Đăng đàn cung (chữ Hán: 登壇宮 lit. on the ascent to the esplanade) was the royal anthem of the Nguyễn dynasty, Vietnam.

History

Following his ascension to the throne as emperor, Gia Long ordered composition an anthem thus "Đăng đàn cung" came into being. From the time of Gia Long, this piece was played when the emperors journeyed from the Citadel of Huế to Esplanade of Sacrifice to the Heaven and Earth. It was used in villages and courts to invoke divinities and honour monarchs. Under the reign of Bảo Đại, lyrics were added, composed by the musician Nguyễn Phúc Ưng Thiều (chữ Hán: 阮福膺昭). In the 1945 with the creation of the short-life Empire of Vietnam, prime minister Trần Trọng Kim selected "Đăng đàn cung" as Vietnam's national anthem. However, the Empire was dissolved soon after. Nowadays, this piece of music is still played in Vietnam. It is used frequently in the tourist industry as a sampler of traditional Vietnamese music. Similarly classes in traditional music include this piece as a classic. It is usually played by traditional musicians in Huế at festivals, tourist attractions, but is also played at Buddhist funerals.

Official lyrics

The lyrics are provided by Hymnes et Pavillon d'Indochine.

Lyrics from the 1940s

Lyrics by Nguyen Phuc Ung Thieu, used in the 1940s: 1. 2. 3.

Vietnamese musical score

New lyrics

Vietnamese

Lyrics by Ngoc Phan, used at the Millennial Anniversary of Hanoi in 2010:

English