FRENCH LYRICS

O Cameroun berceau de nos ancêtres,
Va, debout et jaloux de ta liberté.
Comme un soleil ton drapeau fier doit être,
Un symbole ardent de foi et d'unité, 

Que tous tes enfants du Nord et Sud,
De l'Est à l'Ouest soient tout amour!
Te servir que ce soit le seul but
Pour remplir leur devoir toujour.

CHORUS:
Chère Patrie, terre chérie,
Tu es notre seul et vrai bonheur.
Notre joie, notre vie,
A toi l'amour et le grand honneur. 

Tu es la tombe où dorment nos pères,
Le jardin que nos aïeux ont cultivé.
Nous travaillons pour te rendre prospère,
Un beau jour enfin nous serons arrivés.
De l'Afrique sois fidèle enfant
Et progresse toujours en paix,
Espérant que tes jeunes enfants
T'aimeront sans bornes à jamais.

CHORUS

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ENGLISH TRANSLATION

O Cameroon, thou cradle of our fathers,
Proudly rally to defend your liberty.
And like the sun, your flag will be resplendent,
As a symbol of your faith and unity.
May all your children follow the command,
From East and West to give their heart,
Their only wish to serve their land
And with constancy play their part.

CHORUS:
This our land that we all love so,
On you our whole happiness is stayed.
You're our joy and you're our life too;
To you be honour and love displayed.

You are the tomb where our fathers are resting,
You're the garden they prepared and they conceived,
We work that you may become fair and prosp'rous,
And one day at last we'll see all achieved.
May you be a faithful child of Africa,
Advancing steadily in peace,
In hope that ev'ry young child of yours
Will love you until time shall cease.

CHORUS

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ENGLISH LYRICS

O Cameroon, Thou Cradle of our Fathers,
Holy Shrine where in our midst they now repose,
Their tears and blood and sweat thy soil did water,
On thy hills and valleys once their tillage rose.
Dear Fatherland, thy worth no tongue can tell!
How can we ever pay thy due?
Thy welfare we will win in toil and love and peace,
Will be to thy name ever true!
     
CHORUS:
Land of Promise, land of Glory!
Thou, of life and joy, our only store!
Thine be honour, thine devotion,
And deep endearment, for evermore.
     
From Shari, from where the Mungo meanders
From along the banks of lowly Boumba Stream,
Muster thy sons in union close around thee,
Mighty as the Buea Mountain be their team;
Instil in them the love of gentle ways,
Regret for errors of the past;
Foster, for Mother Africa, a loyalty
That true shall remain to the last.
     
CHORUS

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Cameroon
"Chant de Ralliement" (The Rallying Song)

Words by:René Djam Afame, Samuel Minkio Bamba, Moïse Nyatte Nko'o (French), Dr
Benard Nsokika Fonlon (English)
Music by:René Djam Afame
Adopted:1948

The anthem of this central African French-English bilingual country was written
in 1928, and was used as an unofficial anthem in 1948. Official use came in
1957, when Cameroon became an autonomous republic within France. Finally, the
lyrics were changed slightly in 1978, to the current version.

Like Canada (another French-English bilingual country, however, unlike
Cameroon, English is the majority language), the English and French lyrics are
slightly different, below is provided the lyrics in each official language,
with an English translation of the French lyrics.

Special thanks to:Ndiva Mongoh Mafany for the English lyrics.

MUSIC

