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