Baba yetu

#Baba_yetu

Here are the lyrics to Baba Yetu—a Swahili adaptation of the Lord’s Prayer, famously featured as the theme for Civilization IV and composed by Christopher Tin :

Swahili Lyrics (official)

Baba yetu, yetu uliye

Mbinguni yetu, yetu amina!

Baba yetu, yetu uliye

Jina lako litukuzwe.

Utupe leo chakula chetu

Tunachohitaji, utusamehe

Makosa yetu, hey!

Kama nasi tunavyowasamehe

Waliotukosea usitutie

Katika majaribu, lakini

Utuokoe, na yule muovu e milele!

Ufalme wako ufike utakalo

Lifanyike duniani kama mbinguni.

(Amina)

Short Excerpt (~70 characters)

“Baba yetu, yetu uliye / Mbinguni yetu, yetu amina!”

English Translation

Baba Yetu literally means “Our Father” and follows the structure of the Lord’s Prayer:

• “Our Father, who art in Heaven. Amen.”

• “Hallowed be thy name.”

• “Give us this day our daily bread.”

• “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

• “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

• “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.”  

Context & Significance

Composed in 2005 for Civilization IV, performed by the Stanford Talisman .

• It gained widespread fame as the first video-game theme ever to win a Grammy Award (Grammy for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists, 2011) .

• The song has since become a choral favorite, performed globally—including by ensembles like the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Soweto Gospel Choir .

Would you like a breakdown of the structure, more translations, or perhaps sheet music or a karaoke version?

#Civilization4