Poet of the Week from Angola: Manuel Rui Alves Monteiro

Okay, next week I will  get back into more conventional poetry, but for this week enjoy a very 'socialist' sounding national anthem from Angola.  In case you didn't know, Angola adopted this to celebrate their independence from Portugal in 1975.  It boggles my brain to think about it but yes, there were still colonies in Africa in the 70's...

This anthem was written by Manuel Rui Alves Monteiro who lives today in Angola as a lawyer, professor and writer. 

Angolan National Anthem: Angola Avante!

Forward Angola!

CHORU
O Fatherland, we shall never forget
The heroes of the Fourth of February.
O Fatherland, we salute your sons
Who died for our Independence.
We honor the past and our history
As by our work we build the New Man.
(repeat previous two lines)

CHORUS
Forward, Angola!
Revolution through the power of the People!
A United Country, Freedom,
One People, one Nation!
(repeat chorus)

Let us raise our liberated voices
To the glory of the peoples of Africa.
We shall march, Angolan fighters,
In solidarity with oppressed peoples.
We shall fight proudly for Peace
Along with the progressive forces of the world.
(repeat previous two lines)

CHORUS

Ó Pátria, nunca mais esqueceremos
Os heróis do quatro de Fevereiro.
Ó Pátria, nós saudamos os teus filhos
Tombados pela nossa Independência.
Honramos o passado e a nossa História,
Construindo no Trabalho o Homem novo,
(repeat previous two lines)

CHORUS
Angola, avante!
Revolução, pelo Poder Popular!
Pátria Unida, Liberdade,
Um só povo, uma só Nação!
(repeat chorus)

Levantemos nossas vozes libertadas
Para glória dos povos africanos.
Marchemos, combatantes angolanos,
Solidários com os povos oprimidos.
Orgulhosos lutaremos Pela Paz
Com as forças progressistas do mundo.



Past Poems of the Week:

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2010/07/poem-of-week-moroccan-national-anthem.html
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2010/07/poem-of-week-potw.html
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2010/07/potw-black-woman-by-senghor.html
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2010/06/potw-i-sing-of-change-by-niyi-osundare.html
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2010/06/potw-noliwe-by-senghor.html
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2010/06/potw-in-small-hours-by-wole-soyinka.html
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2010/06/potw-and-we-shall-be-bathed-my-love-by.html
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2010/04/lawful-magic-why-i-will-have-poem-of.html

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/angola/index.html

FUUO Past Poets of the Week:

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/05/african-poets-of-week-compilation.html

Some of my favorite poetry books: