National Anthem of the Mali Federation
# National Anthem of the Mali Federation

The National Anthem of the Mali Federation was created per the Federation's Official Law of 18 June 1960. It has the music of the current National Anthem of Mali composed by Banzumana Sissoko (with an old intro and other notes) and lyrics of the current National Anthem of Senegal written by Léopold Sédar Senghor (slightly modified). After separation of the two countries, Mali kept the music (because the composer was from this country) and Senegal retained the lyrics of the Federation (which was written by who would become the first Senegalese President) but removing the name "Mali" and making other minor changes.

## Lyrics

| Lyrics (French) | Translation (English) |
| - | - |
| (Introduction) I 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, Debout mes frères! Voici l'Afrique rassemblée. | Pinch all your koras, hit the balafons. The red lion roared, The tamer of the bush. With a leap sprang up, dispelling the darkness. Sun on our terrors, sun on our hope. Get up, Get up my brothers! Here is Africa gathered. |
| Refrain: Fibres de mon cœur vert. O Maliennes et Maliens, Unissons la mer et les sources, unissons la steppe et la forêt! Épaule contre épaule, sont mes plus que frères, Salut Afrique mère, Salut Afrique mère! | Chorus: Fibers of my green heart. O Malians and Malians, Let us unite the sea and the sources, let us unite the steppe and the forest! Shoulder to shoulder, are my more than brothers, Hail Mother Africa, Hail Mother Africa! |
| II Toi, Mali, 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, l'épée n'a pas une bavure. Refrain | You, Mali, you, the daughter of the lion's foam, You emerged from the night at the gallop of the horses, Give us back, oh! give us the honor of our ancestors, Splendid as ebony and strong as muscle We say rights: the sword, the sword does not have a burr. Chorus |
| III O Mali, 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, Debout, un même peuple, un peuple sans couture Mais un peuple tourné vers tous les vents du monde. Refrain | O Mali, we make your great plan our own: Gather the chicks away from the kites To make it, from east to west, from north to south, Standing, one people, one seamless people But a people turned towards all the winds of the world. Chorus |
| IV O Mali, 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 nous et l'Arabe et le Blanc. Refrain | O Mali, like you, like all our heroes, We will be tough without hatred and with both open arms. The sword, we will put it in the peace of the scabbard, Because work will be our weapon and our word. The Bantu is our brother, and the Arab and the White. Chorus |
| V 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 | But if the enemy burns down our borders We will all be erect and our guns in hand: A people in their faith defying all misfortunes, Young and old, men and women. Death, yes! We say death, but not shame. Chorus |
