Cameroon
O Cameroun, Berceau de nos Ancetres
O Cameroon, Cradle of Our Ancestors
1928
1957
Rene Djam Afame / Samuel Minkio Bamba / Moise Nyatte Nko'o
Rene Djam Afame / Samuel Minkio Bamba / Moise Nyatte Nko'o
🏺 Ancestors / Heritage 🤝 Unity ✝ God / Faith |
Context
Written by students at a teacher-training school in the late 1920s, the anthem was adopted before independence in 1957. Cameroon is unique in Africa for having an anthem written collectively by a group of students rather than a single author. The anthem exists in both French and English, reflecting the country's bilingual heritage.
Lyrics
O Cameroun berceau de nos ancetres,
Va debout et jaloux de ta liberte,
Comme un soleil ton drapeau fier doit etre,
Un symbole ardent de foi et d'unite.
Que tous tes enfants du Nord au Sud,
De l'Est a l'Ouest soient tout amour!
Te servir que ce soit le seul but,
Pour remplir leur devoir toujours.
Translations are non-official and intended to convey meaning, not replace originals
Interesting facts
- • Written collectively by students at a teacher-training college, making it one of the few anthems created by a group rather than a single author
- • Cameroon's anthem exists in official French and English versions, reflecting the country's dual colonial heritage (French and British)
- • The anthem was adopted two years before independence, while Cameroon was still under French administration