine Work of our Parent Nation and to help it in all our endeavors, to finalize the goal of our independence, to rebuild the world, and that the Divine Work maybe as large and permanent as the sun and the moon.