Chant de Ralliement

Chant de Ralliement or The Rallying Song is the national anthem of Cameroon. It was used on an unofficial basis beginning in 1948 before independence, and officially adopted in 1957. The music was composed by René Djam Afame, who also wrote the lyrics along with Samuel Minkio Bamba and Moïse Nyatte Nko'o. The lyrics were changed in 1978.

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

English Lyrics

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