CAMERUN

CHANT DE RALLIEMENT

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

 

IN ENGLISH

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

 

Adopted officially in 1957 and the words were changed in 1978

Words by RENÉ DJAM AFAME (1910-1981)

English versification by T. M. CARTLEDGE