Читать книгу Nations's Bounty - Nontsizi Mgqwetho - Страница 10

In her first poem for Umteteli wa Bantu, Nontsizi Mgqwetho salutes the editor, Marshall Maxeke, and his wife Charlotte. She defends the editor against the charge that he has betrayed his people by consenting to edit the new newspaper, and she praises his wife for her active role in political and social protest.

1 Chizama the poet

Sir, Editor of our Umteteli,

long life to you,

grandson of heroes who fell at Hoho.

Mercy! Go, Gatyeni,

we’ll follow you. 5

Hom! Wait a minute!

Those heroes fell for their country,

died at the side of Sandile their king.

Hom bo!

We’ll follow you: 10

we’re loyal to the royal prince

“who rumbles down Xesi’s banks,

flits over Vece, the rock-strewn Xesi,

shade for all, however many.”

I’m citing Sandile’s praises. 15

Go and we’ll follow you:

no traitor came

from your house.

Go and we’ll follow you:

no female poet 20

came from our house:

the poet who rouses the court

and censures the king’s always male.

Go and we’ll follow you!

We first encountered these female poets 25

here in this land of thugs and booze.

1 Imbongi u Chizama

Nkosi, mhleli wo Mteteli wetu,

Wanga ungapila u bom obude,

Mzukulwana wamadoda afela kwaHoho

Taru, Gatyeni hamba,

Sokulandela. 5

Hom zajika,

Amadoda afela izwe lawo,

Afa kunye ne Nkosi yawo u Sandile

Hom bo’

Tina sokulandela, kuba singabantwa 10

na bo Gaga u Gago luhamba lu

Gongqoza lukwezi Xesi u Ndanda

Ko Vece u Xesi Magqagala

Umtunzi wa bantu bonke bengaka

Nje nditsho ku Sandile mna. 15

Hamba Sokulandela,

Kuba akuzange kupume ntamnani

Kowenu.

Hamba Sokulandela,

Kuba tina simadoda nje asizange 20

Siyibone kowetu imbongikazi,

Yenkazana kuba imbongi inyuka

Nenkundla ituke inkosi.

Hamba Sokulandela,

Nezi mbongikazi Tina sizibona 25

Apa kweli lo laita ne bhekile.

Go and we’ll follow you,

but how do we know

a traitor’s crime can’t be cloaked?

Go and we’ll follow you: 30

even a fool’s sure to know

a starveling can’t guide or ever lead a nation.

Go and we’ll follow you!

We danced at your birth, lord of men! 35

Umteteli’s bread for our table:

long may it last.

Good on you,

lord of men!

Go and we’ll follow you. 40

You too, broad-breasted woman:

your robe rattled Buxton

and prison walls tumbled.

Go and we’ll follow you,

woman who protested passes; 45

confronted by protests

the white man quailed,

and kept his pistol holstered.

Go and we’ll follow you,

woman whose words at Nancefield 50

fired the Commission

to dream her dreams.

Go and we’ll follow you,

woman who dogged the Commission

down to Elephant Bay, 55

I swear by Lady.

Go and we’ll follow you.

You too, Cethe, Nkombisa’s child.

Chizama, hold tight now,

your people are watching you. 60

Go and we’ll follow you,

Rhadebe, Mbambisa’s son,

Hamba Sokulandela,

Asazi tina nokuba ngaba isono

Sontamnani saxolelwana?

Hamba sokulandela, 30

Kuba ne sidenge (a fool) siyazi

Ukuba umntu olambileyo akangeze

Akokele acebise mzi.

Hamba Sokulandela,

Tshotsho uzalwe Nkosibantu, 35

Sanga eso sonka asingepeli kuba

Site sakuvela kwapuma into

Eyimyoli good on you Nkosi

Bantu.

Hamba Sokulandela, 40

Nawe mazi esifuba sikulu eyati

Gqi nomnweba ku Buxton,

Kwavuleka intolongo.

Hamba Sokulandela,

Mazi eyapuma izinto nge pass 45

Kwapuma izinto kwa tamb’u,

Mlungu exwayi kati ngabula

Nojekwa.

Hamba Sokulandela,

Mazi eyateta e Nancefield yatsho 50

Amadoda e Komishoni apupa

Kakubona.

Hamba Sokulandela,

Mazi eyalandela amadoda

E Komishoni kwada kwase Bhai 55

Indlovu ndifungu Ledi.

Hamba Sokulandela,

Nawe Cete nto ka Nkombisa,

Chizama bamb’i ntambo ama

Kowenu akugxeleshile kunje. 60

Hamba Sokulandela,

Nto ka Mbambisa Radebe Tina

master stick-fighter;

don’t let yapping curs

distract you from the giant hound. 65

Go and we’ll follow you,

son of Maxeke:

we’ve been bought off with low-grade chuck,

meat slopped up in the compounds.

Go and we’ll follow you: 70

this lot would prefer to face

next year without competition.

Ho! Ho! Ho! Fat chance!

Hom! Wait a minute! The ford holds threats!

That’s it, Editor. Mercy! 75

You’ll hear from me again.

God bless Africa.

CHIZAMA,

Crown Mines.

Siyakwazi nase zintongeni

Ungotuswa zi ngqeqe jonga

Ukupuma kwe nkulu inja. 65

Hamba Sokulandela,

Mfo ka Maxeke kuba tina

Kaloku satengwa ngo duladula

Inyama ye Komponi.

Hamba Sokulandela, 70

Kuba lempi ifuna ukubona

Yodwa unyaka ozayo Ho! Ho!

Ho! Sakubona Fish.

Hom Mazijike, izibuko libi,

Ndoka ndime Mhleli taru ndobuye 75

Ndivele.

Nkosi Sikele Africa.

CHIZAMA,

Crown Mines.