"Nauru Bwiema" (Nauruan pronunciation: [n̪ʌˈuru bˠiˈɛmʲæ]; English: "Nauru, Our Homeland"[1]) is the national anthem of Nauru. The lyrics were written by Margaret Hendrie, with music composed by Laurence Henry Hicks. It was adopted in 1968, upon attaining independence from the mostly Australian-administered UN Trusteeship.
| English: Nauru, our homeland | |
|---|---|
 | |
National anthem of Nauru | |
| Lyrics | Margaret Hendrie |
| Music | Laurence Henry Hicks |
| Adopted | 1968 |
| Audio sample | |
Digital instrumental version | |
History
The anthem was composed by Anglo-Australian composer and military bandmaster Laurence Henry Hicks, who was leader of the Black Watch Band. It was adopted upon independence from the UN Trust Territory of Nauru, which was mostly administered by Australia, in January 1968.[2] The anthem did not have official lyrics at the time,[3] but lyrics by Nauruan composer Margaret Griffith Hendrie (1935–1990)[2] were later adopted.
Lyrics
| Nauruan original[1] | IPA transcription[a] | English translation | Official English translation[1] |
|---|---|---|---|
Nauru bwiema, ngabena ma auwe. | [ˈn̪ʌ̯u.ru bˠi.ˈɛ.mʲæ ŋæ.ˈbʲɛ.n̪ɑ mʲæ ˈæ̯u.wɛ] | Nauru our homeland, the land we dearly love. | Nauru our home, our beloved people |
