"South Sudan Oyee!" is the national anthem of South Sudan; it was selected as such by the South Sudan National Anthem Committee, following the launch of a competition to find a national anthem in August 2010. This preceded the independence referendum in January 2011 that led to South Sudan becoming a sovereign state on 9 July 2011. "Oyee!" is an equivalent of "Hurrah!"brbrEnglish Lyrics:brOh God, We praise and glorify YoubrFor Your grace on South Sudan,brThe land of great abundancebrUphold us united in peace and harmony.brbrOh motherlandbrWe rise raising flag with the guiding starbrAnd sing songs of freedom with joy;brFor justice, liberty and prosperitybrShall forever more reign.brbrOh great patriotsbrLet us stand up in silence and respect,brSaluting our martyrs whose bloodbrCemented our national foundation,brWe vow to protect our nation.