National Anthem of the Republic of China

The current National Anthem of the Republic of China (Chinese: 中華民國國歌, Zhōnghuá Míngúo Gúogē) was adopted in 1937; previously, the Song to the Auspicious Cloud was used as the official anthem. The current national anthem remains as the national anthem of the Republic of China government in Taiwan. In mainland China, the anthem serves a historical role. The national anthem of the People's Republic of China is the "March of the Volunteers".

The anthem's words are adapted from a 1924 speech by Sun Yat-sen, via the anthem of the Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) in 1937. The lyrics relate to how the vision and hopes of a new nation and its people can be achieved and maintained. Informally, the song is sometimes known as San Min Chu-i from its opening line which references the Three Principles of the People (Sanmin Zhuyi), but this name is never used in formal or official occasions.

Lyrics

Traditional Chinese

三民主義，吾黨所宗，
以建民國，以進大同。
咨爾多士，為民前鋒；
夙夜匪懈，主義是從。
矢勤矢勇，必信必忠；
一心一德，貫徹始終。

Simplified Chinese

三民主义，吾党所宗，
以建民国，以进大同。
咨尔多士，为民前锋；
夙夜匪懈，主义是从。
矢勤矢勇，必信必忠；
一心一德，贯彻始终。

Bopomofo

ㄙㄢㄇㄧㄣˊ ㄓㄨˇㄧˋ ㄨˊㄉㄤˇ　ㄙㄨㄛˇ　ㄗㄨㄥˉ
ㄧˇ　ㄐㄧㄢˋ　ㄇㄧㄣˊㄍㄨㄛˊ ㄧˇ　ㄐㄧㄣˋ　ㄉㄚˋ　ㄊㄨㄥˊ
ㄗㄦˇ　ㄉㄨㄛㄕˋ ㄨㄟˊ　ㄇㄧㄣˊ　ㄑㄧㄢˊㄈㄥ
ㄙㄨˋ　ㄧㄝˋ　ㄈㄟˇ　ㄒㄧㄝˋ ㄓㄨˇㄧˋ　ㄕˋ　ㄘㄨㄥˊ
ㄕˇ　ㄑㄧㄣˊ　ㄕˇ　ㄩㄥˇ ㄅㄧˋ　ㄒㄧㄣˋ　ㄅㄧˋ　ㄓㄨㄥ
ㄧˋ　ㄒㄧㄣㄧˋ　ㄉㄜˊ ㄍㄨㄢˋㄔㄜˋ　ㄕˇㄓㄨㄥ

The lyrics are in classical literary Chinese. For example,

ěr (爾) is a literary equivalent of both singular and plural "you" (which are differentiated in modern Chinese) depending on the context. In this case, it is plural "you".
fěi (匪) is a classical synonym of "not" (非 fēi). And
zī (咨) is a classical, archaic interjection, and is not used in this sense in the modern vernacular language.

In this respect, the national anthem of the Republic of China stands in contrast to the People's Republic of China's "The March of the Volunteers", which was written a few years later entirely in modern vernacular Chinese.

As well as being written in classical Chinese, the national anthem follows classical poetic conventions. The ancient Fu style follows that of a four-character poem, where the last character of each line rhymes in -ong or -eng, which are equivalent in ancient Chinese.

Hanyu Pinyin

Sānmín Zhǔyì, wúdǎng suǒ zōng;

Yǐ jiàn Mínguó, yǐ jìn dà tóng.

Zī'ěr duō shì, wéi mín qiánfēng;

Sù yè fěi xiè, zhǔyì shì cóng.

Shǐ qín shǐ yǒng, bì xìn bì zhōng;

Yì xīn yì dé, guànchè shǐzhōng.

Wade-Giles

San-min-chu-yi, Wu-tang so tsung;

yi-chien Min-kuo, yi-chin ta-t'ung.

Tzu erh to-shih, wei min ch'ien-feng;

su-yeh fei hsieh, chu-yi shih ts'ung.

Shih ch'in shih yung, pi hsin pi chung;

yi hsin yi te, kuan-ch'e shih-chung.

IPA transcription

sánmǐn t͡ʂùî, ǔ tàŋ swò t͡sʊ́ŋ,

ì t͡ɕjɛ̂n mǐnkwǒ, ì t͡ɕîn tâtʰʊ̌ŋ.

t͡sí àɚ twó ʂî, wêi mǐn t͡ɕʰjɛ̌nfə́ŋ;

sû jê fèi ɕjê t͡ʂùî ʂî t͡sʰʊ̌ŋ.

ʂì t͡ɕʰǐn ʂì jʊ̀ŋ, pî ɕîn pî t͡ʂʊ́ŋ;

î ɕín î tɤ̌, kwânt͡ʂʰɤ̂ ʂì t͡ʂʊ́ŋ.

English translations

The official translation by Du Tingxiu (Th,eodore B. Tu) appears in English-language guides to the ROC published by the government.

Official

Literal

San Min Chu-i,

Our aim shall be:
To found a free land,
World peace, be our stand.
Lead on, comrades,
Vanguards ye are.
Hold fast your aim,
By sun and star.
Be earnest and brave,
Your country to save,
One heart, one soul,
One mind, one goal...

Three Principles of the People,

The foundation of our party.
Using [this], [we] establish the Republic;
Using [this], [we] advance into a state of total peace.
Oh, you, righteous men,
For the people, [be] the vanguard.
Without resting day or night,
Follow the Principles.
Swear [to be] diligent; swear [to be] courageous.
Obliged to be trustworthy; obliged to be loyal.
[With] one heart and one virtue,
[We] carry through until the very end.

Transcription in other Chinese languages

Cantonese Yale	Pe̍h-ōe-jī
Sāam màhn jyú yih, ngh dóng só jūng, Yíh gin màhn gwok, yíh jeun daaih duhng, Jī yíh dō sih, wàih màhn chìhn fūng, Sūk yeh féi háaih, jyú yih sih chùhng, Chí kàhn chí yúhng, bīt seun bīt jūng, Yāt sām yāt dāk, gun chit chí jūng!	Sam bîn chú gī, ngô͘ tóng só͘ chong, Í kiàn Bîn-kok, í chìn tāi tông, Chu ní to sū, ûi bîn chiân hong, Siok iā húi hāi, chú gī sī chiông, Sí khîn sí ióng, pit sìn pit tiong, i̍t sim i̍t tek, koàn thiat sí tiong!

Other translation

In Vernacular Chinese

三民主義是我們所共同遵從的指導方針。

用三民主義建立並建設中華民國，促進大同世界的實現。

啊！諸位志士們！要做全民的楷模表率。

從早到晚都不懈怠，遵從三民主義。

立誓要勤奮努力、勇往直前。一定要信守、忠誠。

大家團結一致，共同努力。自始至終，不斷地努力，徹底實踐。

In Min Nan Chinese

Sam-bîn Chú-gī sī lán-ê tóng/lán-lâng só͘ hōng-hêng (奉行)--ê,

lâi kiàn-li̍p Tiong-hoa Bîn-kok, chìn-chêng kàu tāi-tông--ê kéng-kài.

Ah! Lín chia choē-choē--ê chì-sū (志士), sī jîn-bîn--ê thâu-tīn,

mê-ji̍t m̄ thang pîn-tōaⁿ, kin-toè chit-ê chú-gī.

Chiù-chōa ài kut-la̍t, ài ióng-kám; tiāⁿ-tio̍h ài sìn-si̍t, ài tiong-sêng.

Tùi thâu kàu boé, tông-sim si̍t-hêng Sam-bîn Chú-gī!

In Catonese

三民主義，
我哋同人嘅宗旨；
用嚟建民國，
用嚟促進大同。

啊！你哋各位志士，
要做人民嘅前鋒；
早晚都唔偷懶，
遵從三民主義。

立誓勤勇，
一定要信，　一定要忠;
一心一德，
貫徹始終。

In Gan Chinese

三民主義，
係偶俚嗰宗旨；
搦佢來建設民國，
搦佢來促進世界大同。
啊！倷個俚各弟兄，
要做群眾嗰先鋒；
一日到夜都莫攤尸，
硬要遵守三民主義。
發誓要勤奮、勇敢，
硬要信守，硬要忠心;
大家都團結互幫，
一逕哩貫徹三民主義。

Other transcription

These are adopted scripts which are not (and have never been) officially used to write Chinese.

Hán-Việt

Tam Dân Chủ nghĩa, ngô đảng sở tông;

Dĩ kiến Dân Quốc, dĩ tiến đại đồng.

Tư nhĩ đa sĩ, vì dân tiền phong;

Túc dạ phỉ giải, Chủ nghĩa thị tòng.

Thỉ cần thỉ dũng, tất tín tất trung;

Nhất tâm nhất đức, quán triệt thủy chung

Hanja-eo

삼민주의, 오당소종,

이건민국, 이진대동.

자이다사, 위민전봉,

숙야비해, 주의시종.

시근시용, 필신필충,

일심일덕, 관철시종.

Hangul transcription

싼민주이, 우당 쒀쭝,

이젠 민궈, 이진 다퉁.

쯔 얼 둬 스, 웨이민 첸펑,

쑤예 페이셰, 주이스충.

스친 스융, 비신 비중,

이신 이더, 관처 스중.

Japanese Shinjitai

三民主義、吾党所宗；

以建民国、以進大同。

咨爾多士、為民前鋒；

夙夜匪懈、主義是従。

矢勤矢勇、必信必忠；

一心一徳、貫徹始終。

Japanese Kanbun Kundoku

三民主義ハ、吾黨ノ宗トスル所、

以テ民國ヲ建テ、以テ大同ニ進ム。

咨、爾多士、民ノ前鋒ト爲リ、

夙夜懈ラス、主義ニ是從フ。

勤ヲ矢ヒ、勇ヲ矢ヒ、必ス信シ、必ス忠ニシテ、

一心一德、貫徹始終ナレ。

Palladius Cyrillic transcription

Саньминь Чжуи, удан со цзун;

И цзянь Миньго, и цзинь да тун.

Цзыэр до ши, вэй минь цяньфэн;

Су е фэй се, чжуи ши цун.

Ши цинь ши юн, би синь би чжун;

И синь и дэ, ганьчэ шичжун.

Thai transcription

ซานหมินจู่อี้, อู่ตางซฺว่อซง;

อี่เจี่ยนหมินกั๋ว, อี่จิ้นต้าถง.

ซือเอ่อร์ตัวชื่อ, เหว่ยหมินเฉียนเฟิง;

ซู่เย่เฟ่ย์เซีย, จู่อี้ชือฉง.

ซือฉินซือยง, ปี้ซินปี้จง;

อี้ซินอี้เตอ, ก่วนเช่อซือจง.