# Rwanda Nziza

"Rwanda Nziza" (Kinyarwanda:, "Beautiful Rwanda") has been the national anthem of Rwanda since January 1, 2002. It replaced "Rwanda Rwacu", which was the original national anthem until the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis.

## Background

Rwanda's original national anthem, written when the country achieved independence from Belgium in 1962, was called "Rwanda Rwacu" ("Our Rwanda"). Independence was achieved at a time of high tension, following the Rwandan Revolution: centuries of rule by the minority Tutsi group had been overturned in just three years, the majority Hutu taking power in a violent upheaval, and forcing more than 100,000 to seek refuge in neighbouring countries. The subsequent thirty years, under the presidencies of Grégoire Kayibanda and Juvénal Habyarimana, were marked by continued cycles of violence, culminating in the 1990s with the launch of the Rwandan Civil War by exiled Tutsi led by Paul Kagame, the assassination of President Habyarimana, and the 1994 Rwandan genocide, in which between 500,000 and 1,000,000 Tutsi and politically moderate Hutu were killed by Hutu extremists, on the orders of the interim government, in the space of just 100 days.
The genocide was ended when Kagame's rebel army took control of the country in July 1994. A period of "reconciliation" began, as a unity government took control of the country. Kagame was the de facto leader from this point on, and assumed the presidency in 2000. As part of this effort, and ostensibly to signal a break with the country's violent past, the government enacted an overhaul of the country's symbols, including the flag, the coat of arms and the national anthem. However, some Rwandans at the time expressed doubts about the stated reasoning and merely viewed all this as an attempt by the ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front to assert its political power by changing established state symbols.

## History

To commission the lyrics and music for the new state anthem, the government organized a national contest. "Rwanda Nziza" represented the winning entry, with lyrics composed by Faustin Murigo of Karubanda prison, and melody by Captain Jean-Bosco Hashakaimana of the Rwandan army brass band. "Rwanda Nziza" became the official anthem of Rwanda on 1 January 2002.

## Lyrics

| Kinyarwanda lyrics | IPA transcription |
| I Rwanda nziza Gihugu cyacu Wuje imisozi, ibiyaga n'ibirunga Ngobyi iduhetse gahorane ishya. Reka tukurate tukuvuge ibigwi Wowe utubumbiye hamwe twese Abanyarwanda uko watubyaye Berwa, sugira, singizwa iteka. II Horana Imana, murage mwiza Ibyo tugukesha ntibishyikirwa; Umuco dusangiye uraturanga Ururimi rwacu rukaduhuza Ubwenge, umutima, amaboko yacu Nibigukungahaze bikwiye Nuko utere imbere ubutitsa. III Abakurambere b'intwari Bitanze batizigama Baraguhanga uvamo ubukombe Utsinda ubukoroni na mpatsibihugu Byayogoje Afurika yose None uraganje mu bwigenge Tubukomeyeho uko turi twese. IV Komeza imihigo Rwanda dukunda Duhagurukiye kukwitangira Ngo amahoro asabe mu bagutuye Wishyire wizane muri byose Urangwe n'ishyaka, utere imbere Uhamye umubano n'amahanga yose Maze ijabo ryawe riguhe ijambo. | 1 [ɾɡwaː.nda nziː.zá ɟi.hú.gu caː.t͡ʃu] [wu.ʒ‿i.mi.só.zi i.βi.já.ga ni.βi.ɾuː.ŋga] [ŋgo.bɟ‿i.dú.heː.t͡se gá.ho.ɾa.n‿i.çá] [ɾe.ka tu.ku.ɾaː.te tu.ku.vú.g‿i.βi.gwí] [wo.w‿u.tu.βuː.mbi.je há.mŋe tkwéː.s‿] [‿a.βa.ɲa.ɾɡwaː.nd‿u.kó wa.tu.bɟáː.je] [beː.ɾɡwa su.ɟi.ɾá si.ŋɟi.zɡw‿i.téː.ká] 2 [ho.ɾa.n‿i.máː.na mu.ɾa.ɟe mŋiː.za] [i.bɟo tu.gu.céː.ʃa nhi.βi.çi.ciː.ɾɡwa] [u.mu.t͡ʃó du.saː.ŋɟi.j‿u.ɾa.tu.ɾaː.ŋga] [u.ɾu.ɾí.mi ɾɡwaː.t͡ʃu ɾu.ka.du.huː.za] [u.bɡéː.ŋɟ‿u.mu.tí.m‿a.ma.βó.ko jaː.t͡ʃu] [ni.βi.gu.kúː.ŋga.ha.ze‿βi.kwiː.je] [nuː.k‿u.téː.ɾ‿i.mbe.ɾ‿u.βu.tiː.t͡sa] 3 [a.βa.kú.ɾaː.mbe.ɾe‿βi.nhwáː.ɾi‿] [‿βi.taː.nze‿βa.ti.zí.ga.ma] [ba.ɾa.gu.haː.ŋg‿u.vá.m‿u.βu.koː.mbe] [u.t͡siː.nd‿u.βu.kó.ɾo.ni na mha.t͡si.βi.hú.gu] [bɟáː.jo.go.ʒ‿a.fu.ɾi.ká jóː.se] [nóː.n‿u.ɾa.gaː.nʒe mu bɡí.ɟeː.ŋɟe] [tu.βu.ko.me.je.h‿u.kó tu.ɾi tkwéː.se] 4 [ko.me.z‿i.mi.hi.gó ɾɡwaː.nda du.kuː.nda] [du.ha.gu.ɾu.ci.je ku.kwí.taː.ŋɟi.ɾa] [ŋgo̯‿a.ma.hó.ɾ‿a.sa.βe mu‿βa.gu.túː.je] [wiː.çí.ɾe wiː.zá.ne mu.ɾi bɟóː.se] [u.ɾaː.ŋgwe ni.ça.k‿u.teː.ɾ‿i.mbe.ɾe] [u.há.mɲ‿u.mu.βáː.no na.ma.háː.ŋga jóː.se] [ma.z‿i.ʒa.βo ɾɟaː.we ɾi.gu.h‿i.ʒaː.mbo] |
| Swahili lyrics | French lyrics | English translation |
| I Rwanda, nchi yetu nzuri na yenye kupendwa na milima, maziwa na volkano Nchi ya Mama, ingejazwa furaha kila wakati Sisi watoto wako wote: Abanyarwanda Wacha tuimbe mng'ao wako na tutangaze ukweli wako wa hali ya juu Wewe, kifua cha mama yetu sisi sote Ungeweza kupendwa milele, mafanikio na funika sifa. II Urithi wenye thamani, kwamba Mungu analinda kwako Ulijaza sisi bidhaa zenye bei kubwa Tamaduni yetu ya kawaida hututambulisha Lugha yetu moja inatuunganisha Kwamba akili zetu, dhamiri zetu na vikosi vyetu Kukujaza utajiri anuwai Kwa maendeleo yasiyokoma tena. III Wazee wetu wenye nguvu Walijitolea miili na roho mbali na kukufanya wewe kuwa taifa kubwa Ulishinda nira ya ukoloni-ubeberu ambayo imeharibu Afrika kabisa na furaha yako ya uhuru wako huru imepatikana ambayo kila mara tutatetea. IV Kudumisha hii Cape, Mpendwa Rwanda, Kudumu, tunajitolea kwa ajili yako Ili amani itawale nchi nzima Kwamba uko huru na kizuizi chochote Kwamba uamuzi wako unakodisha maendeleo Kwamba una uhusiano mzuri na nchi zote Na kwamba hatimaye kiburi chako kinastahili heshima yako. | I Rwanda, notre beau et cher pays Paré de collines, de lacs et de volcans Mère-patrie, sois toujours comblée de bonheur Nous tous tes enfants: les Rwandais Chantons ton éclat et proclamons tes hauts faits Toi, Giron maternel de nous tous Sois à jamais admiré, prospère et couvert d’éloges. II Précieux héritage, que Dieu te protège Tu nous as comblés de biens inestimables Notre culture commune nous identifie Notre unique langue nous unifie Que notre intelligence, notre conscience et nos forces Te comblent de richesses diversifiées Pour un développement sans cesse renouvelé. III Nos valeureux aïeux Se sont donnés corps et âmes Jusqu’à faire de toi une grande Nation Tu as eu raison du joug colonialo-impérialiste Qui a dévasté l’Afrique tout entière Et te voici aise de ton indépendance souveraine Acquis que sans cesse nous défendrons. IV Maintiens ce cap, Rwanda bien-aimé Debout, nous nous engageons pour toi Afin que la paix règne dans tout le pays Que tu sois libre de toute entrave Que ta détermination engage le progrès Qu’excellent tes relations avec tous les pays Et qu’enfin ta fierté te vaille estime. | I Rwanda, our beautiful and dear country Adorned of hills, lakes and volcanoes Motherland, would be always filled of happiness Us all your children: Abanyarwanda Let us sing your glare and proclaim your high facts You, maternal bosom of us all Would be admired forever, prosperous and cover of praises. II Invaluable heritage, that God protects to you You filled us priceless goods Our common culture identifies us Our single language unifies us That our intelligence, our conscience and our forces Fill you with varied riches For an unceasingly renewed development. III Our valorous ancestors Gave themselves bodies and souls As far as making you a big nation You overcame the colonial-imperialistic yoke That has devastated Africa entirely And has your joy of your sovereign independence Acquired that constantly we will defend. IV Maintain this cape, beloved Rwanda, Standing, we commit for you So that peace reigns countrywide That you are free of all hindrance That your determination hires progress That you have excellent relations with all countries And that finally your pride is worth your esteem. |