Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 12, 2026

Qolobaa Calankeed

"Qolobaa Calankeed" is the national anthem of Somalia. Written and composed by Abdullahi Qarshe, it was adopted on 1 August 2012 with the passage of the Somali national constitution, in which it is enshrined. It replaced "Soomaaliyeey toosoo", which had been in use since 2000. "Soomaaliyeey toosoo" is often still used as a de facto national anthem.

Last revised
Jun 12, 2026
Read time
≈ 3 min
Length
762 w
Citations
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Source
Wikipedia ↗
Qolobaa Calankeed
English: Every nation has its own flag
Flag of Somalia
National anthem of  Somalia
Also known asQolobaa Calankeedu waa ceynoo
LyricsAbdullahi Qarshe, 1959
MusicAbdullahi Qarshe, 1959
Adopted1 August 2012 (2012-08-01)
Preceded by“Soomaaliyeey toosoo”
Audio sample
U.S. Navy Band abridged instrumental version (equivalent to the chorus followed by the first two lines of the chorus / a verse)

"Qolobaa Calankeed" (pronounced [qolobaː ʕalankeːd]; Wadaad script: قلبا علنكئد; English: "Every nation has its own flag") is the national anthem of Somalia. Written and composed by Abdullahi Qarshe,12 it was adopted on 1 August 2012 with the passage of the Somali national constitution,3 in which it is enshrined. It replaced "Soomaaliyeey toosoo", which had been in use since 2000. "Soomaaliyeey toosoo" is often still used as a de facto national anthem.

Lyrics

Somali original (Somali Latin alphabet)456 Somali original (Osmanya script) Somali original (Wadaad's writing) IPA transcriptiona Official English translation5

Chorus:
(𝄆) Qolobaab calankeedu,
waa ceynoo, (𝄇)
Innaga keenu waa,
Cirkoo kala10c ee,
aan caadna lahayn,
Ee caashaqaye.

I
(𝄆) Xiddigyahay caddi waad,
Naa ciidamisee, (𝄇)
Carradaa keligaa
adow curadee,
cadceedda sideeda,
caan noqo ee!

Chorus

II
(𝄆) Cashadaad dhalataad
caloosheennee,e (𝄇)
Sidii culaygii
cidaad marisee,
Allow ha ku celin,
"Cawooy!" dhahe ee

Chorus

III
(𝄆) Shanteena cududood
Cadkii ka maqnaa (𝄇)
Adow celiyow
Nacaawimayee
Waa calaf cimrigu
Isku keen simayee

Chorus:
(𝄆) 𐒎𐒙𐒐𐒙𐒁𐒛 𐒋𐒖𐒐𐒖𐒒𐒏𐒜𐒆𐒚,
𐒓𐒛 𐒋𐒗𐒕𐒒𐒝, (𝄇)
𐒘𐒒𐒒𐒖𐒌𐒖 𐒏𐒜𐒒𐒚 𐒓𐒛,
𐒋𐒘𐒇𐒏𐒝 𐒏𐒖𐒐𐒗 𐒜,
𐒛𐒒 𐒋𐒛𐒆𐒒𐒖 𐒐𐒖𐒔𐒖𐒕𐒒𐒝,
𐒜 𐒋𐒛𐒉𐒖𐒎𐒖 𐒜.

I
(𝄆) 𐒄𐒘𐒆𐒘𐒌𐒕𐒖𐒔𐒖𐒌 𐒋𐒖𐒆𐒆𐒘 𐒓𐒛𐒆,
𐒒𐒛 𐒋𐒕𐒆𐒖𐒑𐒘𐒈𐒜, (𝄇)
𐒋𐒖𐒇𐒇𐒖𐒆𐒛 𐒏𐒖𐒐𐒌𐒛
𐒛𐒆𐒘𐒌𐒖 𐒚 𐒋𐒚𐒇𐒖𐒆 𐒜
𐒋𐒖𐒆𐒋𐒜𐒆𐒖 𐒈𐒘𐒆𐒜𐒆𐒖
𐒐𐒖 𐒋𐒛𐒒 𐒒𐒙𐒎𐒙 𐒜𐒕

Chorus

II
(𝄆) 𐒋𐒘𐒉𐒖𐒆𐒛𐒆 𐒊𐒖𐒐𐒖𐒂𐒛𐒆
𐒋𐒖𐒐𐒝𐒉𐒖𐒕𐒆𐒕 (𝄇)
𐒈𐒘𐒆𐒕 𐒋𐒚𐒐𐒖𐒕𐒌𐒕
𐒋𐒘𐒆𐒛𐒆 𐒑𐒖𐒇𐒘𐒈𐒜
𐒔𐒖 𐒏𐒚 𐒋𐒗𐒐𐒘𐒒
𐒋𐒖𐒓𐒙𐒕 𐒊𐒖𐒔𐒗 𐒜

Chorus

III
(𝄆) 𐒉𐒔𐒖𐒒𐒂𐒜𐒒𐒖 𐒋𐒚𐒆𐒚𐒆𐒝𐒆
𐒋𐒖𐒆𐒏𐒕 𐒏𐒖 𐒑𐒖𐒎𐒒𐒛 (𝄇)
𐒛𐒆𐒙𐒓 𐒋𐒗𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒙𐒓
𐒒𐒖𐒋𐒛𐒓𐒘𐒑𐒖𐒕𐒜
𐒓𐒛 𐒋𐒖𐒐𐒖𐒍 𐒋𐒘𐒑𐒇𐒘𐒌𐒚
𐒙𐒈𐒏𐒚 𐒏𐒜𐒒 𐒈𐒘𐒑𐒖𐒕𐒜

Chorus:
(𝄇) قلبا علنكئد
وا عينو (𝄆)
انغ كئن وا
عركو كل أى
أى عاشق أى
حدغيهي عدواد

١
(𝄇) حدغيهي عد واد
نا عيدمسي (𝄆)
عردا كلغا
ادغ او عرد أى
عدعئد سدئد
ل عان نق أىي

Chorus

٢
(𝄇) عشداد طلتاد
علوشيدى (𝄆)
سدى عليغى
عداد مرسئ
ه ك علن
عوي طه أى

Chorus

٣
(𝄇) شنتين عددود
عدكي ك مقنا (𝄆)
ادو عليو
نعاوميي
وا علف عمرگ
اسك كين سميي

 
(𝄆) [qo.lo.baː ʕa.lan.keː.du]
[waː ʕej.noː] (𝄇)
[in.na.ga keː.nu waː]
[ʕir.koː ka.la eː]
[aːn ʕaːd.na la.hajn]
[eː ʕaː.ʃa.qa.jeː]

1
(𝄆) [ħid̪.d̪ig.ja.haj ʕad.di waːd]
[naː ʕiː.da.mi.seː] (𝄇)
[ʕar.ra.daː ke.li.gaː]
[a.dow ʕu.ra.deː]
[ʕad.ʕeːd.da si.deː.da]
[ʕaːn no.qo eː]

Chorus

2
(𝄆) [ʕa.ʃa.daːd ɖa.la.taː]
[ʕa.lowː.ʃeːn.naː] (𝄇)
[si.diː ʕu.laj.giː]
[ʕi.daːd ma.ri.seː]
[al.low ha ku ʕe.lin]
[ʕa.woːj ɖa.he eː]

Chorus

3
(𝄆) [ʃan.t̪eːna ʕu.du.doːd]
[ʕad.kiː ka maq.naː] (𝄇)
[a.dow ʕe.li.jow]
[na.ʕaː.wi.ma.jeː]
[waː ʕa.laf ʕim.ri.gu]
[is.ku keːn si.ma.jeː]

Chorus:
(𝄆) Any nation's flag,
bears its own colour (𝄇)
The sky (above us),
does ours look like
Defects it has none;
love it with candor

I
(𝄆) Oh you White Star,
at your service we are (𝄇)
Superior you are,
in any part of our land
Be famous oh Star,
like the sun (of the far)

Chorus

II
(𝄆) On the day you arose,
our hearts you have (𝄇)
Purified with pureness,
(Oh you our flag)
Lord may not dim you,
pray we in this night

Chorus

III
(𝄆) The detached part of,
our forces of five (𝄇)
I beseech from God,
their return you cause
This fate that wrote,
for us to meet now

See also

See also

Notes

Notes

  1. See Help:IPA, Somali Latin alphabet and Somali phonology.
  2. Sometimes written qolabaa [qo.la.baː]78 or qolaba [qo.la.baː].9
  3. Sometimes written kale [ka.le].45
  4. Sometimes written Cishadaad dhalataad [ʕi.ʃa.daːd ɖa.la.taːd].11
  5. Sometimes written calooshaydii [ʕa.loː.ʃaj.diː].11
References

References

  1. Agency, Central Intelligence (22 November 2016). The CIA world factbook 2007, p.778. Skyhorse. ISBN 9781510712898.
  2. Turner, B. (12 January 2017). The Statesman's Yearbook 2014: The Politics, Cultures and Economies of the World, by Barry Turner, p.1116. Springer. ISBN 9781349596430.
  3. Federal Republic of Somalia - Provisional Constitution (1 August 2012), Somalia
  4. Soof (in Somali). Soof. 1996. p. 5.
  5. "National Anthem of Somalia". Somali Embassy in Belgium. 2019-08-19. Archived from the original on 2019-08-19. Retrieved 2022-03-10.
  6. "Qoloba Calankeedu waa ceynoo Lyrics AUN-C/Lahi Qarshe". YouTube. 6 August 2018.
  7. "What are we celebrating for?". www.hiiraan.com. Archived from the original on 2023-03-07. Retrieved 2022-03-10.
  8. Mataan, Asad Cabdullahi (2014-07-02). "QABIIL WALBOOW CALANKAA MISE??". Caasimada Online. Retrieved 2022-03-10.
  9. "Ma garanaysaa midabka saxda ah ee calanka Soomaaliya?". BBC News Somali (in Somali). Retrieved 2022-03-10.
  10. "Qolobaa Calankeedu waa caynoo". Allaa Weyn Ninkii Aaminaa Awood Leh-. 2009-12-02. Retrieved 2022-03-10.
  11. Jidhidhico (2010-06-26). "Heesta Calanka: Qarshe". HIGIL (in Somali). Retrieved 2022-03-10.
External links