Iraqi National Anthem

History of the Iraqi National Anthem

The name of the Iraqi National Anthem is "Mawṭinī" - directly translating to 'My Homeland" in English. The origins of the song started off as a humble poem, written in 1934 by Palestinian poet Ibrahim Tuqan. This anthem served as Palestine's de facto anthem from the late 1930s Arabic revolt until 1996, officially being replaced by their current national anthem "Fida'i". Iraq adopted this anthem in 2004 to replace the one that had been in use since 1981, officially terminating the song directly linked to Saddam Hussein's political regime.

Interestingly enough, Iraq's first national anthem during the late 1950s (when it officially became a republic) was also called "Mawṭinī" although it has no resemblance to the current national anthem. It also was vastly different, as the original national anthem did not contain any lyrics, citizens would stand and listen to an instrumental version of the song.

Iraqi National Anthem Lyrics

Iraqi National Anthem


Arabic (Using Latin Alphabet Transliteration)


Mawṭinī mawṭinī
al-Jalālu wa-l-jamālu wa-s-sanāʾu wa-l-bahāʾu
Fī rubāk fī rubāk
Wa-l-ḥayātu wa-n-najātu wal-hanāʾu wa-r-rajāʾu
Fī hawāk fī hawāk
Hal ʾarāk hal ʾarāk
Sāliman munaʿʿaman wa-ġāniman mukarraman
Sāliman munaʿʿaman wa-ġāniman mukarraman
Hal ʾarāk fī ʿulāk
Tabluġu s-simāk tabluġu s-simāk
Mawṭinī mawṭinī


Mawṭinī mawṭinī
As-sabābu lan yakilla hammuhu ʾan tastaqilla
ʾAw yabīd, ʾaw yabīd
Nastaqī mina r-radā wa-lan nakūna li-l-ʿidāʾ
Kā-l-ʿabīd, kā-l-ʿabīd
Lā nurīd lā nurīd
Ḏullanā l-muʾabbada wa ʿaysanā l-munakkadā
Ḏullanā l-muʾabbada wa ʿaysanā l-munakkadā
Lā nurīd bal nuʿīd
Majdanā t-talīd majdanā t-talīd
Mawṭinī mawṭinī


Mawṭinī mawṭinī
Al-ḥusāmu wa-l-yarāʿu lā l-kalāmu wa-n-nizāʿu
Ramzunā ramzunā
Majdunā wa ʿahdunā wa-wājibun mina l-wafāʾ
Yahuzzunā yahuzzunā
ʿIzzunā ʿizzunā
Ġāyatun tušarrifu wa rāyatun turafrifu
Ġāyatun tušarrifu wa rāyatun turafrifu
Yā hanāk fī ʿulāk
Qāhiran ʿidāk qāhirān ʿidāk
Mawṭinī mawṭinī


English Translation


My homeland, my homeland,
Glory and beauty, sublimity and splendor
Are in your hills, are in your hills.
Life and deliverance, pleasure and hope
Are in your air, are in your air.
Will I see you, will I see you?
Safely comforted and victoriously honored.
Safely comforted and victoriously honored.
Will I see you on your eminence?
Reaching to the stars, reaching to the stars
My homeland, my homeland.


My homeland, my homeland,
The youth will not tire
Their goal is your independence.
Or they die, or they die.
We will drink from death, and this will not be our enemies.
Like slaves, like slaves.
We do not want, we do not want
An eternal humiliation, or a miserable life.
An eternal humiliation, or a miserable life.
We do not want to, but we will take it back.
Our storied glory, our storied glory.
My homeland, my homeland.


My homeland, my homeland,
The sword and the pen, not talk nor the quarrel
Are our symbols, are our symbols.
Our glory and our covenant, and a faithful duty
Moves us, moves us.
Our glory, our glory,
It is an honorable cause and a waving flag.
It is an honorable cause and a waving flag.
O, behold you, on your eminence,
Victorious over your enemies, victorious over your enemies.
My homeland, my homeland!