Ethiopia National Anthem

ወደፊት ገስግሺ ውድ እናት ኢትዮጵያ

Wodefit Gesgeshi Woud Enat Ethiopia

March Forward, Dear Mother Ethiopia

Written 1992

Adopted 1992

Lyrics Dereje Melaku Mengesha

Music Solomon Lulu Mitiku

🤝 Unity 🌈 Diversity ☮ Peace 🕊 Freedom ❤ Love of homeland | Hopeful

Key Facts

1. The anthem is sung in Amharic, the working language of the federal government, but a 2010 proclamation allows each regional state to perform it in a translation into its own official language, to the same music, once the state council has approved it.
2. Ethiopia's imperial anthem, 'Ityopya Hoy Dess Yibelish' ('Ethiopia, Be Happy'), was composed in 1926 by Kevork Nalbandian, an Armenian living in Ethiopia; it was first performed at Haile Selassie's coronation on 2 November 1930 and stayed in use until 1975, after the fall of the monarchy.
3. The anthem is older than the 1995 constitution, which requires the national anthem to reflect the ideals of the Constitution and the commitment of Ethiopia's peoples to live together in a democratic order; Proclamation No. 673/2010 then set its words and music down in law.
4. Under the same proclamation, using the anthem in commercial advertising is punishable by simple imprisonment or a fine, and broadcasters reaching more than one regional state must play it at the opening and close of their transmissions.

Ethiopia National Anthem Lyrics

የዜግነት ክብር በኢትዮጵያችን ፀንቶ፣ ታየ ሕዝባዊነት ዳር እስከዳር በርቶ! ለሰላም፣ ለፍትህ፣ ለሕዝቦች ነፃነት፣ በእኩልነት፣ በፍቅር፣ ቆመናል በአንድነት፤ መሠረተ ፅኑ፣ ሰብዕናን ያልሻርን፣ ሕዝቦች ነን፣ ለሥራ፣ በሥራ የኖርን! ድንቅ የባህል መድረክ፣ የአኩሪ ቅርስ ባለቤት፣ የተፈጥሮ ፀጋ፣ የጀግና ሕዝብ እናት፤ እንጠብቅሻለን፣ አለብን አደራ፣ ኢትዮጵያችን ኑሪ፤ እኛም ባንቺ እንኩራ!

Translations are non-official and intended to convey meaning, not replace originals

Analysis

Editorial

Adopted in 1992, after the fall of the Derg military regime, the anthem replaced the Derg-era anthem. Its words speak of the honour of citizenship, peace, justice, the freedom of peoples, equality and unity, and close with a pledge to protect Ethiopia. Ethiopia is one of the few African countries never colonized, apart from the Italian occupation of 1936-1941.