Читать книгу Nations's Bounty - Nontsizi Mgqwetho - Страница 17

An adherent of traditional Xhosa beliefs berates the licentiousness of the cities and the hypocrisy of Christian converts. She ridicules the vanity of their urban ways, aping whites.

8 A Red debates with Christians

Where are your daughters? What do you say?

They crossed the land in search of marriage,

shamelessly shacked up with live-in lovers,

cavorted in dances with young men in New Clare.

With eyes of porridge their mothers bemoan 5

their absent children, who left them standing,

advising blank air and pleading in vain

with sons and daughters who’ve all been to school.

Jails crammed to capacity, courts jam-packed

with the learned products of school education; 10

the judges in charge just hoot in derision

at college certificates brandished by bums.

All our crooks are in school,

all our thieves are in school,

all our witches in school: 15

by Nontsizi, I swear you should all be expelled!

You wear red blankets in God’s very house,

you’re Christians by day, hyenas by night;

the pastor, the shepherd of God’s own flock,

scurries past you without a nod. 20

What do we make of this curious conduct?

Which voice do we choose from among this babble?

Pride is one of your Christian companions,

God wears a cloak of crocodile hide.

You Christians are suckers for every fad, 25

you cast off skin garments and dressed up like whites,

your ears are tinkling for white man’s booze,

but whites won’t touch a drop of yours.

8 Ingxoxo yo Mginwa ku Magqoboka!

Zip’ intombi zenu Izwi liyintoni.

Zigqibe lomhlaba zifuna ukwenda

Ziqeshe zindlwana zishweshwe utuli

Zibet’ onomtatsi kwa Tulandivile!

Onina balila amehlo azidudu 5

Kushiywa lusapo lumka bekangele

Beyala belila bengenakuviwa

Zintombi zemfundo nonyana bemfundo!

Kuzel’ intolongo kwapuk’ i Hovizi

Ngalamatshivela asezikolweni. 10

I Certifiketi zase Simnareni

Ziyinto yentsini ebukwa zi Jaji.

Onk’ amabhedengu asezikolweni

Onke namasela ase zikolweni

Onke namagqwira asezikolweni 15

Ningabokusikwa ndifung’ u Nontsizi.

Niko ngaku Tixo nasebuqabeni

Nigqobok’ emini kuhlwe nizincuka

Udlul’ u Mfundisi angakubulisi

Kodwa ngumalusi wemvu zika Tixo. 20

Sotinina tina xa bese njenjalo

Sibambe lipina kulo mpambampamba

Neratshi likuni nina magqoboka

Nambatis’ u Tixo ngengubo yengwenya.

Nina magqoboka ningodludla nazo 25

Nayek’ izik’ak’a nanxib’ ezomlungu.

Nite nzwi nendlebe butywala bomlungu

Kodwa yen’ umlungu akabudl’ obenu.

Every Sunday you romp on the veld,

kicking a football, whacking a racquet, 30

clothing your shame in the name of God:

Satan’s struck dumb in amazement.

You’re bereft of love, bereft of all,

yet you proclaim a God of love:

that faith of yours stands just as tall 35

as I do down on my knees.

If you ever try to come near us again,

we Reds will roast you like meat.

But I’m not saying the word of God

is entirely barren of truth. 40

Peace!

Ngemini zecawe nihamba ezindle

Nik’aba ibhola kunye ne tenise 30

Nigqishel’ ububi ngezwi lika Tixo

Nixak’ u Satana usinkwabalala.

Aninalutando aninayo nani

Kodwa nizibiza ngo Tixo wotando

Lonkolwana yenu yokusikohlisa 35

Mina ingangam ndiguqe ngedolo

Nakufika kuti tina bomaqaba

Tina sakunoja siti niyinyama.

Anditsho ukuti Izwi lika Tixo

Ukuteta kwalo akunanyaniso. 40

Camagu!

15namagqwila