FRENCH LYRICS

En ce jour le soleil se lève 
Et notre Congo resplendit. 
Une longue nuit s'achève, 
Un grand bonheur a surgi. 
Chantons tous avec ivresse 
le chant de la liberté. 

CHORUS:
Congolais, debout fièrement partout,
Proclamons l'union de notre nation,
Oublions ce qui nous divise,
soyons plus unis que jamais,
Vivons pour notre devise:
Unité, travail, progrès!
Vivons pour notre devise:
Unité, travail, progrès!

Des forêts jusqu'à la savanne,
Des savannes jusqu'à la mer,
Un seul peuple, une seule âme,
Un seul coer, ardent et fier,
Luttons tous, tant que nous sommes,
Pour notre vieux pays noir.

CHORUS

Et s'il nous faut mourir, en somme
Qu'importe puisque nos enfants,
Partout, pourront dire comme
On triomphe en combattant,
Et dans le moindre village
Chantent sous nos trois couleurs

CHORUS

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ENGLISH TRANSLATION
 
On this day the sun rises
And our Congo stands resplendent.
A long night is ended,
a great happiness has come.
Let us all, with wild joyfulness, sing
The song of freedom.

CHORUS:
Arise, Congolese, proud every man,
Proclaim the unity of our nation.
Let us forget what divides us
And become more united than ever.
Let us live our motto:
Unity, work, progress.
Let us live our motto:
Unity, work, progress.

From the forest to the bush,
From the bush to the ocean,
One people, one soul,
One heart, ardent and proud.
Let us all fight, every one of us,
For our black country.

CHORUS

And if we have to die,
What does it really matter? Our children
Everywhere will be able to say how
Triumph comes through battle,
And in the smallest village
Sing beneath our three colours.

CHORUS 


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Congo, Republic of
"La Congolaise"

Words by:Levent Kimbangui
Music by:Français Jacques Tondra
Adopted:1959, replaced 1969, restored 1991

Like its neighbour to the east of the same name (see Congo,_Dem._Rep._of) the
Rep. of Congo (sometimes called Congo (Brazzaville), to distinguish the two
nations) re-adopted its original anthem in 1991, which was originally adopted
upon independence in 1959 and and was used until Dec. 31, 1969.

Special thanks to:Jean-Francois Blanc for some of this information.
See also: Congo,_Rep._of_(1970-1991).

MUSIC
