Читать книгу Nations's Bounty - Nontsizi Mgqwetho - Страница 19

One of the most enduring slogans of black resistance was Mayibuy’ iAfrika, “May Africa return”. Taking this slogan as her text, Mgqwetho insists that before Africans can rightfully appeal for Africa to be restored, they must first set their own homes in order. Having abandoned their traditions to the bottle, continually squabbling among themselves, black people themselves constitute the greatest impediment to victory in their struggle for freedom.

10 Come back, Africa! Awu!

For a long time now we’ve been calling, Africa.

Hear our wailing, Garden of Africa!!

Your crop was consumed and scattered by birds,

but you stood firm and never left us.

Our voices are hoarse from imploring you; 5

we track through nations, appeal to phantoms,

nothing more than chickens’ scratchings,

eager at dawn, at dusk empty-handed.

We call to you from Table Bay,

we call to you from Algoa Bay, 10

we call to you from Grahamstown,

clutching satchels crammed with half-jacks;

drunk to death we call you home,

we cover your eyes and proclaim you blind,

you go right back to where you came from 15

as we call you home from the depths of depravity.

You say “Come back”? You must come back!!

You’re profit to all the earth’s nations,

they come from the north, they come from the south,

from the east and from the west. 20

Africa stayed! She’s nowhere else:

look how the grass continues to sprout.

Look at the springs still bubbling with water.

Look all around, it’s all in its place!

Will you go to the grave with nothing achieved, 25

raising your cry, calling “Come back”?

If you come back first the nation will rise

and news of its stirring will ring out to Jericho.

10 Maibuye! I Afrika! Awu!

Kade simemeza naso isijwili sako ke Afrika! Ntsimi ye Afrika,

Wadliwa zintaka ke wahlakazeka umi kodwa wena ungazange umke

Amazwi atshile kuk’uk’waza wena sigqibe lamazwe sikwaz’ inikisi,

Yonanto ifunwa zintaka inkuku kusa ziqondele kuhlwe zingay’ boni.

Simi ngama Kapa simemeza wena simi ngama Bhai simemeza wena, 5

Simi ngama Rini simemeza wena zikwako ne Tasi zinonodyuwana.

Siselel’ ukufa sibuyisa wena sikubamb’ amehlo siti awuboni,

Umnke ke impela ubuyele emva xa sikubuyisa ngalo ishwangusha.

Uti Maibuye? Makubuye wena izizwe zomhlaba zix’witana ngawe,

Zipuma e Node zipuma e Sude kwas’ empumalanga nase ntshonalanga. 10

I Afrika ihleli ayiyangandawo kangela enc’eni wofik’ isahluma,

Kangel’ imitombo yamanz’ isatsitsa kangela yonk’ into imi ngendlela.

Woz’ ufe na gxebe ungeko entweni wake nyizililo uti maibuye,

Makubuye wena woshukuma nomzi zihambe nendaba zime nge Jeriko.

But tell us, Africa, where else in the world

can any old fool say “Come home”? 30

From my point of view, we bear all the signs

as we stumble along in stupidity.

From the Buffalo’s banks we raise our cry,

from the Tyhume’s banks we raise our cry

for all the black nations under the sun, 35

so Satan’s ashamed until his guts bust.

You display no love, display no togetherness,

you sit on the fence, won’t take a stand.

Nothing but sell-outs, you set fires and run,

betray your own people to bolster the whites. 40

Are you raising a cry, saying “Come back”?

You’ll cry yourselves hoarse: you must come back!

Gone are our customs for setting up homesteads,

monarchy, values, nothing is left!

You live like locusts left by the swarm, 45

you’ve lost all pride, your sense of a nation,

lock, stock and barrel, everything’s lost:

you seek balm in the bottle that blots out all pain.

You say “Come back”? You must come back!

You scratch your head in search of a scapegoat. 50

Ntsikana warned you a long time ago,

“Money’s the lightning-bird: leave it alone.”

Child of the soil of far-flung Africa,

what have you done to so offend God?

Here the Chink sells you malt for your home-brew, 55

there the Coolie buys up your empties.

Are you raising a cry? You must come back!

Spurn advice and you’ll come a cropper.

Always recall where you came from:

seek the seers to tell you straight. 60

Mercy, South African hills, while your people die

strangers cart off your country!

With cause we cry, saying “Come back”

to induce birth pangs in her people.

Mercy, South African valleys, 65

peace, plains of our land,

look how you’re ploughed up by steam locomotives

Kautsho! Afrika kwakumlambo mnina ap’ umnt’ engazinto ati maibuye, 15

Kuba ndibonanje sinempau zonke esihamba ngazo zasebudengeni.

Simi ngama Monti sikony’ izililo simi ngama Dike sikony’ izililo,

Sezizw’ ezintsundu ngapantsi kwelanga u Satan adane kutshone nenkaba.

Aninalutando! Animanyananga ningab’ onxazonke abangenacala,

Nikwango ntamnaniopembabeshiya niyek’ amawenu nincedis’ umlungu. 20

Nikony’ izililo? Niti maibuye nopala nisopa makubuye nina

Akuko nasiko lakumisa umzi akuko bukosi akuko ntwisento.

Seninje ngenkumbi zisele kwezinye nashiywa bubuzwe nashiywa bubuntu

Nashiywa yimfuyo zonke ezo zinto senizixolisa ngo Cimizingqala.

Uti maibuye? Makubuye wena wonwaya intloko ulila ngabani, 25

Nanko no Ntsikana kade akutyela zuyeke imali siqu sempundulu.

Mfondini wotutu lwakud’ e Afrika wazonela ngani? Pambi koYehova,

Nalo ke ne China lize ngemitombo nalo ke ne Kula lize ngama empty.

Ukony’ izililo? Makubuye wena sala ukutyelwa sabona ngolopu.

Ukumbule apo waw’ uvela kona ufun’ osiyazi bahlab’ ezintloko. 30

Taruni zinduli zase South Afrika baf’ abantu benu! Lemk’ izwe nezizwe

Sikala ngakona siti maibuye ivuse inimba yakuma kowayo.

Taruni zintlambo zase South Afrika Taruni matafa! Ezwe lako wetu

Nanko senilinywa zinqwelo zomlilo zipala ngecala njenge nkunzemfene.

rocking along like bull baboons.

Come back, Africans! Or will rolling years

leave you marking time 70

while rain falls elsewhere

and plagues strike your family?

Peace, Sun! Peace, Moon!

Stewards of our Protector,

bear the report to the One on High, 75

plead our case in elegant terms.

Peace! Awu!!

Buya M’afrika yaqengqelekana yonke iminyaka umindaweni nye. 35

Hleze zingatotywa kwanemvula kuwe hleze nezibeto zifise usapo.

Camagu ke Langa! Camagu ke Nyanga nini amagosa asipeteyo,

Yinyusen’ ingxelo iye ko Pezulu nisitetelele nide nicokise.

Camagu! Awu!!

37Nyanya