Semoga Bahagia
Semoga Bahagia
Digubah oleh Zubir Said
Sama-sama maju ke hapadan
Pandai cari pelajaran
Jaga diri dalam kesihatan
Serta sopan-santun dengan kawan-kawan
Dengan hati bersih serta suci
Sama-sama hormat dan berbudi
Jaga tingkah pemuda-pemudi
Adat dan budaya junjung tinggi
Capailah lekas cita-cita pemudi-pemuda
Supaya kita ada harga di mata dunia
Kalau kita lengah serta lupa
Hidup kita sia-sia
Jiwa besar sihat serta segar
Rajin dengan sabar tentu bahagia
Lemah-lembut perangai pemudi
Cergas tangkas wataknya pemuda
Suka rela selalu berbakti
Sikap yang pembela dan berjasa
Capailah nama yang mulia pemudi-pemuda
Rajinlah supaya berjaya semoga bahagia
May you be happy
Composed by Zubir Said
Going forward together
Cleverly seeking knowledge
Take care of your health
And be polite to your friends
With a clear heart
Be respectful and civilised
Watch your behaviour, oh youth
And carry your customs and culture high
Let's aim to reach your goals, oh youth
So that we have value in the eyes of the world
If we are not careful
Our lives go to waste
With a great and healthy spirit,
diligence and patience, we'll surely be happy
A young girl is gentle and pleasant,
A young boy works hard,
Always serving willingly
With merit and a sense of duty
Aim to be well-respected, oh youth
And be hardworking to reach success, may you be happy
Nostalgia in a melody
This song is very familiar to those who grew up in Singapore. Semoga Bahagia has been the official song for Children's Day in Singapore since 1970, and has been sung in schools on the day ever since. The song captures the national psyche at the time by depicting the values that the youth should have at the time, especially in the context of the country emerging into its newfound independence.
Because of its history and subject, this song is heavily associated with nostalgia and days in school. The embed video on this page is a video published by gov.sg. The song functions as a bridge between the past and present, and the video features scenes typical to school life in Singapore.
Product of a musical juggernaut
This song was written by Zubir Said (1907-1987). He was born in Bukittinggi to a conservative family that didn't approve of music-making. Because of this, he secretly taught himself music and made his own flute. At the age of 21, he migrated to Singapore, thus beginning his extensive music career, including Majulah Singapura, the national anthem of Singapore. During his life, he wrote over 1,500 songs which include film music and songs dedicated to the community. Learn more about Zubir Said here.