National Anthem of Libya
Becoming an independent kingdom in late 1951, a competition was held the following year for a national anthem. The winning entry, “Libya, Libya, Libya”, was first performed at the wedding of King Idris in 1955. The composer of the music also wrote the music for the anthems of Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates. The anthem was used until the monarchy was abolished in a coup by Moammar Qadaffi in 1969, when it was replaced with a new anthem. During the 2011 Libyan civil war, the rebel forces against Qadafi’s government used the former anthem from the monarchy period as the Libyan national anthem in the areas that they control. Upon the effective loss of power of the Qadaffi regime, “Libya, Libya, Libya” was restored as the national anthem, with the third verse that mentions the king not being used (it is still sometimes heard, or sometimes it is altered to mention other famous Libyan patriots).
Lyrics
O my country,
O my country,
With my struggle and gladiatorial patience,
Drive off all enemies’ plots and mishaps
Be saved, be saved, be saved, be saved all the way
We are your sacrifices
Libya, Libya, Libya!
O my country, You’re the heritage of my ancestors
May Allah not bless any hand that tries to harm you
Be saved, we are for ever your soldiers
No matter the death toll if you’ve been saved
Take from us the most credential oaths, we won’t let you down, Libya
We will never be enchained again
We are free and have freed our homeland
Libya, Libya, Libya!
Our grandfathers stripped a fine determination when the call for struggle was made
They marched carrying Qur’an in one hand,
and their weapons by the other hand
The universe is then full of faith and purity
The world is then a place of goodness and godliness
Eternity is for our grandfathers
They have honoured this homeland
Libya, Libya, Libya!
(verse abolished)
Extend on Idris the honour, the descendant of the conqueror
He is the symbol of struggle and Jihad
He raises our flag high
And we follow him, freeing our homeland,
He allows praise of his throne
And raises hope for Libya in heaven,
A free flag
Over a rich country,
Libya, Libya, Libya.
(new version)
Extend on Al Mukhtar the prince of the conqueror
He is the symbol of struggle and Jihad
He raises our flag high
And we follow him, freeing our homeland,
He allows praise of his ancestors
And raises hope for Libya in heaven,
A free flag
Over a rich country,
Libya, Libya, Libya.
O son of Libya, O son of lions of the wild
We’re for honour and the honours are for us
Since the time of us being honoured, people thanked our generosity and honourableness
May Allah bless our Independence
O Libyans, seek the dizzy heights as a position in mankind
Our cubs, be prepared for the foreseen battles
Our youths, to prevail
Life is only a struggle for homeland
Libya, Libya, Libya!
