"L'Hymne à St.-Barthélemy" ("The Hymn to Saint Barthelemy") is the unofficial song of the French overseas collectivity of Saint Barthélemy.[1] It was created in 1999 by Michael Valenti, with lyrics by Isabelle Massart Déravin.[2] As a French overseas collectivity, the official national anthem is "La Marseillaise".[1]
I
Ile oubliée des dieux et inconnue des hommes,
Tu dormais alanguie attendant qu’on te nomme,
Quand le tambour des pieds foulant tes anses blondes
T’arracha à ton rêve et t’ouvrit sur le monde.
Refrain:
Ouanalao ou Saint Barthélemy,
Ile des Antilles et île de France,
Garde ta foi, ton espérance,
Ta liberté sera notre devise.
II
Arawaks, Caraïbes, Bretons et flibustiers,
Anglais, Flamands, Français, Espagnols et colons,
Pirogues, caravelles, galiotes et galions
Ecrivirent ton histoire dans le fond de tes baies.
Refrain
III
Tes enfants, hommes de mer, d’îles en îles ont cherché
Ailleurs cette fortune que tu leur refusait.
Mais de paroles de rois, Suédois puis Français,
Ils reçurent en partage honneur et dignité.
Refrain
IV
Terre d’espoir, de feu, de peine et de courage,
Défiant l’océan, les vents, les ouragans,
Tes filles et tes fils sans plainte refont l’ouvrage,
Comme l’ont fait toujours avant eux leurs parents.
Refrain
V
A tes mornes arides, offre tes belles plages,
A tes années sans pluie, tes heures d’abondance,
A tes fils en exil, leur force et leur puissance,
A tes moments de doute, la parole des sages.
Refrain
I
Isle forgotten by the gods, unknown by the men,
You were sleeping, languid, waiting for a given name,
When the drum of the feet trampling your blond coves,
Tore you out of your dream and opened you to the world.
Chorus:
Ouanalao or Saint Barthélemy
Isle of the Antilles and isle of France
Don’t give up your faith, don’t give up your hope
Your freedom remains our motto
II
Arawaks, Caraibes, Bretons and pirates
English, Flemish, French, Spanish and settlers
Canoes, caravelles, galiotes and galions.
Have written your history at the bottom of your bays.
Chorus
III
Your children, seamen they were, went from isle to isle
To catch elsewhere the fortune you didn’t give to them
But from the kings’ words, Swedish and then French
They received as inheritance honor and dignity.
Chorus
IV
Land of hope, of fire, of pain and of spirit
Defying the ocean, the winds, the hurricanes
Without complaint your daughters and sons they rebuild
As their parents have always done before them.
Chorus
V
To your barren hills give your beautiful beaches
To your years of drought, your hours of plenty
To your exiled sons their strength and their power
To your moments of doubts the word of the wise men.
