National anthem of Mauritania

The National Anthem of Mauritania was introduced to the country's independence in 1960. It is based on an old poem by Baba Ould Sheik Mauritanian. This poem was set to music already in former times, and the tune is known as a folk song. The composer Tolia Nikiprowetzky, appointed by the first President of the country Mokhtar Ould Daddah to find a melody for the anthem, chose this piece.

The text of the anthem is written in Fatchou rhythm, which makes quite difficult to sing; Therefore, only the melody of the anthem is played at official events mostly. This often leads to the false assumption that the Mauritanian anthem has no lyrics. Baba Ould Sheik was inspired by the increasing fragmentation of the country's population into different ethnic groups on the text.

Arabic Text

كن للاله ناصرا وأنكر المناكرا وكن مع الحق الذي يرضاك منك دائرا ولا تعد نافعا سواه أو ضائرا واسلك سبيل المصطفى ومت عليه سائرا وكن لقوم احدثوا في أمره مهاجرا قد موهوا بشبه واعتذروا معاذرا وزعموا مزاعما وسودوا دفاترا واحتنكوا أهل الفلا واحتنكوا الحواضرا وأورثت أكابر بدعتها أصاغرا وإن دعا مجادل في أمرهم إلى مرا فلا تمار فيهم إلا مراء ظاهرا