The National Anthem of Zimbabwe, also known by its incipit in Shona, "" (), and the final line of each verse in Ndebele, "" (), was introduced in March 1994 after a nationwide competition to replace the South African-derived "Ishe Komborera Africa" with a distinctly Zimbabwean song. The winning entry was a Shona song written by Professor Solomon Mutswairo and composed by Fred Changundega. It was translated into English and Ndebele, the two other main languages of Zimbabwe. The Ndebele version is mainly sung in the Matebeleland regions of Zimbabwe, while the English version is not commonly sung. Some schools in Matabeleland South have introduced the Sotho/Tswana version.
Lyrics
Because Zimbabwe has 16 national languages, the lyrics of the original Shona song were translated into the other 15 national languages as part of the 2013 constitutional reforms. The official texts were laid out in the 2013 Constitution, however the final English text in the Constitution varied from the more poetic and metrical version that had been in common usage up to that point and remains so today. Both the new official text and the more common variant are listed below.
In spite of all the translations being official and of equal standing according to the Constitution, the Shona and Ndebele versions remain the two most prevalent variants in regular usage.
English lyrics English lyrics (constitutional)Constitution of Zimbabwe (English), WIPO LexEnglish lyrics (common, poetic)I O lift high, high, our flag of Zimbabwe Born of the fire of the revolution And of the precious blood of our heroes. Let's defend it against all foes; Blessed be the land of Zimbabwe.
II Behold Zimbabwe so richly adorned With mountains and rivers, beautiful. Let rain abound and fields yield the seed May all be fed and workers rewarded. Blessed be the land of Zimbabwe.
III O God, bless the land of Zimbabwe, The land of our heritage, From the Zambezi to the Limpopo. May our leaders be just and exemplary, Blessed be the land of Zimbabwe.I O lift high the banner, the flag of Zimbabwe, The symbol of freedom proclaiming victory; We praise our heroes’ sacrifice, And vow to keep our land from foes; And may the Almighty protect and bless our land.
II O lovely Zimbabwe, so wondrously adorned With mountains, and rivers cascading, flowing free; May rain abound, and fertile fields; May we be fed, our labour blessed; And may the Almighty protect and bless our land.
III O God, we beseech Thee to bless our native land; The land of our fathers bestowed upon us all; From Zambezi to Limpopo May leaders be exemplary; And may the Almighty protect and bless our land.
Shona and Ndebele lyrics Shona lyricsShona IPA transcriptionNdebele lyricsNdebele IPA transcription
In other regional languages Chewa lyricsConstitution of Zimbabwe (Chewa) , kubatana.netChibarwe lyricsConstitution of Zimbabwe (Chibarwe) , kubatana.netKalanga lyricsConstitution of Zimbabwe (Kalanga) , kubatana.netKoisan lyricsConstitution of Zimbabwe (Koisan) , kubatana.net
Nambya lyricsConstitution of Zimbabwe (Nambya) , kubatana.netNdau lyricsConstitution of Zimbabwe (Ndau), kubatana.netShangani lyricsConstitution of Zimbabwe (Shangani) , kubatana.netSotho lyricsConstitution of Zimbabwe (Sotho) , kubatana.net
Tonga lyricsConstitution of Zimbabwe (Tonga), kubatana.netTswana lyricsConstitution of Zimbabwe (Tswana) , kubatana.netVenda lyricsConstitution of Zimbabwe (Venda) , kubatana.netXhosa lyricsConstitution of Zimbabwe (Xhosa) , kubatana.net
See also National Anthem of Rhodesia
Notes
References
External links