In 1997 the new national anthem of South Africa was adopted. The anthem itself is a hybrid song containing lyrics of the old anthem, and includes 5 different languages; Xhosa, Zulu, Sesotho, Afrikaans and English.
The South African National Anthem being Sung by the Springbok's
| Language | Lyrics | English translation |
|---|---|---|
| Xhosa | Nkosi sikelel’ iAfrika Maluphakanyisw’ uphondo lwayo, |
God bless Africa Raise high its glory |
| Zulu | Yizwa imithandazo yethu, Nkosi sikelela, thina lusapho lwayo. |
Hear our prayers God bless us, her children |
| Sotho | Morena boloka setjhaba sa heso, O fedise dintwa le matshwenyeho, O se boloke, O se boloke setjhaba sa heso, Setjhaba sa, South Afrika — South Afrika. |
God, we ask You to protect our nation Intervene and end all conflicts Protect us, protect our nation, our nation, South Africa — South Africa. |
| Afrikaans | Uit die blou van onse hemel, Uit die diepte van ons see, Oor ons ewige gebergtes, Waar die kranse antwoord gee, |
From the blue of our heaven, From the depth of our sea, Over our everlasting mountains, Where the echoing cliffs resound, |
| English | Sounds the call to come together, And united we shall stand, Let us live and strive for freedom In South Africa our land. |
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Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika was composed in 1897 by Enoch Sontonga, a Methodist school teacher. It was originally sung as a church hymn but later became an act of political defiance against the apartheid government. Die Stem van Suid-Afrika is a poem written by C.J. Langenhoven in 1918 and was set to music by the Reverend Marthinus Lourens de Villiers in 1921. Die Stem was the co-national anthem with God Save the King/Queen from 1936 to 1957, when it became the sole national anthem until 1995. The South African government under Nelson Mandela adopted both songs as national anthems from 1995 until they were merged in 1997 to form the current anthem.
Taken in part from Wikipedia.
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