High We Exalt Thee, Realm of the Free

"High We Exalt Thee, Realm of the Free" () is the national anthem of Sierra Leone.

Lyrics
English lyricsIPA transcriptionKrio translationI
High we exalt thee, realm of the free;
Great is the love we have for thee;
Firmly united ever we stand,
Singing thy praise, O native land.
We raise up our hearts and our voices on high,
The hills and the valleys re-echo our cry;
Blessing and peace be ever thine own,
Land that we love, our Sierra Leone.

II
One with a faith that wisdom inspires,
One with a zeal that never tires;
Ever we seek to honour thy name,
Ours is the labour, thine the fame.
We pray that no harm on thy children may fall,
That blessing and peace may descend on us all;
So may we serve thee ever alone,
Land that we love, our Sierra Leone.

III
Knowledge and truth our forefathers spread,
Mighty the nations whom they led;
Mighty they made thee, so too may we
Show forth the good that is ever in thee.
We pledge our devotion, our strength and our might,
Thy cause to defend and to stand for thy right;
All that we have be ever thine own,
Land that we love, our Sierra Leone.1
[haɪ wi ɪgˈzlt ði rɛlm əv ðə fri]
[greɪt ɪz ðə ləv wi hæv fɔr ði]
[ˈfmli juˈntəd ˈehvər wi stænd]
[ˈsŋɪŋ ðaɪ preɪz oʊ ˈntɪv lænd]
[wi reɪz əp aʊər hɑrts ənd aʊər ˈvsəz ɑn haɪ]
[ðə hɪlz ənd ðə ˈvliz re-echo aʊər kraɪ]
[ˈblsɪŋ ənd pis bi ˈehvər ðaɪn oʊn]
[lænd ðæt wi ləv aʊər sˈehɛrə lˈowoʊn]

2
[wən wɪð ə feɪθ ðæt ˈwzdəm ˌihnˈsprz]
[wən wɪð ə zil ðæt ˈnvər taɪərz]
[ˈehvər wi sik tu ˈaanər ðaɪ neɪm]
[aʊərz ɪz ðə ˈlbər ðaɪn ðə feɪm]
[wi preɪ ðæt noʊ hɑrm ɑn ðaɪ ˈchldrən meɪ fɔl]
[ðæt ˈblsɪŋ ənd pis meɪ dɪˈsnd ɑn əs ɔl]
[soʊ meɪ wi sərv ði ˈehvər əˈowoʊn]
[lænd ðæt wi ləv aʊər sˈehɛrə lˈowoʊn]

3
[ˈnləʤ ənd truθ aʊər ˈfrˌfðərz sprɛd]
[ˈmti ðə ˈnʃənz hum ðeɪ lɛd]
[ˈmti ðeɪ meɪd ði soʊ tu meɪ wi]
[ʃoʊ fɔrθ ðə gʊd ðæt ɪz ˈehvər ɪn ði]
[wi plɛʤ aʊər dɪˈvʃən aʊər strɛŋkθ ənd aʊər maɪt]
[ðaɪ kɑz tu dɪˈfnd ənd tu stænd fɔr ðaɪ raɪt]
[ɔl ðæt wi hæv bi ˈehvər ðaɪn oʊn]
[lænd ðæt wi ləv aʊər sˈehɛrə lˈowoʊn]I
Wi de es yu ɔp, wi de rul di wan dɛn we fri;
Di lɔv we wi gɛt fɔ yu rili big;
Wi de tinap tranga wan ɔltɛm,
Siŋ yu prez yu, O nativ land.
Wi de es wi at ɛn wi vɔys ɔp ɔp,
Di il ɛn di vali dɛn de mek wi kray bak;
Yu yon blɛsin ɛn pis de sote go,
Land we wi lɛk, wi Siera Liɔn.

II
Wan we gɛt fet we gɛt sɛns,
Wan we gɛt zil we nɔ de taya;
Wi de tray fɔ ɔnɔ yu nem ɔltɛm,
Wi yon na di wok, na yu yon di fame.
Wi de pre mek no bad tin we go apin to yu pikin dɛn,
Dat blɛsin ɛn pis go kam dɔŋ pan wi ɔl;
So mek wi de sav yu wan de sote go,
Land we wi lɛk, wi Siera Liɔn.

III
Wi fɔstɛm pipul dɛn bin de skata di no ɛn di trut,
Matiful di neshɔn dɛn we dɛn bin de lid;
Dɛn mek yu pawaful, ɛn wisɛf go mek yu gɛt pawa
Sho di gud tin dɛn we de insay yu ɔltɛm.
Wi de prɔmis wi devoshɔn, wi trɛnk ɛn wi trɛnk,
Yu kes fɔ difend ɛn tinap fɔ yu rayt;
Ɔl wetin wi gɛt na yu yon ɔltɛm,
Land we wi lɛk, wi Siera Liɔn.

References

Category:African anthems
Category:National symbols of Sierra Leone