Songs in Klingon

This is a page for Klingon music (and lyrics). I’m collecting all material that I can get a hold of, so you have the lyrics to a song (any song) in this harsh language why not send it to me for inclusion here?

I would also like to make recordings of the songs available here, so that you may hear the melody. It won’t be high quality recordings (that would eat to many kilobytes) and most likely they won’t be all that fancy either. Maybe just one unaccompanied voice to get the melody across.

If you have such a recording, or if you’re willing to make one, then send it to me!

DaH­jaj po – An Imperial Parody

Music by Rich Yampell in 1993, lyrics by ’al­taQ.
This is a parody version of taH­jaj wo’. [Changed 2007-07-15]

ghI­lI’­qan qo’ – Gilligan’s Island

This is a translation of the »Gilligan’s Island« theme song, sent to me by Knightsfyre. I don’t know if it’s possible to sing it to the original melody, since I’ve never heard the song (nor watched the show). If you can give me any information regarding writer, and year it was written I’d greatly appreciate it. [Changed 2007-07-15]

gho ’oH – It’s a Circle

This is a translation of the Sesame Street song called “The Circle Song”. Translation made by Alan Anderson. (Please correct me if I’m wrong, my email address is email zrajm@klingonska.org.) Thanks to Agnieszka Solska for sending me the lyrics. [Changed 2009-12-05]

qum­ba­ya – Kum ba yah

Lyrics by unknown, trad. melody.
One of the more playful songs I know of in Klingon. [Changed 2007-07-15]

ro’ ro’ ro’ yI­bot – Row, Row, Row Your Boat

Lyrics by Mark Shoulson(?), trad. melody.
This is the original lyrics to the song most commonly known on Earth as “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”. It is not just a translation of the meaningless Terran lyrics, but a complete restoration in which it becomes apparent what the song really is all about. [Changed 2007-07-15]

Suv­wI’ van bom – The Warrior’s Anthem

Music by Paramount Pictures 1993, English & Klingon lyrics by Hillary Bader 1997, Klingon title by Marc Okrand(?) 1997.
Also known as “The Klingon Anthem”. This song was first heard (in it’s Paramount Hol version) in the TNG eposode “Birthright, Part II”, and then again in the computer game “Star Trek: Klingon”. Later on Hillary Bader wrote lyrics in English and tlhI­ngan Hol (see also KGT p.175). [Changed 2011-07-19]

taH­jaj wo’ – An Imperial Anthem

By Rich Yampell 1993.
This is a hymn in honor of the Klingon Empire. It has been sung at all of the qep­’a’­mey. Hearing this song sung by a dozen or more klingonists, and in its full three part harmony, is really beautiful. There’s even a parody of it, called DaH­jaj po (see above). [Changed 2010-11-05]

togh­meH bom – A Song for Counting

By Mark Shoulson in 1999.
A children’s counting song, with one verse for each number between zero and nine. [Changed 2007-07-15]

yIH bom – The Tribble Song

Lyrics by Lawrence Schoen, music by Rich Yampell, written in 2000.
This is a song intended for the bar room. It was first sung by Lawrence at the qep­’a’ Soch­DIch and then we all got to sing along. (The qep­’a’ had a tribble theme, and the song was written specifically for the occasion.) [Changed 2007-07-15]

yIH ghup­bogh be’ qan – There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly

Lyrics by David Trimboli in 1997, trad. melody.
The original version of a beloved Klingon nursery rhyme with the jat qaD still intact. [Changed 2007-07-15]

’a­me­rI­qa lu­Ho’­qu’­taH Hoch – Alla älskar vi Amerika (“We All Love America”)

Music and lyrics by Den Förlorade Generationen (“The Lost Generation”) in 1999(?), translated by zrajm and Markus Persson in 2000.
This song was originally written in Swedish, but at the request of the band who wrote it, we translated it into Klingon. [Changed 2007-07-15]

’Iv maH – Who are we?

By Rich Yampell in 1999.
This is the KLI theme song. It was recorded at the qep­’a’ Soch­DIch by a choir consisting of all attendants. (Including, among others: myself, Markus Persson, Captain Krankor, Mark Soulson, Lawrence Schoen, Will Martin, and some guy called Marc Okrand.) This recording will probably become a CD (this was the intention as far as I know). [Changed 2007-07-15]

The summer of 2001, when I went to my second qep­’a’ (this time in Brussels), I learned that there really are quite a few more songs around in Klingon than I previously thought. So, I made a list of songs that got to know the name of so that I would know the name of my prey and be able to hunt down the lyrics a bit easier. This is my list:

“Good Morning Starshine” (by Mark Shoulson)

This is a translation of one of the songs from the musical “Hair”.

Sub­ma’ (by Eric Andeen)

“The Noun Song” (a Sesame Street song translated by Alan Anderson)

taj Song (a work-in-progress by Mark Shoulson)

If I remember correctly, this has something to do with knives and forks.

<unknown title> (a work-in-progress by Lawrence Schoen)

This song is the story of a warrior which loses body part after body part in various battles. But he doesn’t care, because he knowns that he’ll be given them all back by Kahless the day he dies.

A Klingon Lullaby (by d’Armond Speers)

This lullaby was read to us at the qep­’a’ chorgh­DIch cabaret. According to d’Armond the lyrics (there is no melody to it, at least not yet) is a part of a larger novel he is writing.