Algeria
قسما
Kassaman
The Pledge
1955
1963
Moufdi Zakaria
Mohamed Fawzi
⚔ Battle / War 🗽 Independence 🕊 Freedom 🔥 Revolution 🚩 Flag |
Key Facts
- 1. The anthem's title 'Kassaman' (The Pledge) is structured as an oath, and the word 'bear witness' is repeated three times at the end, echoing the Islamic shahada tradition of triple attestation.
- 2. Moufdi Zakaria never received payment or formal recognition from the Algerian government during his lifetime and spent his later years in Morocco, feeling politically sidelined.
- 3. Algeria's anthem is banned from being remixed, sampled, or used in commercial music under Algerian law, with violations carrying potential prison sentences.
Lyrics
قَسَمًا بِالنَّازِلَاتِ الْمَاحِقَاتِ
وَالدِّمَاءِ الزَّاكِيَاتِ الطَّاهِرَاتِ
وَالْبُنُودِ اللَّامِعَاتِ الْخَافِقَاتِ
فِي الْجِبَالِ الشَّامِخَاتِ الشَّاهِقَاتِ
نَحْنُ ثُرْنَا فَحَيَاةٌ أَوْ مَمَاتٌ
وَعَقَدْنَا الْعَزْمَ أَنْ تَحْيَا الْجَزَائِرُ
فَاشْهَدُوا... فَاشْهَدُوا... فَاشْهَدُوا...
نَحْنُ جُنْدٌ فِي سَبِيلِ الْحَقِّ ثُرْنَا
وَإِلَى اسْتِقْلَالِنَا بِالْحَرْبِ قُمْنَا
لَمْ يَكُنْ يُصْغَى لَنَا لَمَّا نَطَقْنَا
فَاتَّخَذْنَا رَنَّةَ الْبَارُودِ وَزْنًا
وَعَزَفْنَا نَغْمَةَ الرَّشَّاشِ لَحْنًا
وَعَقَدْنَا الْعَزْمَ أَنْ تَحْيَا الْجَزَائِرُ
فَاشْهَدُوا... فَاشْهَدُوا... فَاشْهَدُوا...
يَا فِرَنْسَا قَدْ مَضَى وَقْتُ الْعِتَابِ
وَطَوَيْنَاهُ كَمَا يُطْوَى الْكِتَابُ
يَا فِرَنْسَا إِنَّ ذَا يَوْمُ الْحِسَابِ
فَاسْتَعِدِّي وَخُذِي مِنَّا الْجَوَابَ
إِنَّ فِي ثَوْرَتِنَا فَصْلَ الْخِطَابِ
وَعَقَدْنَا الْعَزْمَ أَنْ تَحْيَا الْجَزَائِرُ
فَاشْهَدُوا... فَاشْهَدُوا... فَاشْهَدُوا...
نَحْنُ مِنْ أَبْطَالِنَا نَصْنَعُ مَجْدًا
وَعَلَى أَشْلَائِنَا نَصْنَعُ حَيَاةً
وَعَلَى أَرْوَاحِنَا نَصْعَدُ خُلْدًا
وَعَلَى هَامَاتِنَا نَرْفَعُ بُنُودًا
جَبْهَةُ التَّحْرِيرِ أَعْطَيْنَاكِ عَهْدًا
وَعَقَدْنَا الْعَزْمَ أَنْ تَحْيَا الْجَزَائِرُ
فَاشْهَدُوا... فَاشْهَدُوا... فَاشْهَدُوا...
صَرْخَةُ الْأَوْطَانِ مِنْ سَاحِ الْفِدَا
اسْمَعُوهَا وَاسْتَجِيبُوا لِلنِّدَا
وَاكْتُبُوهَا بِدِمَاءِ الشُّهَدَا
وَاقْرَؤُوهَا لِبَنِي الْجِيلِ غَدَا
قَدْ مَدَدْنَا لَكَ يَا مَجْدُ يَدًا
وَعَقَدْنَا الْعَزْمَ أَنْ تَحْيَا الْجَزَائِرُ
فَاشْهَدُوا... فَاشْهَدُوا... فَاشْهَدُوا...
Translations are non-official and intended to convey meaning, not replace originals
Analysis
EditorialWritten in 1955 by poet Moufdi Zakaria while imprisoned by French colonial authorities. He reportedly wrote the lyrics on his prison cell wall in his own blood. The anthem was adopted upon Algeria's independence in 1962, reflecting the ferocity of the eight-year war of liberation against France.