Saint Lucia National Anthem
Sons and Daughters of Saint Lucia
1967
1967
Charles Jesse
Leton Felix Thomas
🌿 Nature ✝ God / Faith ❤ Love of homeland 🤝 Unity |
Key Facts
- 1. Saint Lucia is named after Saint Lucy of Syracuse: according to legend, French sailors shipwrecked on the island on her feast day, 13 December, named it in her honour
- 2. The island changed hands between the British and French 14 times before finally becoming a British colony in 1814, earning it the nickname 'Helen of the West Indies'; the anthem's second verse recalls the wars fought over 'this Helen of the West'
- 3. Saint Lucia has produced two Nobel laureates, Sir Arthur Lewis (Economics, 1979) and Derek Walcott (Literature, 1992), who were both born on 23 January
Saint Lucia National Anthem Lyrics
Sons and daughters of Saint Lucia
Love the land that gave us birth!
Land of beaches, hills and valleys,
Fairest isle of all the earth!
Wheresoever you may roam,
Love, oh love, our island home.
Gone the times when nations battled
For this 'Helen of the West',
Gone the days when strife and discord
Dimmed her children's toil and rest.
Dawns at last a brighter day,
Stretches out a glad new way.
May the good Lord bless our island,
Guard her sons from woe and harm!
May our people live united,
Strong in soul and strong in arm.
Justice, Truth and Charity,
Our ideal for ever be!
Translations are non-official and intended to convey meaning, not replace originals
Analysis
EditorialWritten by Father Charles Jesse with music by Leton Felix Thomas, the anthem was adopted in 1967, when Saint Lucia became a self-governing state in association with the United Kingdom, and was kept as the national anthem when the country gained independence on February 22, 1979. The anthem celebrates the natural beauty of the island and calls on its citizens to love their homeland wherever they may be. In 2016 the government adopted a version in Kwéyòl (Saint Lucian Creole), the Chanson Nasyonnal.
Learn More
Sources & References
- National Anthem of Saint Lucia (English lyrics, attachment to the Kweyol anthem announcement) . Government of Saint Lucia (2016)
- Kweyol National Anthem approved . Government of Saint Lucia (Office of the Prime Minister) (2016)
- National Anthem of Saint Lucia (lyrics and protocol) . Government of Saint Lucia (archived site)
- es.wikipedia.org: Sons_and_Daughters_of_Saint_Lucia . es.wikipedia.org
Source & Review
- Source status
- Official source verified
- Translation
- AI-assisted working translation
- Rights status
- Third-party rights may apply
- Last reviewed
- Editorial review
- Pending
- Editorial owner
- Nationalia
- Report a correction
- rights@nationalia.org