# National anthem of Mauritania

The National anthem of Mauritania (Arabic: النشيد الوطني الموريتاني), also known by its incipit, "Bilāda l-ʾubāti l-hudāti l-kirām" (English: "Land of the Proud, Guided Noblemen"), was officially adopted on 28 November 2017 and was composed by Egyptian composer Rageh Daoud.

## History

In March 2017, following a referendum to amend the Constitution of July 1991, the Mauritanian National Assembly adopted a new national anthem to replace the previous one, which was considered almost impossible to sing.

## Lyrics

The anthem currently has six verses, with a chorus repeated after each verse. The fifth verse (in brackets) is sung in an extended version of the anthem. It was first sung on the 57th Independence Day of Mauritania, on 28 November 2017.

### Full lyrics

| Arabic lyrics | Transliteration | IPA transcription | English translation |
| ١ بِلَادَ الْأُبَاةِ الْهُدَاةِ الْكِرَامْ وَحِصْنَ الْكِتَابِ الَّذِيْ لَا يُضَامْ أَيَا مُوْرِيْتَانِ رَبِيْعَ الْوُئامْ وَرُكْنَ السَّمَاحَةِ ثَغْرَ السَّلَامْ كورال: سَنَحْمِيْ حِمَاكِ وَنَحْنُ فِدَاكِ وَنَكْسُوْ رُبَاكِ بِلَوْنِ الْأَمَلْ وَعِنْدَ نِدَاكِ نُلَبِّيْ أَجَلْ ٢ بُدُوْرُ سَمَائِكِ لَمْ تُحْجَبِ وَشَمْسُ جَبِيْنِكِ لَمْ تَغْرُبِ نَمَاكِ الْأَمَاجِدُ مِن يَّعْرُبِ لِإِفْرِيْقِيَّا الْمَنْبَعِ الأَعْذَبِ كورال ٣ رَضَعْنَا لِبَانَ النَّدَى وَالْإِبَا سَجَايَا حَمَلْنَ جَنًى طَيِّبَا وَمَرْعًى خَصِيْباً، وَإنْ أجْدَبَا سَمَوْنَا، فَكَانَ لَنَا أَرْحَبَا كورال ٤ سَقَيْنَا عَدُوَّكِ صَاباً وَمُرًّا فَمَا نالَ نُزْلًا وَلَا مُسْتَقَرَّا نُقَاوِمُهُ حَيْثُ جَاسَ وَمُرَّا نُرَتِّلُ إِنَّ مَعَ العُسْرِ يُسْرَا كورال (٥) قَفَوْنَا الرَّسُوْلَ بِنَهْجٍ سَمَا إلى سِدْرَةِ الْمَجْدِ فَوْقَ السَّمَا حَجَزْنَا الثُّرَيَّا لَنَا سُلَّمَا رَسَمْنَا هُنَالِكَ حَدَّ الْحِمٰى كورال ٦ أَخَذْنَاكِ عَهْدًا حَمَلْنَاكِ وَعْدًا ونُهْدِيْكِ سَعْداً لِجِيْلٍ أطَلْ كورال النهائي: سَنَحْمِيْ حِمَاكِ وَنَحْنُ فِدَاكِ وَنَكْسُوْ رُبَاكِ بِلَوْنِ الْأَمَلْ سَنَحْمِيْ حِمَاكِ وَنَحْنُ فِدَاكِ وَعِنْدَ نِدَاكِ نُلَبِّي أجَلْ | I Bilāda l-ʾubāati l-hudāti l-kirām Wa-ḥiṣna l-kitābi l-ladhī lā yuḍām ʾAyā Mūrītāni rabīʿa l-wiʾām Wa-rukna s-samāḥati thaġra s-salām Kūrāl: Sanaḥmī ḥimāki wa-naḥnu fidāki Wa-naksū rubāki bilawuni l-ʾamal Wa-ʿainda nidāki nulaubbī ʾajal II Budūru samāʾiki lam tuḥjabi Wa-shamsu jabīniki lam taġrubi Namāki l-ʾamājidu min yaʿrubi Liʾifrīqīyya l-manbaʿe l-ʿadhabi Kūrāl III Ra-ḍaʿnā libāna n-nadā wā-l-ʾibā Sajāhjyā ḥamalna janān ṭayibā Wa-mar ʿan khaṣībān, wa-ʾin ʾajdabā Samawnā, fakāna lanā ʾar-ḥabā Kūrāl IV Saqaynā ʿaduaki ṣābān wa-murrān Famā nala nuzulān wa-lā mustaqarrā Nuqāwimnuhu ḥaythu jāsa wa-murrān Nurattilu ʾin-na ma‘a l-‘usri yusrā Kūrāl (V) Qafhawnā ar-rasūla bi-nahjin samā ʾIlā sidrati l-majdi fawqa as-samā Ḥajaznā ath-thuraiyyā lanā sullamā Rasamnā hunalika ḥadda l-ḥimā Kūrāl VI Akhadhnāki ʿahdan ḥamalnāki wa-ʿadan Wa-nuhdīki saʿadān lijilin aṭaall Kūrāl an-nihāʾī: Sanaḥmī ḥimāki wa-naḥnu fidāki Wa-naksū rubāki bilawni l-ʾamal Sanaḥmī ḥimāki wa-naḥnu fidākie Wa-ʿinda nidāki nulabbī ʾajal | 1 [bɪ.læː.dæ‿l.ʔʊ.bæː.tɪ‿l.hʊ.dæː.tɪ‿l.ki.rɑːm] [wɑ.ħɪsˤ.næ‿l.ki.tæː.bɪ‿l.læ.ðiː læː jʊ.dˤɑːm] [ʔæ.jæː muː.rɪ.tæː.ni rɑ.biː.ʕɑ‿l.wɪ.ʔæːm] [wɑ.rʊk.næ‿s.sæ.mæː.ħɑ.ti θɑʁ.rɑ‿s.sæ.læːm] [kuː.rɑːl] [sæ.nɑħ.miː ħɪ.mæː.ki wɑ.nɑħ.nʊ fɪ.dæ.ki] [wɑ.næk.suː ru.bæː.ki bɪ.lɑw.nɪ‿l.ʔæ.mæl] [wɑ.ʕɪn.dæ ni.dæː.ki nʊ.læb.biː ʔæ.ʒæl] 2 [bʊ.duː.rʊ sæ.mæː.ʔi.ki læm tʊħ.ʒæ.bi] [wɑ.ʃæm.sʊ ʒæ.biː.ni.ki læm tɑʁ.rʊ.bi] [næ.mæː.kɪ‿l.ʔæ.mæː.ʒɪ.dʊ mɪn jɑʕ.rʊ.bi] [lɪ.ʔɪf.rɪ.qɪj.jæː‿l.mæn.bɑ.ʕɪ‿l.ʕɑ.ðæ.bi] [kuː.rɑːl] 3 [rɑ.dˤɑʕ.næː li.bæ.næ‿n.næ.dæː wæl.ʔi.bæː] [sæ.ʒæː.jɑː ħɑ.mæl.næ ʒæ.næːn tˤɑ.ji.bæː] [wɑ.mɑr ʕɑn ħɑ.sˤiː.bæːn wɑ.ʔɪn ʔæʒ.dæ.bæː] [sæ.mɑw.næː fæ.kæː.næ læ.næː ʔɑr.ħɑ.bæː] [kuː.rɑːl] 4 [sɑ.qɑj.næː ʕɑ.duw.wæ.ki sˤɑ.bæːn wɑ.mʊr.rɑn] [fæ.mæː næ.læ nʊ.zʊ.læːn wɑ.læː mʊs.tɑ.qɑr.rɑː] [nʊ.qɑː.wɪ.mʊ.hʊ ħɑj.θʊ ʒæː.sæ wɑ.mʊr.rɑn] [nʊ.rɑt.tɪ.lʊ ʔɪn.næ mɑ.ʕɑ‿l.ʕʊs.rɪ jʊs.rɑː] [kuː.rɑːl] (5) [qɑ.fɑw.nɑː‿r.rɑ.sʊː.læ bi.næh.ʒin sæ.mæː] [ʔi.læː sɪd.rɑ.tɪ‿l.mæʒ.di fɑw.qɑ‿s.sæ.mæː] [ħɑ.ʒæz.næː‿θ.θʊ.rɑj.jæː læ.næː sʊl.læ.mæː] [rɑ.sæm.næː hʊ.næ.li.kæ ħɑd.dæ‿l.ħɪ.mæː] [kuː.rɑːl] 6 [ɑ.ħɑð.næː.ki ʕɑh.dæn ħɑ.mæl.næː.ki wɑ.ʕɑ.dæn] [wɑ.nʊh.diː.ki sɑ.ʕɑ.dæːn lɪ.ʒi.lɪn ɑ.tˤɑl] [kuː.rɑːl æn.nɪ.hæː.ʔi] [sæ.nɑħ.miː ħɪ.mæː.ki wɑ.nɑħ.nʊ fɪ.dæ.ki] [wɑ.næk.suː ru.bæː.ki bɪ.lɑw.nɪ‿l.ʔæ.mæl] [sæ.nɑħ.miː ħɪ.mæː.ki wɑ.nɑħ.nʊ fɪ.dæ.ki] [wɑ.ʕɪn.dæ ni.dæː.ki nʊ.læb.biː ʔæ.ʒæl] | I The country of the honourable, generous fathers And the fortress of the Book that cannot be violated. O Mauritania, spring of harmony And the pillar of tolerance, the breach of peace. Chorus: We will protect your honour and we are your servants And cover your soil with the colour of hope. And at your call, we will answer ‘yes’. II The constellations of your skies have not been veiled and the sun of your forehead has not set. The glorious Arabs have raised you up. For Africa, the freshest source Chorus III We suckled the milk of praise and pride Of our nature, which bores a good harvest and fertile pasture, even if it was barren. We rose to Heaven, and we were pleased. Chorus IV We have made your enemy drink a bitter downpour, not allowing him to obtain shelter nor stability. We resist him wherever he goes and wherever he comes, chanting: "Surely, with hardship comes ease" Chorus (V, only sung on 57th independence day) We followed the prophet along the path of the heavens to the tree of glory above the sky occupying the Pleiades as our stairway drawing there our boundary. Chorus VI We took you as a vow and carried you as a promise and we happily give you up to the future generations Final chorus: We will protect your honour and we are your servants And cover your soil with the colour of hope. We will protect your honour and we are your servants And at your call, we will answer ‘yes’! |

### Short version

On official occasions requiring brevity, a short version is sung, comprising verse one (which is repeated), the chorus (which is split before line three), verse two and verse six.
| Arabic lyrics | Transliteration | IPA transcription | English translation |
| ١ بلادَ الأُبَاةِ الهُدَاةِ الكِرامْ وحِصْنَ الكِتابِ الذي لا يُضَامْ أيا مَوْريتانِ رَبيعَ الوئامْ ورُكْنَ السَّماحةِ ثَغْرَ السلامْ كورال: سنَحْمي حِماك ونحِن فداكِ ونَكْسُو رُبَاكِ بِلَوْن الأمَلْ ٢ بُدورُ سَمَائِكِ لَمْ تُحْجَبِ وشمسُ جَبِينِكِ لَمْ تَغرُبِ نَماكِ الأمَاجدُ مِن يَعْرُبِ لإفْرِيقِيَّا المَنْبَعِ الأعْذَبِ ٦ أخَذْنَاكِ عَهْدًا حَمَلْنَاكِ وَعْدًا ونُهدِيكِ سَعْداً لِجِيلٍ أطَلْ ١ بلادَ الأُبَاةِ الهُدَاةِ الكِرامْ وحِصْنَ الكِتابِ الذي لا يُضَامْ أيا مَوْريتانِ رَبيعَ الوئامْ ورُكْنَ السَّماحةِ ثَغْرَ السلامْ كورال: وعند نِداكِ نُلَبِّي أجَلْ | ‹See RfD› I Bilāda l-ʾubāti l-hudāti l-kirām Wa-ḥisna l-kitābi l-ladhī lā yuḍām ʾAyā Mūrītāni rabīʿa l-wiʾām Wa-rukna s-samāḥati thaġra s-salām Kūrāl: Sanaḥmī ḥimāki wa-naḥnu fidāki Wa-naksū rubāki bilawni l-ʾamal II Budūru samāʾiki lam tuḥjabi Wa-shamsu jabīniki lam taġrubi Namāki l-ʾamājidu min yaʿrubi Liʾifrīqīyya l-manbaʿe l-ʿadhabi VI Akhadhnāki ʿahdan ḥamalnāki wa-ʿadan Wa-nuhdīki saʿadān lijilin aṭal I Bilāda l-ʾubāti l-hudāti l-kirām Wa-ḥisna l-kitābi l-ladhī lā yuḍām ʾAyā Mūrītāni rabīʿa l-wiʾām Wa-rukna s-samāḥati thaġra s-salām Kūrāl: Wa-ʿinda nidāki nulabbī ʾajal | 1 [bɪ.læː.dæ‿l.ʔʊ.bæː.tɪ‿l.hʊ.dæː.tɪ‿l.ki.rɑːm] [wɑ.ħɪs.næ‿l.ki.tæː.bɪ‿l.læ.ðiː læː jʊ.dˤɑːm] [ʔæ.jæː muː.rɪ.tæː.ni rɑ.biː.ʕɑ‿l.wɪ.ʔæːm] [wɑ.rʊk.næ‿s.sæ.mæː.ħɑ.ti θɑʁ.rɑ‿s.sæ.læːm] [kuː.rɑːl] [sæ.nɑħ.miː ħɪ.mæː.ki wɑ.nɑħ.nʊ fɪ.dæ.ki] [wɑ.næk.suː ru.bæː.ki bɪ.lɑw.nɪ‿l.ʔæ.mæl] 2 [bʊ.duː.rʊ sæ.mæː.ʔi.ki læm tʊħ.ʒæ.bi] [wɑ.ʃæm.sʊ ʒæ.biː.ni.ki læm tɑʁ.rʊ.bi] [næ.mæː.kɪ‿l.ʔæ.mæː.ʒɪ.dʊ mɪn jɑʕ.rʊ.bi] [lɪ.ʔɪf.rɪ.qɪj.jæː‿l.mæn.bɑ.ʕɪ‿l.ʕɑ.ðæ.bi] 6 [ɑ.ħɑð.næː.ki ʕɑh.dæn ħɑ.mæl.næː.ki wɑ.ʕɑ.dæn] [wɑ.nʊh.diː.ki sɑ.ʕɑ.dæːn lɪ.ʒi.lɪn ɑ.tˤɑl] 1 [bɪ.læː.dæ‿l.ʔʊ.bæː.tɪ‿l.hʊ.dæː.tɪ‿l.ki.rɑːm] [wɑ.ħɪs.næ‿l.ki.tæː.bɪ‿l.læ.ðiː læː jʊ.dˤɑːm] [ʔæ.jæː muː.rɪ.tæː.ni rɑ.biː.ʕɑ‿l.wɪ.ʔæːm] [wɑ.rʊk.næ‿s.sæ.mæː.ħɑ.ti θɑʁ.rɑ‿s.sæ.læːm] [kuː.rɑːl] [wɑ.ʕɪn.dæ ni.dæː.ki nʊ.læb.biː ʔæ.ʒæl] | I The country of the honourable, generous fathers And the fortress of the Book that cannot be violated. O Mauritania, spring of harmony And the pillar of tolerance, the breach of peace. Chorus: We will protect your honour and we are your servants And cover your soil with the colour of hope. II The constellations of your skies have not been veiled and the sun of your forehead has not set. The glorious Arabs have raised you up. For Africa, the freshest source VI We took you as a vow and carried you as a promise and we happily give you up to the future generations I The country of the honourable, generous fathers And the fortress of the Book that cannot be violated. O Mauritania, spring of harmony And the pillar of tolerance, the breach of peace. Chorus: And at your call, we will answer ‘yes’! |