Fifty-Four Voices (An African Anthem)

INTRO — HUSHED A CAPPELLA CHOIR Nkosi sikelel' iAfrika, Maluphakanyisw' uphondo lwayo. CHORUS — FULL CHOIR Nkosi sikelel' iAfrika— God bless Africa, hear our song! Fifty-four nations, one great chorus, Africa, where we all belong. VERSE 1 — NORTH, OUD AND DARBUKA Bilady, bilady—Egypt, cradle of the Nile, Libya, desert stars that guard the golden mile, Tunisia, freedom, order, justice by the sea, Algeria, by the people, for the people, free, Morocco, God and homeland, where the Atlas stands, Mauritania, honour, brotherhood across the sands. VERSE 2 — WEST, KORA AND TALKING DRUMS Senegal: one people, one goal, one faith, Mali sings the same refrain by the Djoliba's grace, Gambia, progress, peace and plenty on the river's run, Guinea, work and justice, solidarity as one, Guinea-Bissau, unity, struggle and progress, Cabo Verde, island hearts of unity and work, Sierra Leone, unity, freedom, justice in the hills, All hail, Liberia, hail!—the love of liberty brought us here, Côte d'Ivoire, union, discipline and labour, Ghana, freedom and justice by the Volta's flow, Togo, work and liberty, our homeland, Benin, fellowship and justice, hand in hand, Abuja, unity and faith, peace and progress, Niamey, brotherhood and work and progress, Burkina, land of upright people, standing tall. CHORUS — FULL CHOIR Nkosi sikelel' iAfrika— God bless Africa, hear our song! Fifty-four nations, one great chorus, Africa, where we all belong. VERSE 3 — CENTRAL, LIKEMBE AND GUITAR Cameroon, peace and work beneath the mountain's height, Chad, unity and progress by the lake's blue light, Central Africa, unity, dignity and work, Congo by the river, unity and progress, Kinshasa, Congo's mighty heart—justice, peace and work, Gabon, union, work and justice in the forest green, Equatorial Guinea—unidad, paz, justicia, São Tomé and Príncipe—unidade, disciplina, trabalho, Burundi, unity and work on Tanganyika's shore. VERSE 4 — EAST, NYATITI AND DRUMS Ethiopia, ancient highlands where the Blue Nile's born, Eritrea, victory to the people every morn, Djibouti, unity, equality and peace, Somalia—Soomaaliyeey toosoo! Somalis, arise! Sudan, where two Niles meet: the victory is ours, South Sudan, justice, liberty, prosperity, Kenya—Harambee! All pull together, Uganda, for God and my country, pearl of the lakes, Tanzania—Uhuru na Umoja! Kilimanjaro's crown, Rwanda—Ubumwe! Unity, work, love of land, Comoros, unity and solidarity, moonlit isles, Madagascar—Fitiavana, Tanindrazana, Fandrosoana, Mauritius, star and key of the Indian Ocean, Seychelles, the end crowns the work. CHORUS — FULL CHOIR, FULLER Nkosi sikelel' iAfrika— God bless Africa, hear our song! Fifty-four nations, one great chorus, Africa, where we all belong. VERSE 5 — SOUTHERN, CLOSE CHORAL HARMONY Angola, from Luanda's dawn, the people strong, Mozambique, from the Zambezi to the ocean song, Malawi, unity and freedom by the lake, Zambia—One Zambia, one nation, where the waters break, Zimbabwe, unity, freedom, work, by the great stone walls, Botswana—Pula! Let the blessing rain fall, Namibia, unity, liberty, justice on the Namib plain, Lesotho—Khotso, Pula, Nala! Peace and rain, Eswatini—Siyinqaba! We are the fortress, South Africa, diverse people, unite! MUSICAL LIFT — ALL REGIONS' INSTRUMENTS TOGETHER FINAL CHORUS — TRIUMPHANT, FULL CHOIR AND ORCHESTRA Nkosi sikelel' iAfrika— God bless Africa, hear our song! Fifty-four nations, one great chorus, Africa, where we all belong! OUTRO — A CAPPELLA, PRAYERFUL Yizwa imithandazo yethu, Nkosi sikelela, thina lusapho lwayo. Africa… Africa… Fifty-four voices, one song. END