Happy Cyrillic Alphabet Day, everyone!
In honor of “The favorite Bulgarian holidy” May 24, I give you the lyrics to ‘Cyril and Methodius: a hymn for all schools.’ (Кирил и Методий Български всеучилищен химн), a song you might recognize from my podcasts.
Back in the day, the tradition was for all of Sofia’s school children to march from their schools to the big statues of Cyril and Methodius that stand in front of the Bulgarian National Library. While they marched, they sang this song (thought not necessarily at the same time). Nowadays, the school children don’t all march at the same time, but people still visit the statues and put flowers at their feet, and they still sing this song, the original original text of which appears here, but we’re going to use the modern version.
Върви, народе възродени,
Go forth, people reborn
към светла бъднина върви,
To the bright future go forth
с книжовността, таз сила нова,
With scholarship, this power new
ти чест и слава поднови!
Your honor and glory renew!
Върви към мощната просвета!
Go forth through powerful education
В световните борби върви,
In the struggles of the world, go forth,
от длъжност неизменна воден
From duty unshirking followed
и Бог ще те благослови!
And God will bless you!
Свят светла просвета!
The world lights the light
Уча Науката
It learns science
Напред! Науката е слънце,
Onward! Science is the sun,
което във душите грей!
Which shines in the spirits!
Напред! Народността не пада
Forward! The nation will not fall
там, гдето знаньето живей!
There, where knowledge lives!
Безвестен беше ти, безславен!
Hidden were you, inglorious!
О, влез в историята веч,
Oh, go down in history yet,
духовно покори страните,
Those spiritually subdued countries,
които завладя със меч!
Who conquered with the sword!
In other words, although Bulgaria might not have much modern fame or historical military success, it is SPIRITUALLY dominant, because Bulgarians invented the Cyrillic alphabet and brought literacy to the Slavs. Nyah nyah.