Lyrics

Chorus

Ngöömö mo beer ngööm powa Gambëlla (4x)
The land is good, the land of Gambella

Gambëlla teengnge joodi kaa (4x)
How can you find a place like Gambella?

Ï mïërö wa kooro ki nyengngi mama Gambëlla
You are beautiful, we are proud of your name, Mama Gambella

Nyimera tïïö per [kiper] paac, o nyäänu nga
My people, let’s work for the town, why are you giving up?

Verse 1

Bëëla powa (3x)
Gambella is my homeland

Cäng ki wäär wa ngäbö pere (kipere) nyengnga tïng wa maal ki jöö mana løny jï wa ni wa ki dëët wa
Day or night, we struggle to make your name known [on top] in any way we can, just us

Geerø gø, jiingngø gø, tiirø gø, ngöömö mar pøø pereleth
Let’s build it, let’s make it beautiful, our land is important

Maaø cengngø bëëtö cääthö nyïmö ni yie aciel ni bung døøn køør këët
Let’s unite and keep moving without turning back

Mana manynyi kiperi tïïyï ki cwïnyï bärö ni ii ba ngwömï ni mëët
All you want for yourself is to work with all your heart, without slowing down

Gïnu manynyi noo niengi ree ngööm paani ba ruu laara thur kare jïrï
Anything you want in this land, it won’t take long for you to succeed

Ngäbï döc, tïï döc bëënynyö joota køør öölö, gïnu manynyi pätha ceri
Struggle hard, work hard, you won’t achieve something without sacrifice [getting tired], you will receive what you want

Paac mo ogwïëdhö pereleth ki mar dhaanhø bëëdö ï ngieth ni di caarø
Land that is blessed, it is as valuable as a human being, it’s always in the mind, thinking about it

Aana kööng ngøøpi doo naa cïp Jwøki nyïm juurë jena paac mo doo läärö
I swear if this land were offered to anyone in the world, everyone would want it

Maaø gø ni beer, wïïtö a öö ki yïth cwiiri, øøna tïmö ni ø räängö ki gïï mo nyärö
Let’s take care of it, change will come, every year we see new things

Løny man pätï paa noo ööli bëët pääny
You can wish to live somewhere else if you’re tired of living in Pany [Gambella]

Ba bung gïn dhäthï yie nee ngiedhi ii thaalø gïnu manynyi løny
Nothing is impossible here, if you make up your mind, you’ll get what you want

Kanyo näk maa atøørø nyengnga ba gämmï ki mwör Gambëlla
If I’m not here, I can’t sleep, missing Gambella

Bëëtö bøøc jïra dëëra jööna kanyo jooda këëlla
I’ll get bored, I’ll be well when I get to the traffic stop [on the way to Gambella]

Luumu caana ki dëët jøw wïny gø di ngat mo köö ni këëla aani
I say this, and I know that someone who hears this will say, “Me, too.”

Ala ngää ni powa dagø ma angwuö ki nyengnge ni ba taa
I already know that I have a homeland, I am proud of its name

Ngäbö per [kiper] bëënynyö mar paac ni [ni näk] patha øøni wiili nga
Let’s struggle for the betterment of our homeland; if not us, who will make change?

Wiilø beenhnhø dwøl mo dwøng, keri pëëö na anga köö Ajika
Let’s change this generation, big sound [strong speech for change], “Don’t ask who?” said Ajika

Bëëlla joodi kaa, ø ruu ki caae kiper nee bëëte waaø
Where can we find a place like Bella [Gambella]? It takes time to talk about it

Jammi aaya ri ngaap mari näk mii tïïö gwielø dagø
Things depend on our struggle, if you work, there is money

Bïrö bëëdö määdö ijïttö näk mii tïïö
Money stays, flies, you find if you work

Køøre par käängö gïnu manynyi ï ngëëö
Then, stop wishing for things, you can buy whatever you want

Verse 2

ኩራት ተሰማኝ በምድርሽ መፈጠረ
I feel so proud to be created in your land

እኖርብሻለሁ ሳለመኝ ሌላ
I live here without wishing to live somewhere else

ዉብ ምድር ሁሌም ለኛ ተስማሚ
Beautiful land, always agreeable for us

እንዳንቺ የት አለ ሀገሬ ጋምቤላ
Where is there another country like you, Gambella?

ስንፈልግ እንጠጣ ስንፈልግ እንብላ
If we want, we can drink, if we want, we can eat

ለስራ ምቹ የማይጠፋባት መላ
Comfortable land for working

መደበር የለም አየርዋ የሚያዝናና
You won’t feel bored, the weather makes you feel good,

ከታፋጩ ማንጎ የበላን በጀኒና
The sweetest mango is that which is eaten by Jenina *

በባሮ ወንዛችን ሲያሰኝን ዋና
We can swim in our Baro river whenever we want

እእታሽ የሚያመር ሳይሽ በተራራ
The way you look is beautiful when I look from the mountain

የጀግኖች መፈለኪያ ታሪክ የመታፈራ
A source of heroes, that which yields history

ብዙ ነው አያልቅም ስለአንቺ ቢወራ
It’s too much, it is unfinished, if we talk about you

ሆድ ባዶ ይቀራል ሁሉም ቢነገር
Our stomach gets empty if we tell all about you

ግን አውቆ ከተነገረ ጋምቤላ ምርጥ ሀገር
But if you feel like saying it, Gambella is the best country

እውነቱን ተናግሮ ካምንሽበት ማደር
Truly, if you believe it, you will spend all night to tell

አንደኛ ናት ብላቹ እስኪ ማን ያምነኛል
If I say, Gambella is number one, who will believe me?

አባይን ያላየ ምንጭ ያመሰግናል
The one who has not seen the Abay will thank the source **

መጣችሁ ኢዩዋት እንድትመሰከሩ ኑ ብለናል
Come and see her, be the one to testify

* Jenina is an area in Gambella town along the riverbank with a lot of mango trees, a site for leisure and relaxation among local residents.
** This phrase is an Amharic proverb. The Abay is the Ethiopian name for the Blue Nile River. The proverb means that talking about something wonderful where you have never been is different from talking about something wonderful that you have actually seen with your own eyes.