Congo na Biso

Mukili ebandaki boyé

This is how the world began

Bana mpe bakolo to yeba oh

let children and elders alike know

Tango ya ba koko na tango na biso ekeseni

our ancestors' times and ours are so different

Congo oh

Congo, oh

Ezalaki tango ya palama misato

it was the age of the three Palama

Bana nionso ya mbok'oyo

all the children of this land

Ba monaki pasi pona mokili

suffered for this country

Congo na ngai ezalaki na bato

my Congo had its people

Na tangu ya maswa

in the age of the steamboats

Congo na ngai na tango ya ba koko

my Congo in the time of the ancestors

Ezalaki ndéngé mosusu

was another world

Nazalaki ko lat'elamba lokola lelo té

they didn't dress as we do today

Ko tambola na voiture lokola yo té

nor ride in cars like you

Bazalaki na l'hôpital té sé monganga mboka oh

they had no hospitals, only traditional healers

Kasi bazalaki ko bika ndéngé nini oh

yet how did they survive?

Ba koko ba biso ba sali Bakongo

our ancestors built the land of the Bakongo

Tango na biso

in our own time

Biloko nionso tokomi ko zwa na pasi oh

everything has become a struggle to get

Ezali lisusu ndéngé ya ba koko té

it's no longer as it was with the ancestors

Poso mosusu eyé ko coloniser sé bato ya mboka oh

another race came to colonise the people of this land

Sima ebongaki ko sala ndéngé nini'oh

so what were we to do then?

To sengi lipanda pe révolution ya Congo

we demanded independence and the revolution of Congo

Congo oh Congo oh

Congo oh Congo oh

Toyeba ko sala, to bongisa Congo

Congo oyo mboka ah

Toyeba ko sala, to bongisa Congo

Congo oyo mboka ah

Congo oh Congo oh

Congo oh Congo oh

Lelo na komi mwana zomi

Congo na ngai na bongisa

Na mosala na ngai

Masombele Ze Petayer

Mama sala kwang'oyo o lese ngai

Wana mosala na yo

Ah nzambe pesa Congo Makasi oh

Toyeba ko sala, to bongisa Congo

Congo oyo mboka ah

Toyeba ko sala, to bongisa Congo

Congo oyo mboka ah

Congo oh Congo oh

Congo oh Congo oh

Lelo na komi mwana zomi

Congo na ngai na bongisa

Na mosala na ngai

Masombele Ze Petayer

Mama sala kwang'oyo o lese ngai

Wana mosala na yo

Ah nzambe pesa Congo Makasi oh

Toyeba ko sala, to bongisa Congo

Congo oyo mboka ah