Burundi National Anthem
Burundi Bwacu
Our Burundi
1962
1962
Jean-Baptiste Ntahokaja
Marc Barengayabo
🏺 Ancestors / Heritage 🤝 Unity ✝ God / Faith ☮ Peace 💪 Resilience |
Key Facts
- 1. Composer Marc Barengayabo was a young seminarian at Burasira when, in 1961, a government delegation led by Prime Minister André Muhirwa asked his seminary to entrust the anthem's music to him; he wrote it during a week-long retreat at the Mureke seminary.
- 2. The words are officially credited to Jean-Baptiste Ntahokaja; the composer recalled that several Kirundi poets, Ntahokaja among them, wrote the text.
- 3. The choir of the Burasira major seminary first sang the anthem before parliament so that the deputies could approve it, but on Independence Day a recording was played instead of the choir.
Burundi National Anthem Lyrics
Burundi Bwacu
Burundi Buhire
Shinga icumu mu mashinga
Gaba intahe y'ubugabo kubugingo.
Warapfunywe ntiwapfuye,
Warahabishijwe ntiwahababuka.
Uhagurukana,
Uhagurukana,
Uhagurukana ubugabo urikukira,
Ukomerwa amashi n'amakungu,
Uhabw' impundu n'abawe
Isamirane mu mashinga. (bis)
Burundi bwacu ragi rya basokuru
Ramutswa intahe n'ibihugu
Ufatanije ishaka n'ubuhizi.
Vuza impundu
Wiganzuye uwakuganza. (bis)
Burundi bwacu,
Nkora mutima kuri twese
Tugutuye amaboko, umutima n'ubuzima
Imana yakuduhaye ikudutungire.
Horana ubumwe n'abagabo n'itekane.
Sagwa n'urweze
Sagwa n'amahoro meza.
Translations are non-official and intended to convey meaning, not replace originals
Analysis
EditorialAdopted when Burundi gained independence from Belgium in 1962. It is written in Kirundi, Burundi's indigenous national language. Burundi and neighboring Rwanda share deep cultural and linguistic ties, and both gained independence in the same year from the same colonial power.
Learn More
Sources & References
- National Symbols . Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and Development Cooperation of Burundi
Source & Review
- Source status
- Official source verified
- Translation
- AI-assisted working translation
- Rights status
- Third-party rights may apply
- Last reviewed
- Editorial review
- AI-assisted editorial review
- Editorial owner
- Nationalia
- Report a correction
- rights@nationalia.org