Sierra Leone
High We Exalt Thee, Realm of the Free
1961
1961
Clifford Nelson Fyle
John Joseph Akar
🕊 Freedom ✝ God / Faith 🤝 Unity |
Context
Adopted at independence from Britain in 1961. The anthem was composed by John Joseph Akar, a prominent Sierra Leonean musician and diplomat who was instrumental in promoting West African culture. Sierra Leone, meaning 'Lion Mountains' in Portuguese, has a unique history as a settlement for freed slaves from Britain and North America.
Lyrics
High we exalt thee, realm of the free;
Great is the love we have for thee;
Firmly united ever we stand,
Singing thy praise, O native land.
We raise up our hearts and our voices on high,
The hills and the valleys re-echo our cry;
Blessing and peace be ever thine own,
Land that we love, our Sierra Leone.
Translations are non-official and intended to convey meaning, not replace originals
Interesting facts
- • Sierra Leone means 'Lion Mountains' in Portuguese, named by explorer Pedro de Sintra in 1462 for the shape of the mountains around what is now Freetown
- • John Joseph Akar, who composed the music, later served as Sierra Leone's ambassador to the United States
- • Like neighboring Liberia, Sierra Leone was settled by freed slaves, but from Britain rather than America, giving its capital the name Freetown