By Youssou N'Dour
He assumed the throne of Cajor
And became well-known for his festive reign
Where every occasion was reason for
Celebration in great style
Having inherited a rich oral tradition
He encouraged local musicians
And his patronage gave rise to the flourishing of
The music known as mbaboor
Ah! Birima!
A day spent in your presence
Was the picture of hospitality!
This music was transmitted by the griots
Who painted vivid portraits of the kingdom
Mbaboor became inextricably linked
To the history of Cajor
Most importantly, it forged a new and enduring link
Between royalty and the common people
Where relations had been different before
As the classes lived and struggled and
Celebrated together
Common experience allowed them to identify
With one another
Ah! Birima!
A day spent in your presence
Was the picture of hospitality
MP3 Download Links! Click on your favorite song.
And became well-known for his festive reign
Where every occasion was reason for
Celebration in great style
Having inherited a rich oral tradition
He encouraged local musicians
And his patronage gave rise to the flourishing of
The music known as mbaboor
Ah! Birima!
A day spent in your presence
Was the picture of hospitality!
This music was transmitted by the griots
Who painted vivid portraits of the kingdom
Mbaboor became inextricably linked
To the history of Cajor
Most importantly, it forged a new and enduring link
Between royalty and the common people
Where relations had been different before
As the classes lived and struggled and
Celebrated together
Common experience allowed them to identify
With one another
Ah! Birima!
A day spent in your presence
Was the picture of hospitality
MP3 Download Links! Click on your favorite song.
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ReplyDeleteA Senegalese friend from college introduced me to Youssou N'Dour. She did explain what it means, but I forgot. So I googled and here I am. Thank you for the translation.
ReplyDeleteI want that friend to introduce me to Birima
DeleteThis translation is wrong. The song is a tribute to a king Birima who is a simple of resistance against French colonization. It talks about fighting for freedom.
DeleteI would love an English translation of Tijaniyya from Egypt
ReplyDeleteIt is so beautiful!
One of the best tunes.Never gets old.
ReplyDeleteI am going to Senegal for the first time and meeting him is on my list of things to-do.Thanks for the translation.
dutiful track nice to know the meaning at last
ReplyDeleteListened to this songs for the first time in year 2000 shortly after mg Dad died... I didnt know the meaning or Correct lytics but this song gave me Joy. Youssou N'dour is blessed beyond measure !
ReplyDeletecan i translate it to my mothertoungue Assamese. plz reply
ReplyDeleteThank you for the translation
ReplyDeleteThank you for this translation. The song birima is something else, transforms my spirit to the cosmos. I had looked for the meaning invain, so thank you so much. Youssou N'dour is top of my favorite artists right now, I love him so much it's crazy!
ReplyDeleteI just love the song ,,but I didn't understand the lyrics .thank for the translation
ReplyDeleteMy dear late partners favourite work and respectfully her funeral music what a lady. It's pointless wading through match.com as 99.9 percent of its subscribers won't even heard of youssou.. a loss in which ever way you look at it. Xx
ReplyDeleteIs Birima a name of a person or just a word if yes kindly assist with the translation.
ReplyDeleteThanks Nhlanhla From South Africa
A person's name. The name of the main character receiving thanks in the song for his hospitality.
DeleteWow!!! What a wonderful song. A song that can inspire anyone without knowing it's meaning. I love this song, God bless his generation
ReplyDeleteTimeless African classic...!
DeleteGolden times. Kids today will never know the feeling, when we enjoy this song and many others like it from Youssou N'dour and the likes of African Musicians. Blessed to be born in the 90's. God bless Africa 🖤
ReplyDeleteWe should continue playing our African music
DeleteI was born in 2000 and discovered this song recently, I refute the fallacy that kids today don’t know old music
DeleteThanks you, I'm togolese and very familiar with this song. Thanks for translating.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favourite 👍Birima
ReplyDeleteThank you thank you! I feel huge and connected to the cosmos listening to this song!
ReplyDeleteI am from Xhosa tribe in SA and I enjoyed the song as much as I didn't understand the meaning but from seeing the song it told me that Birima is someone who's rich but kind to those are poor, I'm so happy to see that I'm not far.i so love Africans with their music and I hope one day someone can bring me close to these legends Yousssou N'Dour,Salif Keita please.thank you Youssou N'Dour for great music pls don't stop
ReplyDeleteYou've got great tatse in music....! Am reminded of Jabu Khanyile and Ringo...their music is international too and touches all age groups and cultures
DeleteYou've got great tatse in music....! Am reminded of Jabu Khanyile and Ringo...their music is international too and touches all age groups and cultures
ReplyDeleteI loved Youssou N'Dour from years back, then heard his voice on radio and said which album is this? Then shazamed it only to find out its an album,its a must have going to get it. Normally I would get albums and listen to all the tracks but how I missed this is being too busy in life. I need to catch up with my music(all good african music) including the one from my country South Africa. May our African Artists continue blessing us africans with our own, our food for the soul music. We connect to it even before we know the meaning of the songs. Listen to all live versions..... Ooh you will love it! even the London one.
ReplyDeletethanks for the translation! love this song.. !! it's on repeat ..
ReplyDeleteI Listened to this song a million times. Today I have an idea what the song is all about. . Long live youssour.
ReplyDeleteYoussou ndour is a legend i have met in my dreams for so many times because mostly his music is my lullaby. I can sing many of his song without knowing the meaning of a single word in the lyrics. Because this i have been learning French and kirikou is the song I love very much because i now know the meaning of what say.
ReplyDeleteThis is Zakaria from Ghana 🇬🇭
I simply love Yousou Ndour I wish to meet him one day.
ReplyDeleteThank you, just thank you. This translation means so much to me because this music lives right at the bottom of my heart. Live from ghana 🇬🇭
ReplyDelete♡♡ +255 TZ
ReplyDeleteMaysa tende jodo yaa moom liile
ReplyDeleteThe people have gathered and they are talking
Woy birima fumu yendu ma yendu fa yendo naanee
Oh Birima, the leader, guides us and teaches us to work together for the common good
Buri samba laobe yaa moom liile
The women are singing and dancing
Damel maisa penda joor
My heart is full of joy
Sama waaji ken dula jam naani
My voice joins in the chorus
Wooy tedi ngoné maarne be sambaa
The sound of the drums is heard far and wide
Kuli baca senge ndat biran ngamoo
The young and old come together to celebrate
Ngoné maca nas mbay maca jeeri
The drums beat and the people shout with joy
Samba yaasimooooo dike mbay kuja dooooki
The women dance with grace and elegance
Yay borom mbaboor mi
The great leader is with us
Dogo fal ak mawa joor kumba samba yaay jaloor
The elders and youth join in the celebration
Aziz o mbay dogo xam nga yoon wee
Aziz, come and join us
Maisa tendo jooro jooro a mari ngone sobel kayor niila
The people continue to sing and dance all throughout the night