( ar, بحريننا; "Our Bahrain"; also known as , "the national anthem of Bahrain") is the
national anthem
A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and Europe ...
of
Bahrain
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
. Originally composed as an instrumental in 1942, lyrics were added in 1985, which were changed in 2002 following the country's transformation from an
emirate
An emirate is a territory ruled by an emir, a title used by monarchs or high officeholders in the Muslim world. From a historical point of view, an emirate is a political-religious unit smaller than a caliphate. It can be considered equiva ...
into a kingdom.
History
The anthem was originally composed in 1942 to be played at official events such as receptions, making Bahrain one of the first
Arab countries
The Arab world ( ar, اَلْعَالَمُ الْعَرَبِيُّ '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, refers to a vast group of countries, mainly located in Western A ...
to adopt a national anthem. The leaders of the police band made many modifications and additions to the music over the following years, most significantly in 1972, a year after
Bahrain's independence from the United Kingdom, when it was extended by playing it twice.
In 1985, former leader of the police band Colonel
Mohamed Sudqi Ayyash
Colonel Mohamed Sudqi Ayyash (1925-2000) was a Bahraini police band leader who wrote the words for the Bahraini national anthem, Bahrainona
( ar, بحريننا; "Our Bahrain"; also known as , "the national anthem of Bahrain") is the national ...
wrote lyrics for the anthem, which were used until 2002. That year, with the emergence of the
National Action Charter and a constitutional amendments referendum that declared the country's ruler
Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifah
Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa ( ar, حمد بن عيسى بن سلمان آل خليفة '; 28 January 1950) is King of Bahrain since 14 February 2002, after ruling as Emir of Bahrain from 6 March 1999.
He is the son of Isa bin Salm ...
a king and the country a kingdom, the lyrics were changed by Minister of the Royal Court
Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa
Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa (born 24 April 1960) is a Bahraini diplomat who served as Bahrain's Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2005 until January 2020. Khalid became only the second foreign minister in Bahrain's history after replacing Moham ...
. Bahraini composer and singer Ahmed Aljumairi was directed by the government to re-arrange the national anthem with an inclusion of a fanfare that was recorded with the
London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) is one of five permanent symphony orchestras based in London. It was founded by the conductors Sir Thomas Beecham and Malcolm Sargent in 1932 as a rival to the existing London Symphony and BBC Sym ...
in London.
Mr. Ahmed Aljumairi sang the national anthem with the chorus in that recording that became the official anthem of the country. Band leader Major General
Mubarak Najm Al-Najm made a military band version arrangement that is used by the police.
Lyrics
Current lyrics
Former lyrics (1985–2002)
Notes
References
External links
Bahrain: ''Bahrainona'' - Audio of the national anthem of Bahrain, with information and lyricsarchive link
- A vocal version of the Anthem, featured in the ''Himnuszok'' website.
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Asian anthems
Bahraini music
National symbols of Bahrain
National anthem compositions in D major