"" () is the national anthem of

Lesotho Lesotho ( ), officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a country landlocked country, landlocked as an Enclave and exclave, enclave in South Africa. It is situated in the Maloti Mountains and contains the Thabana Ntlenyana, highest mountains in Sou ...

. The lyrics were written by French missionary

François Coillard François Coillard (17 July 1834 in Asnières-les-Bourges, Cher, France – 27 May 1904 in Lealui, Barotseland, Northern Rhodesia) was a French missionary who worked for the Paris Evangelical Missionary Society in southern Africa. Life Coillard w ...

and Swiss missionary Adolphe Mabille, and the music is taken from an 1820 hymnal composed by Swiss composer Ferdinand-Samuel Laur. It was officially adopted as the national anthem in 1967. The original composition that the national anthem was based on had five verses, though only the first and last ended up being adopted.

History

The song was written by French missionaries

and Adolphe Mabille and set to the tune of the 1820 hymnal "Freiheit" () by Swiss composer Ferdinand-Samuel Laur. It was introduced around 1869 as part of a collection of hymns and work songs. This was immediately after the third and final

Free State–Basotho War Free may refer to: Concept * Freedom, having the ability to do something, without having to obey anyone/anything * Freethought, a position that beliefs should be formed only on the basis of logic, reason, and empiricism * Emancipate, to procur ...

(1867–1868), and the lyrics encouraged the Basotho to accept the borders defined in the 1869 Convention of Aliwal North between Britain and the Boer Free State, which ended the war. The song is first known to have been performed at a party work party for Basotho chief Molapo in 1870. Originally sung by field workers, by the 1900s, mission schools run by the Paris Evangelical Mission Society had begun teaching the song to their students. Over time, the song became abbreviated, and only the first and fifth (last) verses began to be taught. The missionaries also organised public performances of the song by their students on special occasions. The song gained de facto use in important functions in the early 20th century, commonly being sung after " God Save the Queen", and was already being referred to as the national anthem by the 1940s. A version including the first and last verses, shortened by choral composer

Joshua Pulumo Mohapeloa Joshua Pulumo Mohapeloa (1908-1982) was a prominent choral music composer in Sesotho, the native language of the BaSotho people of Southern Africa. Early life Joshua Mohapeloa, a member of the Bataung clan, was born in Molumong in Lesotho ...

, was declared the official anthem of Lesotho on 1 June 1967, just over a year after independence on 4 October 1966.

Lyrics

Current lyrics

Original lyrics

Notes

References

External links

Lesotho: ''Lesotho Fatse La Bontata Rona'' - Audio of the national anthem of Lesotho, with information and lyricsarchive link

National anthem of Lesotho MIDI
- Vocal {{authority control Lesotho music National symbols of Lesotho African anthems 1966 songs National anthem compositions in B-flat major