La Nigérienne

"" (; "The Nigerien") is the former national anthem of Niger. The lyrics are by Maurice Albert Thiriet; Robert Jacquet and Nicolas Abel François Frionnet wrote the music. It was adopted as Niger's anthem in 1961 and relinquished in 2023.

History

The anthem was written by French film composer Maurice Albert Thiriet. The music was composed by two other Frenchmen, Robert Jacquet and Nicolas Abel François Frionnet. It was adopted in 1961, a year after Niger gained independence from France.

On 21 November 2019, President Mahamadou Issoufou announced that he had decided to change the national anthem. The decision followed criticism that some of the lyrics appeared to express gratitude to the former coloniser, France, with Nigeriens on social media challenging lines three and four. A committee chaired by Prime Minister Brigi Rafini was "charged with reflecting on the current anthem by providing corrections" and "if possible find a new anthem that responds to the current context of Niger". Created in 2018, it was composed of several members of the Government and about fifteen "experts experienced in writing and musical composition". Assamana Malam Issa, the Minister of Cultural Renaissance, said a hymn must be found "that can galvanize the population, be for us a kind of war cry to touch our patriotic fiber".

On 22 June 2023 the National Assembly adopted The Honor of the Fatherland as Niger's new anthem.

Lyrics

French original

French lyrics

IPA transcriptionTemplate:Efn

[opɾe dy gɾɑ̃ niʒe pɥisɑ̃] [ki ɾɑ̃ la natyɾə ply bɛlə] [swajõ fjez‿e ɾəkɔnɛsɑ̃] [də nɔtɾə libɛɾte nuvɛlə] [evitõle vɛnə kəɾɛlə] [afɛ̃ depaɾɲe nɔtɾə sɑ̃] [e kəle glɔɾjøz‿ aksɑ̃] [də nɔtɾə ɾasə swa sɑ̃ tytɛlə] [selɛvə dɑ̃z‿ œ̃ mɛm elɑ̃] [ʒyska sə sjɛl eblwisɑ̃] [u vɛjə sõn‿ ɑm etɛɾnɛlə] [ki fəɾa ləpei ply gɾɑ̃] [ɾəfɾɛ̃] [dəbu niʒe dəbu] [kə nɔtɾ œvɾə fekõdə] [ɾaʒœnisə lə kœɾ də sə vjø kõtinə] [e kə sə ʃɑ̃ sɑ̃tɑ̃də] [o katɾə kwɛ̃ dy mõdə] [kɔmə lə kɾi dœ̃ pœpl ekitable vajɑ̃] [dəbu niʒe dəbu] [syɾ lə sɔle syɾ lõdə] [o sõde ta-tɑ̃] [dɑ̃ lœɾ ɾitmə gɾɑ̃disɑ̃] [ɾɛstõz‿ yni tuʒuɾ] [e kə ʃakœ̃ ɾepõdə] [a sə nɔbl avəniɾ] [ki nu dit:ɑ̃n‿ avɑ̃]

Translations

Hausa lyrics

English translation

Throughout great powerful Niger Which makes nature more beautiful, Let us be proud and grateful For our newfound freedom! Let us avoid vain quarrels In order to spare ourselves bloodshed, And may the glorious voices Of our race be free of domination! Let us rise in a single leap As high as the dazzling sky, Where stands guard its eternal soul Which will make the country greater! Chorus: Arise! Niger! Arise! May our fruitful labours Rejuvenate the heart of this old continent! And may the song be heard In the four corners of the Earth As the cry of a fair and valiant people! Arise! Niger! Arise! On the ground and on the wave, To the sound of the drums In their growing rhythms Let us always remain united, And may each one respond To this noble future Which tells us: Go forward!

External links

• Niger: La Nigérienne - Audio of the national anthem of Niger, with information and lyrics (archive link)
• nationalanthems.info has lyrics, with an English translation.

Media

• Vocal version (Recording from a radio station) Anthem finishes at 1:47