Still White Danube Undulates

"Тих бял Дунав се вълнува" ("Still White Danube Undulates") also known as the Botev March, is a popular Bulgarian patriotic song. The lyrics are based on a poem of the same name by Ivan Vazov. The storyline recounts a historically accurate incident from the Bulgarian struggles against Ottoman rule, which has earned the status of modern myth for Bulgarians, to some degree due to this song. On May 29, 1876 Bugarian revolutionary and poet Hristo Botev at the head of 200-strong company of rebels seized control of the Austro-Hungarian passenger steamship Radetzky by armed force and used it to cross the Danube from Romania to the Bulgarian territories of the Ottoman Empire in order to join the April Uprising. Dagobert Engländer, Captain of the Radetzky, later recounted that he had been deeply moved by Botev's patriotic zeal.

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Bulgarian original	Transliteration	English translation
Тих бял Дунав се вълнува Тих бял Дунав се вълнува, весело шуми и "Радецки" гордо плува над златни вълни, но кога се там съзирва козлодуйски бряг, в парахода рог изсвирва, развя се байряк. Млади български юнаци явяват се там, на чела им левски знаци, в очите им плам. Горд отпреде им застана младият им вожд - па си дума капитану с гол в ръката нож: - Аз съм български войвода момци ми са тез. Ний летиме за свобода, кръв да лейме днес. Ний летиме на България помощ да дадем и от тежка тирания да я отървем.	Tih bjal Dunav se valnuva Tih bjal Dunav se vylnuva, veselo šumi i Radetzki gordo pluva nad zlatni vylni No koga se tam syzira kozlodujski brjag, v parahoda rog izsvirva, razvja se bajrak. Mladi bylgarski junaci javjavat se tam na čela im levski znaci v očite im plam Gord otprede im zastana mladijat im vožd pa si duma kapitanu s gol v rakata nož: -Az sym Bylgarski vojvoda momci mi sa tez nij letime za svoboda kryv da lejme dnes. Nij letime za Balgaria pomošt da dadem i ot težka tiranija da ja otyrvem	Placid White Danube Is Excited The placid white Danube is excited And splashing merrily, For the Radetzky is proudly sailing, On its golden waves. But as Kozloduy is sighted A horn sounds on the ship, A banner is unfurled. Young Bulgarian warriors Suddenly appear, On their foreheads lion badges, Ardour in their stare. Proudly there stood before them, Their leader young, And thus spoke he to the captain With bare knife in hand. ‘I am a Bulgarian voivod, And these are all my men. We are speeding now for freedom, Let us spill blood today. We are speeding to Bulgaria, To offer our help, And from oppressive tyranny To rescue her today.'