Cameroon
O Cameroun, Berceau de nos Ancetres
O Cameroon, Cradle of Our Ancestors
1928
1957
Rene Djam Afame / Samuel Minkio Bamba / Moise Nyatte Nko'o
Rene Djam Afame / Samuel Minkio Bamba / Moise Nyatte Nko'o
🏺 Ancestors / Heritage 🤝 Unity ❤ Love of homeland 🕊 Freedom |
Key Facts
- 1. At official state ceremonies, the anthem is performed consecutively in both French and English, one of the few countries where two language versions are sung back-to-back at every event
- 2. The melody was composed by student René Jam Afane and later orchestrated by Samuel Minkyo Bamba, who had studied European classical composition
- 3. When French Cameroun and British Southern Cameroons reunified in 1961, the anthem was one of the few national symbols both sides already shared
Lyrics
Ô 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 au Sud,
De l'Est à l'Ouest soient tout amour!
Te servir que ce soit le seul but,
Pour remplir leur devoir toujours.
[Chorus]
Chère Patrie, terre chérie,
Tu es notre seul et vrai bonheur,
Notre joie et notre vie,
À 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.
[Chorus]
Quand le soleil ardent au-dessus de ta tête
Fait pousser tes champs en les couvrant de fleurs,
Tu es la terre de joie et de fête
Où les cœurs s'unissent en tes bonheurs.
[Chorus]
Translations are non-official and intended to convey meaning, not replace originals
Analysis
EditorialWritten by students at a teacher-training school in the late 1920s, the anthem was adopted before independence in 1957. Cameroon is unique in Africa for having an anthem written collectively by a group of students rather than a single author. The anthem exists in both French and English, reflecting the country's bilingual heritage.