Lesotho National Anthem
Lesotho Fatse La Bontata Rona
Lesotho, Land of Our Fathers
1869
1967
François Coillard
Ferdinand-Samuel Laur
✝ God / Faith ❤ Love of homeland ☮ Peace 🏺 Ancestors / Heritage |
Key Facts
- 1. Lesotho is the only country in the world entirely above 1,000 meters in elevation, earning it the nickname 'Kingdom in the Sky'
- 2. The anthem was written by a French Protestant missionary who lived among the Basotho people
- 3. Lesotho is completely enclosed within South Africa, making it one of only three enclave countries in the world
Lesotho National Anthem Lyrics
Lesotho fatse la bontata rona,
Har'a mafatse le letle ke lona,
Ke moo re hlahileng,
Ke moo re holileng,
Rea le rata.
Molimo ak'u boloke Lesotho,
U felise lintoa le matshwenyeho,
Oho fatse lena,
La bontata rona,
Le be le khotso.
Translations are non-official and intended to convey meaning, not replace originals
Analysis
EditorialDeclared the official anthem on 1 June 1967, the year after Lesotho gained independence from Britain. The words, by the French missionary François Coillard, appeared in a school songbook around 1869, set to a Swiss melody composed in the early 1820s by Ferdinand-Samuel Laur. The anthem reflects the Basotho people's deep attachment to their mountainous homeland, entirely surrounded by South Africa.
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