# National anthem of Mauritania (1960–2017)

The "National Anthem of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania" (Arabic: النشيد الوطني الموريتاني, romanized: an-Našīd al-Watani al-Muritāni) was the national anthem of Mauritania between 1960 and 2017.

## History

The anthem's lyrics are taken from a poem written in the late 18th century by Baba Ould Cheikh, while the melody was arranged by Russian-French composer Tolia Nikiprowetzky. It was adopted upon independence from France in 1960. Its unusual and highly complex rhythm makes it almost impossible to sing. For this reason, it is often erroneously listed as wordless.
It was replaced by the current national anthem on 28 November 2017 after the Mauritanian constitutional referendum of 2017.

## Lyrics

| Arabic original | Transliteration | IPA transcription | English translation |
| كن للاله ناصرا وأنكر المناكرا وكن مع الحق الذي يرضاه منك دائرا ولا تعد نافعا سواه أو ضائرا واسلك سبيل المصطفى ومت عليه سائرا فما كفى أولنا أليس يكفي الآخرا وكن لقوم احدثوا في أمره مهاجرا قد موهوا بشبه واعتذروا معاذرا وزعموا مزاعما وسودوا دفاترا واحتنكوا أهل الفلا واحتنكوا الحواضرا وأورثت أكابر بدعتها أصاغرا واحكم بما قد اظهروا فما تدري السرائرا وإن دعا مجادل في أمرهم إلى مرا فلا تمار فيهم إلا مراء ظاهرا | ‹See RfD› Kun lil-ʾilāhi naṣirā, wa-ʾankir il-manākirā Wa-kun maʿa-l-ḥaqqi-llaḏī yarḍā-hu minka dāʾirā Wa-lā taʿudda nāfiʿan siwā-ʾahu ʾaw ḍāʾirā W-asluk sabīla-l-muṣṭafā wa-mut ʿalayhi sāʾirā Fa-mā kafā ʾawwalanā a-laysa yakfī-l-ʾāḵirā Wa-kun li-qawmin aḥdaṯū fī ʾamrihi muhājirā Qad mawwahu bi-šubbahin wa-iʿtaḏarū ma-ʿāḏirā, Wa-zaʿamū mazaʿima wa-sawwadū dafātirā, Wa-ḥtanakū ʾahla-l-falā, wa-ḥtanakū-l-ḥawāḍirā Wa-ʾawraṯat ʾakābirun bidʿataha ʾaṣāḡirā Wa-ʾin daʿā mujādilun fī ʾamri-him ʾilā mirâ Fa-lā tumārī fīhimu ʾillā mirāʾan ẓāhirā | [kʊn lɪl.ʔi.læː.hi nɑ.sˤɪ.rɑ wɑ.ʔæn.kɪr ɪl.mæ.næː.kɪ.rɑː] [wɑ.kʊn mɑ.ʕɑl.ħɑq.qɪl.læ.diː jɑr.dˤɑː.hu mɪn.kæ dæ.ʔi.rɑː] [wɑ.læː tæ.ʕʊd.dæ næː.fɪ.ʕɑn si.wæː.ʔæ.hu ʔɑw dˤɑ.ʔɪ.rɑː] [wɑs.lʊk sæ.biː.læl.mʊsˤ.tˤɑ.fæː wɑ.mʊt ʕɑ.læj.hi sæ.ʔi.rɑː] [fæ.mæː kæ.fæː ʔæw.wɑ.læ.næː æ.læj.sæ jæk.fɪː‿l.ʔɑː.χi.rɑː] [wɑ.kʊl‿lɪ.qɑw.min ɑħ.dæ.θuː fiː ʔæm.rɪ.hi mu.hæ.ʒi.rɑː] [qɑd mɑw.wɑ.hu bɪ.ʃʊb.bæ.hɪn wɑʕ.tæ.ðɑ.rʊː mɑ.ʕɑː.ði.rɑː] [wɑ.zɑ.ʕɑ.muː mæ.zæ.ʕɪ.mæ wæ.sæw.wæ.duː dæ.væː.ti.rɑː] [wɑħ.tæ.næ.kuː ʔæh.læl.fæ.læː wɑħ.tæ.næ.kʊː‿l.ħɑ.wɑː.dˤi.rɑː] [wɑ.ʔɑw.rɑ.θæt ʔæ.kæː.bɪ.rʊn bɪd.ʕɑ.tæ.hæ ʔɑ.sˤɑ.ʁɪ.rɑː] [wɑ.ʔɪn dɑ.ʕɑː mu.ʒæː.di.lʊn fiː ʔæm.rɪ.him ʔi.læː mi.rɑː] [fæ.læː tu.mæː.riː fiː.hi.mu ʔɪl.læː mi.rɑ.ʔæn ðˤɑ.hɪ.rɑː] | Be a helper for God, and censure what is forbidden And turn with the law which He wants you to follow Hold no one to be useful or harmful, except for Him And walk the path of the chosen one and die while you are on it! For what was sufficient for the first of us, is sufficient for the last one, too And leave those people who do evil things with respect to God They misrepresented Him by making Him similar, and made all kinds of excuses They made bold claims and blackened notebooks They let the nomads and the sedentary people both undergo bitter experiences And the great sins of their innovations bequeathed small Judge them by their appearances, because you have no power over their inner conscience And just in case a disputant calls you to dispute about their claims Do not, then, dispute on them, except by way of an external dispute |