Usibeta ngezaq’witi de sikwazi Wena
Camagu! 10
Ngayo yona Lenyikima uqondisa tina
Wotshaba lalisa ngayo sibuyel’ emgceni.
Bek’ indlebe wena Rauti watsha yimpampili
Kwazintuli—kwazintuli xa unga ndaziyo.
Taru! 15
Naku ke! Bakuti! niyay’ vana?
Lemvubu ezab’okwe zintshunquntshunqu yenyikima:
U Yehova, uyateta kuti ngayo lenyikima.
Uti Yena umangele udeliwe engu Mdali:
Yinyikima! ehamba igigiza ebikona 20
Kakade lingaziwa nelanga:
Yinyikima! Umlomo ka Yehova.
Okuvuselelayo uputume ukulunga:
Yinyikima! Ehlaba iziduli izipose emhlane.
Awu zitsho nentaba zelizwe zikangelane: 25
Yinyikima! Umlomo kaYehova.
Ogqob’oza nemitombo nize nisele:
Edada ngezab’okwe, kwabangamaziyo.
Ningabuyanga ngenyani! Senifile konke-konke:
Taru! 30
Lumkela! ke wena ose Rautini!
Uzakugutyu ngelwa! Ngumavuta ukuhamba axelis’ umlilo:
Yinyikima! leyo enqonqozayo emnyangweni wako,
Ifuna ukukugweba ngetyala ikuzinzise:
Taru! 35
Niyay’ vana? Lenyikima, apa e Rautini?
It whips fear into those who know.
Joburg, watch out when its blow seals your fate:
your Sodom and Gomorrah sink as you throttle Jehovah.
Under the soil lie treasures: 40
white elders are quick to break contracts.
Peace!
Take care, Joburg: an earthquake buries you.
Peace, sturdy child of farflung Africa, can you hear this earthquake’s
wailing?
Take care, Joburg, there it is: 45
a quake with a black club threatens you,
a wild beast awaiting your move,
sinners its only prey.
Earthquake, the hand of Jehovah,
knocking at your door! 50
Peace!
Abaqondayo bobeta besotuka:
Lumkela! wena ose Rautini mhla yahlaba enkundleni lakusibekela:
Use Sodom ne Gomor’a, apo e Rautini mhla ak’ama u Yehova, lakutshon’ ilanga:
Kuba ngapantsi komhlaba, kuzel’ ubutyebi. 40
Zipambene ke ngoc’uku, ingwevu zabelungu:
Camagu!
Lumkela! wena ose Rautini, unyikimo pezu kwako akunto yabomi:
Niyasivana? esisimbonono senyikima? Taru! Nzwana enozinzo yakude e Afrika:
Lumkela! wena ose Rautini nantso! 45
Inyikima ikujamele ngenduku ezimdaka:
Liramncwa! kodwa aliqali mntu.
Neliyakumtya liyakumtya ngetyala:
Yinyikima! Isandla so Yehova.
Eso sinqonqozayo apo umi kona: 50
Camagu!
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