Читать книгу Nations's Bounty - Nontsizi Mgqwetho - Страница 21

At the start of a new year, Mgqwetho looks forward to a change in the oppressive conditions of blacks, and inveighs against the apathy and disunity among blacks that contribute to their oppression. It is the task of the poets of the day to arouse them from their lethargy.

12 It’s here! Find-at-the-Door-What-you-Shot-from-Inside and only later identified (New Year)

Hail, 1924, we offer you greetings,

Dusky one with beetling brows.

Bear your report to the One on High,

plead our case in elegant terms.

Peace! Oh, peace, 1924! 5

Behold the risen star;

let it alight on Maxeke, B.A.,

the only man who knows the fords.

Once he confused us by stumbling in starting,

urging return to battle. 10

Son of Maxeke, blaze a new trail

until King George sets his seal.

You raised the dust by stumbling in starting,

next thing we knew the cops had the cuffs on us.

Without seeming to do so I’ve sung your praises. 15

Oh I blundered in going to whites!

Africans, listen to what I’ve told you!

Will the years roll by and leave you

to die like locusts on blades of grass,

with pendulous jowls like the whites you serve? 20

Come back this year, Greybeard of ours,

you’ve sung the songs of the years.

Don’t brag clasping cash that you’ll never be penniless.

Look closely at 1924.

Thank God, Thunder-and-they-shudder, 25

another year dies but we’re still alive.

Awu! Peace then, Father of even the tadpole,

stop our foes from breaching our ridges!

12 Ufikile! Udubulesendlwini bac’ol’i nto emnyango! Kuse beyifanisa (New Year)

Bhota! 1924! Siyakubulisa!

Mdaka omashiy’ apele nqayini

Yinyuse ingxelo iye ko Pezulu

Usitetelele ude ucokise.

Camagu! Awu! Camagu 1924! 5

Lunguzani ipumile Inkwenkwezi

Mayihle pezu ko Maxeke, B.A.

Yiyo indoda eyaz’ amazibuko.

Yake yafunza kakubi satsho sadideka

Into eyatimla ijong’ ezintilini 10

Vulindlela! Kwakona nto ka Maxeke

Ade no King George abeke Isitampu.

Wake wafunza kakubi kwaquma utuli

Sasakuva sesibanjwa ngamadindala

Nokuba andibonganga ndikubongile 15

Awu ndakubeka ndibheka emlungwini

Yivani! Ndinityele hina ma Afrika

Yaqengqelekana yonke Iminyaka

Nixele inkumbi zifel’ emcingeni

Nidumb’ amaqeba ngumbus’ onikuwo. 20

Buya! Nonyaka nje wa Ngwevu yakuti

Uzikatulil’ ingoma zeminyaka

Sukuti akungexwebi usisityebi

Nanko! U 1924 kawumhlole.

Make simbulele! U Duma Barwaqele 25

Ufile omnye unyaka sisapilile

Camagu! Ke! Awu! So Lesabonkolo

Zitibe nentshaba kweyetu immango.

We salute you, 1924,

white-flanked kite of far-flung Africa, 30

stand tall like the ironwood safe from the axe,

thrust with your spear till rivers run dry.

Greybeard of ours, will the rolling years

leave you rooted to one spot?

Instruct your boys to return to battle: 35

hyenas ravage our royal sons.

We praise you, 1923,

great fosterhome for babies.

Quiet! No troubles all the year through!

Mercy then, Elephant browsing back home. 40

Make no mistake, 1924,

we Africans travel well armed,

we modern poets don’t lounge about:

dogs will devour you on our turf.

If you send us in search of the causes 45

we’d learn all and have your head.

Look both ways on leaving home,

avoid hyenas going back to their lairs.

But rise, New Year star,

leave your nursing kraal, increase the herds: 50

yours is the kingdom, 1924,

today the people are yours.

Break the mould of years gone by:

bring southern Africa something new,

bellow at splotches of mud, 55

bellow at bulls of distant lands.

We salute you, 1924,

mist on the Drakensberg, heavenly snow;

fountain of unity, course down ravines,

bank your clouds over Africa. 60

Find-at-the-Door-What-you-Shot-from-Inside,

newcome leopard proud in its spots,

my baboon companion took to its heels:

won’t somebody bring it back? Awu!

Siyakubulisa! 1924

Ntloyiya ontusi wakude e Afrika 30

Uzube ngu Mceya ongangenizembe

Ubinze ngomkonto kutshe nemilambo.

Yaqengqelekana! Yonke Iminyaka

Umi ndaweninye wa Ngwevu yakuti

Nyusa amakwenkwe aye entilini 35

Abantwana be Nkosi bayapela zingcuka.

Siyakuncoma noko 1923

Kayakulu lilumlel’ abantwana

Tu! Nazipitipiti unyaka wonke

Taru ke! Ndlovu eyadla igoduka. 40

Uze uqonde mhlope 1924

Tina ma Afrika sihamba ngentswazi

Tina asivari Zimbongi zangoku

Apo sikona—wotyiwa nazizinja.

Xa usituma siyokukubuzela 45

Tina magcisa sakukubulalisa

Uze wolule intamo xa usukayo

Ungapambani nengcuka zigoduka.

Kodwa vela! Kwezi lonyaka omtsha

Upume entangeni wabe inkomo 50

Nabo Ubukosi—1924

Namhlanje abantu bangabako.

Uzungafani neminye Iminyaka

Vela nentwentsha Emzantsi we Afrika

Uzikonyele nezisihla zodaka 55

Uzikonyele nenkunzi ezikude.

Siyabulisa!—1924

Nkungu eselundini ngqele ese Zulwini

Awu! Nzulu zomanyano yihla ngemilambo

Uyoba zingqimba pezu kwe Afrika. 60

Dubula usendlini! Sicolinto epandle

Ngwe entsha ezayo ngawayo amabala

Imkile nemfene ebindizimasa

Ukuba ndinomntu ngeyeyiputuma Awu!

1924, take particular care of us 65

with our homes and chiefdoms plundered.

Let’s cast off the old and welcome the new.

Awu! Help, plead our case, St Michael!

Rend mists with your roar so the sun breaks through,

lion of the city of Africa, 70

lion of the city of Africans,

you’re lost if you sleep in the road.

You’re welcome, 1924,

praises by poets are hardly enough.

Let the lead oxen strain till they sink to their knees 75

and tickle African fancies.

Awu! hear the Drummond Castle

of the house of Chizama,

beast with an antelope’s guile.

Peace! 80

Kauvelele!—1924 65

Ukuhlutwa ko Bukosi namakaya

Mazibhang’ ezomdala kuvele ezomtsha

Awu! Tsheli! Mikayeli vela usilamlele.

Uze ugqume enkungwini kuvele ilanga

Ngonyama yesixeko sase Afrika 70

Ngonyama yesixeko sama Afrika

Ungalala endleleni ulahlekile.

Tyapile! Ufike 1924,

Imbongi azingebongi lungakanani;

Mazitsale ifolosi! Zide ziguqe, 75

Kona kuyoba mnandi kuma Afrika.

Awu! Yatsho i Drummond Castle,

Yakwa “Chizama;”

Inkomo enobugqi benyamakazi.

Camagu! 80