Vanuatu
Yumi, Yumi, Yumi
We, We, We
1980
1980
Francois Vincent Ayssav
Francois Vincent Ayssav
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Key Facts
- 1. The anthem's title 'Yumi, Yumi, Yumi' uses the Bislama word for 'we' three times, and Bislama distinguishes between inclusive 'yumi' (you and me together) and exclusive 'mifala' (us but not you), so the title specifically means 'all of us together.'
- 2. Vanuatu has the highest density of languages per capita in the world, with over 100 languages for a population of roughly 300,000, making the choice of Bislama for the anthem a practical necessity.
- 3. The anthem is one of the few in the world written in a creole language, and its simple, repetitive structure was intentionally designed so that speakers of all local languages could learn it quickly.
Lyrics
[Chorus]
Yumi, yumi, yumi i glad blong talem se,
Yumi, yumi, yumi i man blong Vanuatu.
God i givim ples ia long yumi,
Yumi glat tumas long hem,
Yumi strong mo yumi fri long hem,
Yumi brata evriwan.
[Chorus]
Yumi, yumi, yumi i glad blong talem se,
Yumi, yumi, yumi i man blong Vanuatu.
Plante fasin blong bifo i stap,
Plante fasin blong tedei,
Be yumi i olsem wan nomo,
Hemia fasin blong yumi.
[Chorus]
Yumi, yumi, yumi i glad blong talem se,
Yumi, yumi, yumi i man blong Vanuatu.
Yumi save plante wok i stap,
Long ol aelan blong yumi,
God i helpem yumi evriwan,
Hemia kantri blong yumi.
[Chorus]
Yumi, yumi, yumi i glad blong talem se,
Yumi, yumi, yumi i man blong Vanuatu.
Translations are non-official and intended to convey meaning, not replace originals
Analysis
EditorialWritten and composed by Francois Vincent Ayssav, the anthem was adopted upon Vanuatu's independence from the joint British-French condominium (the New Hebrides) on July 30, 1980. The anthem is in Bislama, a creole language that serves as the national lingua franca among over 100 indigenous language groups.