Dounia
Rokia Traoré Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Dounia
(Rokia Traoré)
Dounia yé sôgôma taman yé
Fadjiri bè na télé fitiri bè na kalo
Dow katchan
O dow katchan
Dow lou ma bô niokon fè fènè
Hèra télé bèfô manioumako
Télé kô
Bônè télé bè fô nisodia télé kô
Bèn télé bè fô binbalia télé kô
Bèn télé bè fô nisodia télé kô
Djon badon
O djon badon
Djon bito bila ka sini lakodon

Sé ban ou yé wa

Djonni mîn mana kè ki bè djaman
Dounia yé sôgôma tiaman yé
Ko tôkô bèla sénibi yé
Dounia yé sôgôma tiaman yé
Abèfô i yé ko
Djon badon
O djon badon
Djon bito bila ka sini lakodon
Sè ba ou yé wa kafa ni yada kô
Dounia yé sôgôma tiaman yé
Fadjiri bè na télé fitiri bè na kalo

A ou ma lampiri Mandé komè wa
Sogolon diata
Naré Maghan Diata Mandé diata
Fô nan ya fô ko
Dow katian
O dow katian
Do lou ma bô nionkonfè fènè
Soundiata
É doun kèlén ka farafinou
Yèrôsouma sa
Dounia yé sôgôma tiaman yé
Fadjiri bè na télé fitiri bè na kalo

Fadjiri bè na télé fitiri bè na kalo
Fadjiri bè na télé fitiri bè na kalo

Dow manakè diyala
O dow na télé bi
Wili ni nouan yé
Dow manakè goyala
O dow na télé bi
Wili ni nouan yé
Sou manakè diyala
O sou na kalo bi
Wili ni nouan yé
Sou manakè goyala
I sou na kalo bi
Wili ni nouan yé




Dow kadi
Dow mandi

Overall Meaning

The song Dounia by Rokia Traoré is a beautiful, soulful ballad that speaks to the beauty and complexity of the world. The lyrics talk about the different aspects of life and how they all come together to create the world as we know it. The song starts with "Dounia yé sôgôma taman yé," which roughly translates to "the world is a complicated place." The next line, "Fadjiri bè na télé fitiri bè na kalo," refers to the different times of day and what they represent - dawn, afternoon, and evening. The following lines, "Dow katchan, O dow katchan, Dow lou ma bô niokon fè fènè," seem to be a call for unity, urging people to come together and work towards a common goal.


Line by Line Meaning

Dounia yé sôgôma taman yé
The world is a vast and complex place.


Fadjiri bè na télé fitiri bè na kalo
From sunrise to dusk, things change and evolve.


Dow katchan
The stars shine bright.


O dow katchan
Oh, how the stars shine bright.


Dow lou ma bô niokon fè fènè
It's important to keep moving forward.


Hèra télé bèfô manioumako
Listen closely to the sounds of the world.


Télé kô
They are beautiful.


Bônè télé bè fô nisodia télé kô
Nature should be respected and preserved.


Bèn télé bè fô binbalia télé kô
It's crucial to maintain balance in all aspects of life.


Djon badon
People can be unpredictable.


O djon badon
Oh, people can be so unpredictable.


Djon bito bila ka sini lakodon
One never knows what someone is capable of.


Sé ban ou yé wa
We are all one.


Djonni mîn mana kè ki bè djaman
We must learn to live with each other in peace.


Dounia yé sôgôma tiaman yé
The world is vast and complex.


Ko tôkô bèla sénibi yé
We must work together to overcome challenges.


Abèfô i yé ko
We need to move beyond our differences.


Sè ba ou yé wa kafa ni yada kô
We are all connected, like the threads of a woven fabric.


A ou ma lampiri Mandé komè wa
Let us remember our past and where we come from.


Sogolon diata
The importance of mothers.


Naré Maghan Diata Mandé diata
Honoring our ancestors and history.


Fô nan ya fô ko
Uniting for a common purpose.


Soundiata
Looking up to great leaders and role models.


É doun kèlén ka farafinou
Unity is strength.


Yèrôsouma sa
The beauty of the earth.


Fadjiri bè na télé fitiri bè na kalo
From sunrise to dusk, things change and evolve.


Dow manakè diyala
The moon shines bright at night.


O dow na télé bi
Oh, its light is so bright.


Wili ni nouan yé
A reminder of our place in the world.


Dow manakè goyala
The sun rises in the morning.


O dow na télé bi
Oh, it is so warm and bright.


Sou manakè diyala
The moon shines bright at night.


O sou na kalo bi
Its light illuminates the darkness.


Sou manakè goyala
The sun rises in the morning.


I sou na kalo bi
Its light brings warmth and energy to the world.


Dow kadi
The rivers flow.


Dow mandi
The earth is a source of life and abundance.




Contributed by William B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

C Dawg

Correct me if I am wrong but from my understanding the main chorus of this song translates to "no matter how bad today is, tomorrow is another day" .  Her dancing around the obstacles is symbolic to going around (or dancing around) real life obstacles.  Great song, one of my favorite from Rokia. I envy those who have seen her perform live.

Youssef Alhamid

"No one can see, [even from the highest point of existence] what tomorrow will be,

filerimos69

Elle a enchantée tout le monde aux Nuits de Fouvrière à Lyon l'an passé! Une performance et énergie unique qui t'emportent très loin :)

chris ott

beyond lovely...she was amazing live too

Geraldine Gossard-Fusco

Intimiste et élégance pour cette artiste indescriptible. Merci pour la vidéo

M. Ndoma

Cette chanteuse est tout simplement unique et talentueuse

meritatralala

this song takes my breath away! Love how she gets more and more intense throughout the song...

Akosua Lei

Saw her on the Africa Express Tour in the UK. She is an amazing performer!!

LERÊ VIRGINIA

Maravilhosa! Uma pluma!

Araceli Tarancón

Rokia is a very especial singer!

More Comments

More Versions