National Anthem Comparison
Cameroon vs Equatorial Guinea
2
Shared themes
✗
Different moods
40
40 years apart
✓
Same continent
Equatorial Guinea
Caminemos pisando las sendas de nuestra inmensa felicidad
Let Us Tread the Paths of Our Great Happiness
Comparison Analysis
Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, both Africa nations, take distinct approaches to their national anthems. Cameroon's "O Cameroon, Cradle of Our Ancestors" was written in 1928, while Equatorial Guinea's "Let Us Tread the Paths of Our Great Happiness" dates to 1968.
Both anthems share themes of Unity and Freedom. Cameroon additionally explores Ancestors / Heritage and Love of homeland, while Equatorial Guinea also touches on Independence and Revolution.
The emotional tones differ: Cameroon's anthem is Proud, while Equatorial Guinea's is Defiant.
Cameroon's anthem predates Equatorial Guinea's by 40 years, having been written in 1928 compared to 1968.
Shared themes
Cameroon
🏺 Ancestors / Heritage 🤝 Unity ❤ Love of homeland 🕊 Freedom
Equatorial Guinea
🕊 Freedom 🗽 Independence 🤝 Unity 🔥 Revolution
Shared themes:
🤝 Unity 🕊 Freedom
Metadata
| Cameroon | Equatorial Guinea | |
|---|---|---|
| Written | 1928 | 1968 |
| Adopted | 1957 | 1968 |
| Lyricist | Rene Djam Afame / Samuel Minkio Bamba / Moise Nyatte Nko'o | Atanasio Ndongo Miyone |
| Composer | Rene Djam Afame / Samuel Minkio Bamba / Moise Nyatte Nko'o | Atanasio Ndongo Miyone |
| Language | fr | es |
| Region | Central Africa | Central Africa |
Lyrics Side by Side
Cameroon
O Cameroun, Berceau de nos Ancetres
Original
Ô Cameroun berceau de nos ancêtres,
Va debout et jaloux de ta liberté,
Comme un soleil ton drapeau fier doit être,
Un symbole ardent de foi et d'unité.
Que tous tes enfants du Nord au Sud,
De l'Est à l'Ouest soient tout amour!
Te servir que ce soit le seul but,
Pour remplir leur devoir toujours.
[Chorus]
Chère Patrie, terre chérie,
Tu es notre seul et vrai bonheur,
Notre joie et notre vie,
À toi l'amour et le grand honneur.
Tu es la tombe où dorment nos pères,
Le jardin que nos aïeux ont cultivé.
Nous travaillons pour te rendre prospère,
Un beau jour enfin nous serons arrivés.
[Chorus]
Quand le soleil ardent au-dessus de ta tête
Fait pousser tes champs en les couvrant de fleurs,
Tu es la terre de joie et de fête
Où les cœurs s'unissent en tes bonheurs.
[Chorus]
Translation
O Cameroon, cradle of our ancestors,
Go forth, stand up, and jealous of your freedom,
Like the sun, your flag must be proud,
A burning symbol of faith and unity.
May all your children from North to South,
From East to West be all love!
To serve you, let that be the only goal,
To fulfill their duty always.
[Chorus]
Dear Fatherland, beloved land,
You are our one and only true happiness,
Our joy and our life,
To you our love and great honor.
You are the grave where our fathers sleep,
The garden that our forebears cultivated.
We work to make you prosperous,
One fine day at last we shall arrive.
[Chorus]
When the burning sun above your head
Makes your fields grow, covering them with flowers,
You are the land of joy and celebration
Where hearts unite in your happiness.
[Chorus]
Equatorial Guinea
Caminemos pisando las sendas de nuestra inmensa felicidad
Original
Caminemos pisando las sendas
de nuestra inmensa felicidad.
En fraternidad, sin separación,
¡cantemos Libertad!
Tras dos siglos de estar sometidos,
bajo la dominación colonial,
en fraterna unión, sin discriminar,
¡cantemos Libertad!
[Chorus]
¡Gritemos Viva, libre Guinea!
Y defendamos nuestra Libertad.
Cantemos siempre, libre Guinea,
Y conservemos siempre la unidad.
¡Gritemos Viva, libre Guinea!
Y defendamos nuestra Libertad.
Cantemos siempre, libre Guinea,
Y conservemos siempre la unidad.
[Chorus]
Translation
Let us tread the paths
of our great happiness.
In brotherhood, without separation,
let us sing for Freedom!
After two centuries of being subjugated,
under colonial domination,
in fraternal union, without discrimination,
let us sing for Freedom!
[Chorus]
Let us shout: Long live free Guinea!
And let us defend our Freedom.
Let us always sing, free Guinea,
And let us always preserve our unity.
Let us shout: Long live free Guinea!
And let us defend our Freedom.
Let us always sing, free Guinea,
And let us always preserve our unity.
[Chorus]
Interesting facts
Cameroon
- 1. At official state ceremonies, the anthem is performed consecutively in both French and English, one of the few countries where two language versions are sung back-to-back at every event
- 2. The melody was composed by student René Jam Afane and later orchestrated by Samuel Minkyo Bamba, who had studied European classical composition
- 3. When French Cameroun and British Southern Cameroons reunified in 1961, the anthem was one of the few national symbols both sides already shared
Equatorial Guinea
- 1. Equatorial Guinea is the only country in Africa with Spanish as an official language
- 2. Atanasio Ndongo Miyone, who wrote both the lyrics and music, was a prominent independence activist
- 3. The anthem's title is one of the longest of any national anthem in the world
Listen
Cameroon
Equatorial Guinea
