National Anthem Comparison
Burkina Faso vs Mali
3
Shared themes
✗
Different moods
22
22 years apart
✓
Same continent
Comparison Analysis
Burkina Faso and Mali, both Africa nations, take distinct approaches to their national anthems. Burkina Faso's "A Single Night" was written in 1984, while Mali's "Mali" dates to 1962.
Both anthems share themes of unity, freedom and battle / war. Burkina Faso additionally explores revolution and independence, while Mali also touches on hope.
The emotional tones differ: Burkina Faso's anthem is defiant, while Mali's is proud.
Burkina Faso changed its national anthem in 1984, reflecting a shift in the nation's identity or political landscape.
Shared themes
Burkina Faso
🔥 Revolution 🗽 Independence 🤝 Unity 🕊 Freedom ⚔ Battle / War
Mali
🤝 Unity 🕊 Freedom ⚔ Battle / War 🌅 Hope
Shared themes:
🤝 Unity 🕊 Freedom ⚔ Battle / War
Metadata
| Burkina Faso | Mali | |
|---|---|---|
| Written | 1984 | 1962 |
| Adopted | 1984 | 1962 |
| Lyricist | Thomas Sankara | Seydou Badian Kouyaté |
| Composer | Thomas Sankara | Banzumana Sissoko |
| Language | fr | fr |
| Region | West Africa | West Africa |
Lyrics Side by Side
Burkina Faso
Une Seule Nuit
Original
I. Contre la férule humiliante il y a déjà mille ans
La rapacité venue de loin les asservir il y a cent ans
Contre la cynique malice métamorphosée
En néocolonialisme et ses petits servants locaux
Beaucoup flanchèrent et certains résistèrent
Mais les échecs, les succès, la sueur, le sang
Ont fortifié notre peuple courageux
Et fertilisé sa lutte héroïque.
REFRAIN
Et une seule nuit a rassemblé en elle l'histoire de tout un peuple
Et une seule nuit a déclenché sa marche triomphale
Vers l'horizon du bonheur une seule nuit a réconcilié
Notre peuple, avec tous les peuples du monde
A la conquête de la liberté et du progrès.
La Patrie ou la mort nous vaincrons.
II. Nourris à la source vive de la révolution,
Les engagés volontaires de la liberté et de la paix
Dans l'énergie nocturne et salutaire du 4 août
N'avaient pas que les armes à la main mais aussi et surtout
La flamme au cœur pour légitimement libérer
Le Faso à jamais des fers de tous ceux qui,
Çà et là en polluaient l'âme sucrée
De l'indépendance de la souveraineté
III. Et séant désormais en sa dignité recouvrée
L'amour et l'honneur en partage avec l'humanité
Le peuple de Burkina chante un hymne à la victoire
A la gloire du travail libérateur, émancipateur
A bas l'exploitation de l'homme par l'homme,
Hé ! en avant pour le bonheur de tout homme
Par tous les hommes aujourd'hui et demain
Par tous les hommes ici et pour toujours.
IV. Révolution populaire nôtre, sève nourricière
Maternité immortelle de progrès à visage d'homme
Foyer éternel de démocratie consensuelle
Où enfin l'identité nationale a droit de cité
Où pour toujours l'injustice perd ses quartiers
Et où des mains des bâtisseurs d'un monde radieux
Mûrissent partout les moissons des vœux patriotiques
Brillent les soleils infinis de joie.
Translation
I. Against the humiliating yoke, a thousand years ago already,
Against the greed that came from afar to enslave them a hundred years ago,
Against the cynical malice transformed
Into neocolonialism and its petty local servants,
Many faltered and some resisted,
But the failures, the successes, the sweat, the blood
Have strengthened our courageous people
And made its heroic struggle fertile.
REFRAIN
And a single night gathered within itself the history of an entire people,
And a single night set off its triumphal march
Toward the horizon of happiness; a single night reconciled
Our people with all the peoples of the world
In the conquest of freedom and progress.
Homeland or death, we shall prevail.
II. Nourished at the living spring of the revolution,
The committed volunteers of freedom and peace,
In the saving night-time energy of the 4th of August,
Had not only weapons in hand but also, and above all,
The flame in their hearts to rightfully free
Faso forever from the chains of all those who,
Here and there, defiled its sweet soul
Of independence, of sovereignty.
III. And seated henceforth in its recovered dignity,
Sharing love and honor with humanity,
The people of Burkina sing a hymn to victory,
To the glory of liberating, emancipating labor.
Down with the exploitation of man by man!
Hey! Forward for the happiness of every man,
By all men, today and tomorrow,
By all men, here and forever.
IV. Our popular revolution, nourishing sap,
Immortal motherhood of progress with a human face,
Eternal hearth of consensual democracy,
Where national identity at last has its rightful place,
Where injustice loses its ground forever,
And where, from the hands of the builders of a radiant world,
The harvests of patriotic hopes ripen everywhere,
The infinite suns of joy shine.
Mali
Le Mali
Original
À ton appel Mali,
Pour ta prospérité
Fidèle à ton destin
Nous serons tous unis
Un Peuple un But une Foi
Pour une Afrique Unie
Si l'ennemi découvre son front
Au dedans ou au dehors
Debout sur les remparts
Nous sommes résolus de mourir.
[Refrain]
Pour l'Afrique et pour toi Mali
Notre drapeau sera liberté
Pour l'Afrique et pour toi Mali
Notre combat sera unité
Ô Mali d'aujourd'hui
Ô Mali de demain
Les champs fleurissent d'espérance
Les cœurs vibrent de confiance.
Debout villes et campagnes
Debout Femmes, Jeunes et Vieux
Pour la Patrie en marche
Vers l'avenir radieux
Pour notre dignité
Renforçons bien nos rangs
Pour le salut public
Forgeons le bien commun
Ensemble au coude à coude
Faisons le chantier du bonheur.
[Refrain]
La voie est dure, très dure
Qui mène au bonheur commun
Courage et dévouement
Vigilance à tout moment
Vérité des temps anciens
Vérité de tous les jours
Le bonheur par le labeur
Fera le Mali de demain.
[Refrain]
L'Afrique se lève enfin
Saluons ce jour nouveau
Saluons la liberté
Marchons vers l'Unité
Dignité retrouvée
Soutient notre combat
Fidèles à notre serment
De faire l'Afrique Unie
Ensemble, debout mes frères
Tous au rendez-vous de l'honneur.
[Refrain]
Translation
At your call, Mali
For your prosperity
Loyal towards your destiny
We shall all be united,
One people, one goal, one faith,
For a united Africa
If the enemy should show himself
Inside or outside,
Standing on the ramparts,
We are resolved to die.
[Chorus]
For Africa and for you, Mali,
Our banner shall be liberty.
For Africa and for you, Mali,
Our fight shall be for unity.
Oh, Mali of today,
Oh, Mali of tomorrow,
The fields are flowering with hope
Hearts are thrilling with confidence.
Rise, towns and countryside,
Rise, women, young and old,
For the country moving
Towards a bright future
For our dignity
Let us strengthen our ranks well
For the public salvation
Let us forge the common good
Together shoulder to shoulder
Let us make the path of happiness
[Chorus]
The path is hard, very hard,
Which leads to common happiness
Courage and dedication
Vigilance at all times
Truth of ancient times
Truth of every day
Happiness through labour
Will make the Mali of tomorrow
[Chorus]
Africa finally rises
Let us welcome this new day
Let us welcome liberty
Let us march towards unity
Newfound dignity
Supports our fight
True to our oath
Of making Africa united
Together, rise, my brothers,
All to the rendezvous of honour.
[Chorus]
Interesting facts
Burkina Faso
- 1. Sankara was an enthusiastic guitarist who played in a band called 'Tout-à-Coup Jazz'.
- 2. Officially titled 'Le Ditanyè' ('Anthem of Victory'), the anthem takes its other name, 'Une Seule Nuit' ('One Single Night'), from the refrain, in which a single night gathers the history of a whole people and sets off its triumphal march; the second stanza names that night as 4 August, the date in 1983 when Sankara took power.
- 3. After Sankara was killed in the 1987 coup that brought his former ally Blaise Compaoré to power, several revolutionary symbols were renamed, among them the country's largest square, the Place de la Révolution, and the national motto; the anthem was kept, and it still ends with the old motto, 'La Patrie ou la mort, nous vaincrons' ('Homeland or death, we shall overcome').
Mali
- 1. The anthem became official by law n° 62-72 of 9 August 1962; the law fixes both the title 'Le Mali' and the text, four verses with refrain.
- 2. Seydou Badian Kouyaté, the lyricist, took his medical doctorate at Montpellier and published the novel Sous l'orage in 1957; a minister under Modibo Keïta, first for the rural economy, he was imprisoned after the 1968 coup and went into exile once freed in 1975.
- 3. Banzumana Sissoko, born blind around 1890 in the Ségou region, taught himself the ngoni and was known to his compatriots as le Vieux Lion, the Old Lion.
- 4. The Malian Pioneer movement translated the lyrics into Bambara as 'Afiriki ye ani e ye, Mali'; the translation is attributed to Abdulay Bari.
Listen
Burkina Faso
Mali