Czech Music - Tumblr Posts

All right everybody, we'll start by the oldest Czech song: Hospodine, pomiluj ny. (And if you don't understand it, don't worry, I had to google translation to modern Czech to be able to understand what they are singing about).

While you might have heard about Přemyslovci, at the begining they weren't the only influential dynasty. It is said that Hospodine pomiluj ny was composed by svatý Vojtěch (Adalbert of Prague, svatý = saint), a member of another important dynasty - Slavníkovci. Most of the members of this dynasty were killed in 995. Svatý Vojtěch survived because he wasn't in Bohemia, he never returned and was killed in 997 by pagan Prussians. We don't know for sure why and who killed Slavníkovci, it might have been ordered by Přemyslovci or another dynasty Vršovci - Přemyslovci later tried to kill them three times, but some members survived and we are not exactly sure what happened to them.

What we know for sure is that Hospodine, pomiluj ny was sang when Spytihněv II. (from Přemyslovci dynasty) was elected to be the Duke of Bohemia in 1055. His younger brother Vratislav II. became the first King of Bohemia in 1086, although his sons didn't inherit the title. The second King of Bohemia was Vladislav I., again, the title was not hereditary.

The title became hereditary during the reign of Přemysl Otakar I. in 1212, after the Golden Bull of Sicily was granted to Bohemia by Frederick II. The Golden Bull recognized both Přemysl Otakar I. (third King of Bohemia) and his heirs as Kings of Bohemia.

Lyrics:

Original:

Hospodine, pomiluj ny!

Jezukriste, pomiluj ny!

Ty, spase všeho mira,

spasiž ny i uslyšiž,

Hospodine, hlasy našě!

Daj nám všěm, Hospodine,

žizn a mír v zemi!

Krleš! Krleš! Krleš!

Modern Czech:

Hospodine, smiluj se nad námi!

Ježíši Kriste, smiluj se nad námi,

Ty, spasiteli všeho světa,

spas nás a vyslyš,

Hospodine, hlasy naše.

Dej nám všem, Hospodine,

hojnost a pokoj na zemi.

Kyrie eleison! Kyrie eleison! Kyrie eleison!

(Krleš is wrong pronunciation of Kyrie eleison).

English:

Lord, have mercy on us!

Jesus Christ, have mercy on us!

You, Saviour of all the world,

save us and hear,

Lord, our voices.

Give us all, Lord,

plenty and peace on earth.

Kyrie eleison! Kyrie eleison! Kyrie eleison!