In a made-up language
In a made-up time
I met a made-up people
With a made-up cry

Singing Dek! Dek! Dek!
Kokou ddikpandru
Ddikpandru
Kokou ddikpandru

In my fabrication
On the town's main street
Stood an army general
Kogjirinzaa
Trying to make a speech
Tolingitee

But the people would not listen
They weren't listening any more
They'd lost too many children
In the stupid war

Singing Dek! Dek! Dek!
Tochangé
Tochangé,
Tochangé
Afrika mobimba tochangé!

Singing Dek! Dek! Dek!
Tochangé
Tochangé,
Afrika mobimba tochangé,
Afrika mobimba tochangé!

Then the tanks began to roll
But the people would not move
And the tear gas began to choke
But the people would not move
(But the people!)

They said, Come and get me,
You blood suckers!
Come and get me
I won't move
The words I'm singing
Will live much longer
Than the skin
I'm living in
I am wind now.'


Igorosi ngitungaa ebasi kanekee kisaki ekisil
Aroketa ng'akiro beebeyo imoi nyaremo,
Anibo kichamakin eryamaryama,
We should never go back to the dark days,
Kirumoo asapan,

Ang'olenyang' ang'ichan ibore,
Anikitoboboki kichamakin,
Erikaa ibore ng'itung'a daan'g pil pil pil pil itamari nyamelu!
Lokhaato, soma Lebo,
Tukija pamoja emam itwaan ikari,
Nakhato, kiyap elote todepasi erasi ka areko!.

Place de l'indépendance
Is still a shade of red
Despite best efforts
Kogjirinzaa
To help us forget
Tolingitee
But if you listen carefully
To the blades of grass
You'll hear the missing pages
Of our story

Of when the tanks began to roll
But the people would not move
And the tear gas began to choke
But the people would not move
(But the people)

They said, Come and get me
You blood suckers!
Come and get me
I won't move..
The words I'm singing
Will live much longer
Than the skin
I'm living in.'

Dek! Dek! Dek!
Abenu ba bondo'e,
Abenu muleúle'e

Dek! Dek! Dek!
Tinyo cimina
Tatalakanakwa
Tatalakanakwa
(But the people)

Dek! Dek! Dek!
Wetu iúsangya,
Mbembe mbondo
'Wambo na batú

Dek! Dek! Dek!
Soyons ensemble
Soyons unis, soyons ensemble
Soyons unis, soyons ensemble
Dek! Dek! Dek!"