Le Lion rouge

Le Lion rouge

English: The Red Lion
National anthem of Senegal
Also known as	"Pincez tous vos koras, frappez les balafons" (English: "Everyone strum your koras, strike the balafons")
Lyrics	Léopold Sédar Senghor, 1960
Music	Herbert Pepper, 1960
Adopted	1960
Audio sample
U.S. Navy Band instrumental version (one verse and chorus) file help

"Le Lion rouge" (English: "The Red Lion"), more commonly known by its incipit "Pincez tous vos koras, frappez les balafons" (English: "Everyone strum your koras, strike the balafons") is the national anthem of Senegal. It was adopted in 1960.

Development

The lyrics were written by Léopold Sédar Senghor, Senegal's first president, while the music is composed by Frenchman Herbert Pepper, who also composed the national anthem of the Central African Republic, "La Renaissance". The kora (a type of harp) and balafon (wooden xylophone) are traditional Senegalese musical instruments.

Lyrics

French	English translation	Wolof
Pincez tous vos koras, frappez les balafons. Le lion rouge a rugi. Le dompteur de la brousse D'un bond s'est élancé, Dissipant les ténèbres. Soleil sur nos terreurs, soleil sur notre espoir. Debout, frères, voici l'Afrique rassemblée. Refrain: Fibres de mon cœur vert. Épaule contre épaule, mes plus que frères, O Sénégalais, debout! Unissons la mer et les sources, unissons la steppe et la forêt! Salut Afrique mère. Sénégal toi le fils de l'écume du lion, Toi surgi de la nuit au galop des chevaux, Rend-nous, oh! rends-nous l'honneur de nos ancêtres, Splendides comme ébène et forts comme le muscle Nous disons droits - l'épée n'a pas une bavure. Refrain Sénégal, nous faisons nôtre ton grand dessein : Rassembler les poussins à l'abri des milans Pour en faire, de l'est à l'ouest, du nord au sud, Dressé, un même peuple, un peuple sans couture Mais un peuple tourné vers tous les vents du monde. Refrain Sénégal, comme toi, comme tous nos héros, Nous serons durs sans haine et des deux bras ouverts. L'épée, nous la mettrons dans la paix du fourreau, Car le travail sera notre arme et la parole. Le Bantou est un frère, et l'Arabe et le Blanc. Refrain Mais que si l'ennemi incendie nos frontières Nous serons tous dressés et les armes au poing: Un peuple dans sa foi défiant tous les malheurs, Les jeunes et les vieux, les hommes et les femmes. La mort, oui! Nous disons la mort, mais pas la honte. Refrain	Everyone strum your koras, strike the balafons. The red lion has roared. The tamer of the savannah Has leapt forward, Dispelling the darkness. Sunlight on our terrors, sunlight on our hope. Stand up, brothers, here is Africa assembled. Refrain: Fibres of my green heart, Shoulder to shoulder, my more-than-brothers, O Senegalese, arise! Join sea and springs, join steppe and forest! Hail mother Africa, hail mother Africa. Senegal, you the son of the lion's froth, Sprung from the night to the gallop of horses, Give us, oh! give us the honour of our ancestors, Splendid as ebony and strong as muscle, We say it clearly – the sword has no flaw. Refrain Senegal, we take on your great work: To shelter the chicks from the falcons, To make, from east to west, north to south, Arisen, one single people, a people without seams, But a people turned to all the winds of the earth. Refrain Senegal, like you, like all our heroes, We will be hard without hatred, with two open arms. The sword in peace-time we will store in the scabbard, For work and words will be our weapon. The Bantu is a brother, and so is the Arab and the White. Refrain But if the enemy burns our borders We will be risen with weapons in our hands: One people defying all sorrows with its faith, Young and old, men and women. Death, yes! We say death, but not shame. Refrain	</poem> Ku nekk jouer sa kora, jouer balafon yi. Gaynde gu xonq gi yuuxuna. Savannah Dafa tëb ci kanam, Di dindi lëndëm gi. Leer jant ci sunuy tiitaange, leeralu jant ci sunu yaakaar. Jubleen mbokk yi, Afrique dajaloo na. {small|Waxaat}} Fibres de sama coeur vert, Mbagg ci mbagg, samay rak yu gëna mag, Waa Senegaal yi, jógeen ! Dellu ci géej gi ak ci ndox yi, dellu ci steppe bi ak àll bi! Yaay Afrique, yaay Afrique. Senegaal, yaw doomu gaynde ji, Guddi gi génn ci galopu fas yi, Jox nu, oh! defal nu ngor sunuy maam, Rafet ni ébène te dëgër ni sidit, Danu ko wax bu leer – sabre bi amul benn sikk. Waxaat Senegaal, noo ngi jël sa liggéey bu rëy bi: Ngir musal picc yi ci falcon yi, Def, penku dem sowwu, nord dem sud, Risen, benn askan, benn askan bu amul benn tombi ñaw, Waaye amoon na nit ñu wëlbatiku ci bépp ngelaw ci kaw suuf. Waxaat Senegaal, ni yaw, ni sunuy jàmbaar yépp, Dina nu dëgër te du am bañeel, ak ñaari loxo yu ubbeeku. Safaan bi ci jamonoy jàmm, dina nu ko denc ci mbaam xuux, Ndax liggéey ak wax dinanu nekk sunu gànnaay. Bantu yi mbokk lañu, Araab yi ak Weex yi itam. Waxaat Waaye sudee noon yi lakk sunuy tefes Dina nu dekki ak ay gànnaay ci sunuy loxo Benn askan buy xeex bépp naqar ak seen ngëm. Mag ak ndaw, góor ak jigéen. Dee, waaw! Danuy wax dee, waaye du rus.</poem> Waxaat

External links

• Senegal: Pincez Tous vos Koras, Frappez les Balafons - Audio of the national anthem of Senegal, with information and lyrics