The National Anthem
Symbol

The National Anthem

Everybody, strum your koras, beat your balafons
The Red Lion has roared.
The tamer of the bushland,
Has leapt forth in a single bound,
Dispelling the darkness.
Sun upon our fears, Sun upon our hopes.
Rise, brothers, for Africa has united.

Chorus:
Fibers of my green heart.
Shoulder to shoulder, my more-than-brothers,
Senegalese people, rise!
Let’s unite seas and rivers, let’s unite steppes and forests!
We salute you, mother Africa.

Senegal, son of the lion’s foam,
You who have surged from the night to the gallop of horses,
Return to us, oh! Return to us the pride of our ancestors,
Splendid as ebony and strong as muscle
Upright, we say – the sword has no burr.

(Chorus)

Senegal, we make ours your great scheme:
Give a shelter to the chicks to keep the kites away
To make out of it, from East to West and from North to South,
a people, standing as one man, a people seamlessly united,
But a people looking to all the winds of the world.

(Chorus)

Senegal, just like you, like all our heroes,
We will be strict, without hatred and with our two arms open.
The sword shall remain in peace in its sheath,
Because labor will be our weapon along with our voice.
The Bantu is our brother, as is the Arab and the White man.

(Chorus)

But should the enemy set our borders aflame,
We will rise, arms in hand:
One people, in its faith, defying all sorrows,
Young and old, men and women.
Death, yes! We say yes to death, but not to disgrace.

(Chorus)

Other Anthems

The Song of Youth

Verse 1:
For you, oh Senegal,
Country of light,
We are like the big green palm trees,
Our ancestors, since their tender black youths,
Have charted the course unerring,
And forged our fate.

Verse 2:
Like Lat Dior Ngoné Latyr,
Reaching our young hearts out towards your sun,
Yes, were it to be needed,
Tomorrow, we would give you our last breath
To defend you, our homeland!

Verse 3:
For you, oh Senegal,
For you, our country,
We will be always united in action,
In the fields and the factories,
In the city or in the village,
We will work with joy
For Senegal to live!

Chorus:
We say no! Ngoné Latyr (repeat)
We say no! To the fear that makes one flee.
We say yes! Ngoné Latyr (repeat)
We say yes! To the call of pride.

Anthem of the African Renaissance

Part I: Senegal
Surging from our fields
From our cities and towns,
To hark the cry of our country,
Here is Senegal!

Chorus:
Senegal! Senegal! (repeat)
Fighting for freedom,
Senegal! Senegal! (repeat)
Forward! Forward!
Forward!

Part II: Africa
From the sea to the country
The savannah and the forest,
Harking the call of mother Africa,
Here come the Africans!

Boys and young ladies,
Workers and peasants,
Let us hurry forth to save Africa!
Here come the Africans!

Chorus:
Africans! Africans! (repeat)
Fighting for freedom
Africans! Africans! (repeat)
Forward! Forward!
Forward!