National Anthem Comparison
Benin vs Togo
3
Shared themes
✗
Different moods
0
0 years apart
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Same continent
Comparison Analysis
Benin and Togo, both Africa nations, take distinct approaches to their national anthems. Benin's "The New Dawn" was written in 1960, while Togo's "Hail to Thee, Land of Our Forefathers" dates to 1960.
Both anthems share themes of freedom, unity and ancestors / heritage. Benin additionally explores hope and flag, while Togo also touches on god / faith and battle / war.
The emotional tones differ: Benin's anthem is hopeful, while Togo's is defiant.
Togo changed its national anthem in 1992, reflecting a shift in the nation's identity or political landscape.
Shared themes
Benin
🕊 Freedom 🤝 Unity 🌅 Hope 🏺 Ancestors / Heritage 🚩 Flag
Togo
🏺 Ancestors / Heritage 🤝 Unity 🕊 Freedom ✝ God / Faith ⚔ Battle / War
Shared themes:
🕊 Freedom 🤝 Unity 🏺 Ancestors / Heritage
Metadata
| Benin | Togo | |
|---|---|---|
| Written | 1960 | 1960 |
| Adopted | 1960 | 1960 |
| Lyricist | Gilbert Jean Dagnon | Alex Casimir-Dosseh, F. Gonyuie, with Robert Casimir Dosseh-Anyron |
| Composer | Gilbert Jean Dagnon | Alex Casimir-Dosseh (the presidency also credits F. Gonyuie) |
| Language | fr | fr |
| Region | West Africa | West Africa |
Lyrics Side by Side
Benin
L'Aube Nouvelle
Original
[Refrain]
Enfants du Bénin, debout!
La liberté d'un cri sonore
Chante aux premiers feux de l'aurore;
Enfants du Bénin, debout!
Jadis à son appel, nos aïeux sans faiblesse
Ont su avec courage, ardeur, pleins d'allégresse
Livrer au prix du sang des combats éclatants.
Accourez-vous aussi, bâtisseurs du présent,
Plus forts dans l'unité, chaque jour à la tâche,
Pour la postérité, construisez sans relâche!
[Refrain]
Quand partout souffle un vent de colère et de haine,
Béninois, sois fier, et d'une âme sereine,
Confiant dans l'avenir, regarde ton drapeau!
Dans le vert tu liras l'espoir du renouveau,
De tes aïeux le rouge évoque le courage;
Des plus riches trésors le jaune est le présage.
[Refrain]
Tes monts ensoleillés, tes palmiers, ta verdure,
Cher Bénin, partout font ta vive parure.
Ton sol offre à chacun la richesse des fruits.
Bénin, désormais que tes fils tous unis
D'un fraternel élan partagent l'espérance
De te voir à jamais heureux dans l'abondance.
[Refrain]
Translation
[Chorus]
Children of Benin, arise!
Freedom with a resounding cry
Sings at the first light of dawn;
Children of Benin, arise!
Formerly, at her call, our ancestors without weakness
Knew with courage, ardor, full of joy,
To wage at the cost of blood brilliant battles.
Come also you, builders of the present,
Stronger in unity, each day at the task,
For posterity, build without ceasing.
[Chorus]
When all around a wind of anger and of hatred blows,
Beninese, be proud, and with a serene soul,
Confident in the future, behold your flag!
In the green you shall read the hope of renewal,
The red evokes the courage of your ancestors;
The yellow heralds the richest treasures.
[Chorus]
Your sunlit mountains, your palm trees, your greenery,
Dear Benin, everywhere are your living adornment.
Your soil offers to all the richness of its fruits.
Benin, from now on may your sons all united
With a brotherly spirit share the hope
Of seeing you forever happy in abundance.
[Chorus]
Togo
Terre de nos aïeux
Original
Salut à toi pays de nos aïeux,
Toi qui les rendais forts, paisibles et joyeux,
Cultivant vertu, vaillance, pour la postérité.
Que viennent les tyrans, ton cœur soupire vers la liberté,
Togo debout, luttons sans défaillance,
Vainquons ou mourons, mais dans la dignité,
Grand Dieu, toi seul nous as exaltés,
Du Togo pour la prospérité,
Togolais viens, bâtissons la cité.
Dans l'unité nous voulons te servir,
C'est bien là de nos cœurs, le plus ardent désir,
Clamons fort notre devise, que rien ne peut ternir.
Seul artisan de ton bonheur, ainsi que de ton avenir,
Brisons partout les chaînes de la traîtrise,
Et nous te jurons toujours fidélité,
Et aimer servir, se dépasser,
Faire encore de toi sans nous lasser,
Togo chéri, l'or de l'humanité.
Salut, Salut à l'Univers entier,
Unissons nos efforts sur l'immense chantier,
D'où naîtra, toute nouvelle, la Grande Humanité.
Partout, au lieu de la misère, apportons la félicité,
Chassons du monde la haine rebelle,
Finis l'esclavage et la Captivité,
A l'étoile de la liberté,
Renouons la solidarité,
Des Nations dans la fraternité.
Translation
Hail to thee, land of our forefathers,
Thou who made them strong, peaceful and joyful,
Cultivating virtue and valour for posterity.
Let tyrants come, thy heart yearns for freedom.
Togo, arise! Let us fight without faltering,
Let us win or die, but with dignity.
Great God, thou alone hast exalted us
For the prosperity of Togo;
Togolese, come, let us build the city.
In unity we wish to serve thee,
That is indeed our hearts' most ardent desire.
Let us loudly proclaim our motto, which nothing can tarnish.
Sole makers of thy happiness, as of thy future,
Let us break everywhere the chains of treachery,
And we swear to thee faithfulness for ever,
To love to serve, to surpass ourselves,
To make of thee still, without tiring,
Beloved Togo, the gold of humanity.
Hail, hail to the whole universe!
Let us join our efforts on the vast building site
From which a wholly new, great Humanity shall be born.
Everywhere, instead of misery, let us bring happiness;
Let us drive rebellious hatred from the world.
An end to slavery and captivity!
By the star of freedom
Let us renew the solidarity
Of nations in fraternity.
Interesting facts
Benin
- 1. The anthem is performed in French, even though the majority of Benin's population speaks Fon, Yoruba, or other local languages as their first language.
- 2. Benin took its new name from the Bight of Benin, the bay on its coast, which is itself named after the historical Kingdom of Benin in present-day Nigeria, a different state from the Kingdom of Dahomey that had given the country its former name.
- 3. The first verse recalls the ancestors who fought with courage at the price of their blood, and the second explains the colours of the flag: green for the hope of renewal, red for the ancestors' courage, yellow for the richest of treasures.
Togo
- 1. Togo's anthem is sung in French, the country's official language. In 2024 an official of the national civic education directorate called for it to be translated into all of Togo's national languages to make it more widely accessible.
- 2. Under the one-party regime the anthem was replaced in 1979 by another anthem, 'Unité nationale' (National Unity), and restored in 1992. The national motto 'Travail, Liberté, Patrie' (Work, Liberty, Fatherland) went the same way: replaced by 'Union, paix, solidarité' (Union, Peace, Solidarity) in 1979 and restored in 1992.
- 3. Togolese schools hold flag-raising assemblies at which the anthem is sung. In 2022, after inspections found these ceremonies being run carelessly, the education minister's circular no. 208/2022 instructed all schools to observe them with more seriousness.
- 4. Insulting the anthem or the flag is an offence under Togo's 2015 penal code, punishable by a fine of 50,000 to 200,000 CFA francs; when committed by a group, the penalty is one to six months in prison and a fine of 500,000 to 2,000,000 CFA francs.
Listen
Benin
Togo
