Gcina Mhlophe

Strengthen love, dear Africans!
Strengthen love
Let it stand rock solid!

Christmas means nothing
If we do not love each other
With no compassion for one another

Some go to bed with empty stomachs
While others have everything

Countless children have lost their parents
Others swear at them, they hate them

How can we grow strong
When the situation is like this
How will we grow and prosper?

How can we be successful
When we do not respect each other
Where will our blessings come from?

Where are we headed
If we have no dedication or collaboration?
We need to show each other love and humanity

Strengthen love, dear Africans!
Love and harmony is what we need
Strengthen love, dear Africans!
...

Umlando into enzima
Isilo esimakhanda khanda
Usikhumba simabalabala eminingi
Ecishe ingabaleki
Imibalabala evusa usinga
Ijabulise inhliziyo ngaphakathi
Neminye ethi ivuse umunyu nosizi
Lapho sesikhumbula
Izehlakalo ezashiya okhokho nokhokhose
Bebambe ongezansi

Umlando bakwethu yinto enzima
Lesi silo simakhandakhanda
Sike sithi uma usibukisisa
Ugcwale ukuziqhenya
Uzwe izigubhu ezingaziwa
Sishaya kamnandi kuwena ngaphakathi
Zithi gu gu! Gu gu!, zithi gu gu!
Ingani phela amagugu esizwe lana
Ayacwebezela ayakhazimula
Athi woza qala kimi, ngithinte kahle
Ungiphulule, ugabise nanokugabisa ngami
Uma uthanda, maqedane ukhumbulisise
Ukuthi ungubani ufisani uphokophelephi na
Enpilweni.
Ukuzethemba koza?
Whoo yeka! kumamatheke ngisho nezinzwane!

Kepha elinye ikhanda lesilo lona
Liyaphenduka, usathi uyazigqaja
Lithi Mana bo! Akubona ubuhle bodwa
Obusemlandweni wakho
Futhi noma owaso nasiphi na isizwe
Khumbula nezibuhlungu izigameko
Ukuze ufunde, ukhule, ukugweme ukubuyela
Emuva kulezo zikhathi
Ezithanda ukukhathaza umoya wakho
Ingani phela inhliziyo iyathanda
Ukulalisa yembeze futhi izifihle izinkumbulo ezimbi
Phela isuke yenqaba nezinyembezi zayo, ezehlayo
Zigobho-gobhoze lapho isiqaqamba kalusizana
Ngenxa yokubona ububi, obusebusweni
Besilo esimakhanda - khanda
Esesiphakamise elona lakhe laba limbi ikhanda leli
Kuvuke namadala wona amanxeba
Lapho sesisho impela sithi
Umlando lona yinto enzima

Izintombi esizikhumbulayo namuhla zashona
Kabuhlungu, zilwela amalungelo azo
Isikhathi sasingafani nesanamuhla
Umthetho wezwe wawungavumi ngisho ukuthi
Zilokothe ukuyivula imilonyana yazo!
Inkozi uCetshawyo wayengakulindele neze okwenzeka.
Kepha kithina izintombi zeNgcuce
Zingamaqhawekazi esiwakhumbula
Ngenkulu inhlonipho, Sisho futhi nokuthi
Ukulahleka kwezimpilo zazo akulona Ize leze!
Kusipha amandla, kusipha imvuselelo
Kusivula amehlo kabusha, khon'ukuze
Nathi sibhekane nezanamuhla izingqinamba

Kwabadala nabancane lesi isikhathi
Sokulwa impi yokuzakha, ukwakhana
Nokwakha isizwe esihle sikaMthaniya
Yebo umlando yinto enzima
Kepha uyafundisa! Qinidolo mAfrika!
...

History is a heavy matter
It is a strange animal with multiple heads
Colours too many to ever count
The creature's unique colours have a way
Of awakening the most indescribable pride
But others bring back such sad memories
The very worst memories
Of events that left our ancestors
perplexed, speechless

And then it makes you feel so much joy
You hear massive drums pounding
Deep in your heart, with invisible hands
Beating a rhythm that goes Gu! Gu!
Another Gu! Gu! Another Gu! Gu!
Reminding you that these colours and faces and eyes
Are the proud heritage of a nation
They are shining, glittering brightly
And when one of the heads speaks directly
Come closer, go on and touch me,
Feel free to even caress me if you so wish
Yes, go on. Show off, tell the world
What a great achiever you are
Just by mentioning my name
Then remember who you are
Where you are from and where you are going

The warm glow of a happiness so overwhelming
The smile spreads down to your very toes!
And such indescribable pride about your history
But then one of the creature's heads turns and shouts
Stop! Stop right there!
Remember that it is not only great events
That make up your history or that of any other nation!
Apply your mind, remember well the painful atrocities
And terrible mistakes
Learn, grow and be certain not to return to those times
That hurt your very soul
It is clear that the heart loves to suppress and cover well
This way it wants to avoid wasting precious tears
Oh, how they flow, unstoppable, when the heart breaks into pieces
As it sees the ugliness on the face
Of the multi-headed beast
Head raised up high, threatening, opening
The worst and deepest wounds
Prompting us to earnestly say
Indeed, history is a heavy matter

The maidens we honour here today
Died painfully fighting for their rights
The times were not at all like today
The laws of the land did not allow them
To even begin to open their little mouths
King Cetshwayo was unprepared for what happened
They defied the orders forcing them to marry old warriors
So he ordered them all to be killed
Today we honour the maidens of Ingcuce Regiment
Heroines we respect as we sincerely say
They did not lay down their lives in vain
Their memory inspires us to open our eyes
To face today's challenges

It is time for us, young and old
To empower ourselves and each other to build the nation.
To make our ancestors in the land of Mthaniya proud
Yes, indeed, history is a heavy matter
But a great educator too
Courage, children of Africa, Courage!
...

Mama,
they tell me you were a dancer
they tell me you had long
beautiful legs to carry your graceful body
they tell me you were a dancer

Mama,
they tell me you sang beautiful solos
they tell me you closed your eyes
always when the feeling of the song
was right, and lifted your face up to the sky
they tell me you were an enchanting dancer

Mama,
they tell me you were always so gentle
they talk of a willow tree
swaying lovingly over clear running water
in early Spring when they talk of you
they tell me you were a slow dancer

Mama,
they tell me you were a wedding dancer
they tell me you smiled and closed your eyes
your arms curving outward just a little
and your feet shuffling in the sand;
tshi tshi tshitshitshitha, tshitshi tshishitshitha
O hee! How I wish I was there to see you
they tell me you were a pleasure to watch

Mama,
they tell me I am a dancer too
but I don't know . . .
I don't know for sure what a wedding dancer is
there are no more weddings
but many, many funerals
where we sing and dance
running fast with the coffin
of a would-be bride or a would-be groom
strange smiles have replaced our tears
our eyes are full of vengeance, Mama

Dear, dear Mama,
they tell me I am a funeral dancer
...

Lately I have more than once
Found myself sitting alone, thinking
Not that I have such a lot of time
Just to sit and think -
I'm a busy woman with a heavy schedule
I have to try and keep up
With the fast world around me

But then somehow it happens
Right in the middle of all the hustle and bustle
Everything just stops
And I find myself sitting alone, thinking
Would Mr President be a better man
If he had a womb and breasts full of milk?

Would he be impressed by the number of children jailed
All in the name of peace, law and order
If he had just one ten-year-old in jail?
Would the smell of tear-gas and bloody bullet wounds
Be so appetising as to bring
That familiar smile to the President's face
If he had a womb and breasts full of milk?

All the visions come up to me
When I'm sitting alone thinking
Thinking of my very best friend
As she sits in a jail cell
Longing for her little baby
Her painful breasts full of milk
...

Hoyiiini! Hoyina!
Ndibolekeni indlebe mawethu
Ndibolekeni indlebe ndize nendaba
Silapha nje namhle bekufanele
Kaloku kudaloo le mini yatyunjwayo
nguQamata kwanezinyanya zakwaNtu
Kudala bavumelana besithi makube nje
Namhlanje sineNhyikityha yetheko
Sikhululekile sihleka siveze elomhlathi
Siyaxhentsa siyatyityimba!
Sitya inyama de siyijamele
Kodwa asanelisekanga singekadibani
Nomongo, Sibambe ithambo
Silikhukhuze singe silibuza imvelaphi

O! Sizukulwana sikaNtu,
Kuthiwani na xa kunjenje namhla nje?
Kodwa ke iinkonde namagqala ethu
Ayaqonda aqiqe avakale esitsho esithi
A! Tambo lokhokho nezinyanya zokhokho bethu
A! Tambo dala kade bemqongqotha
A! Tambo lethu elinomongo ongapheliyo
Ngenxa yamava, inkcubeko kwanothando
Ewe kudala besitsho bephindelela abakwaziyo
Besithi wena wawuyi Nkanyamba!
Inkanyamba eyakhayo neyakhulisa
Imilisela nemithinjana yethu ngobulumko
Ewe bathi wawuyi Nkanyamba eyahlanganisa imihlambi
Eyalanayo, yasakhela ubuhlobo ezizweni
Nanamhla ke sidibene apha
Sibambelele kwelo thambo lemanyano elinguwe
Ngangalala yeAfrika!

Apho ukhoyo wena kunye namaninzi
Amagqala namavula ndlela awafela inkululeko
Nonke nisijongile, nezizukulwana zenu niyazibona
Niyazibona zizama ukusukuma, zicathula,
Zigijime, ziwe, zothuke! Zisukume zithathise kwakhona!

Neekrwitha krwithano ezikhoyo zokunxanelwa
Amawonga nezikhundla niyazibona.
Ngxe! Ngxe! Bawo Tambo
Ngxe! Zintombi nonyana beAfrika
Sawuzama ukuzikhumbulisisa
Imfundiso zenu
Sawuzama ukubambana ngezandla
Sivuselelelane

Nentswahla yamazwi ethu entyiloza
Kuvuye nditsho neentaka zezulu
Sitsho ngazwilinye sithi
Tambo, sikhokele mfo ka Tambo
Sakhi lizwe lethu sikhokele
Mfo ka Tambo!

Ndee ncincilili . . .
Ndee ncincilili . . .
...

Hoyiiini! Hoyina!
Do lend me your ears, people of my land
Lend me your ears and I will bring you a message
We are here today because it was meant to be
Long ago, this day was preordained
By our creator Qamata, together with our ancestors
Let it be so, they unanimously said
Today we have this mother of all celebrations
A day filled with so much joy and laughter
We are dancing like never before!
So much meat - we eat till we can only stare
But we are not satisfied until we reach the bone
Deep in the very bone, sucking so hard
As if we want to know the origins of this marrow

Oh, the descendants of our ancient ancestor Ntu!
What do we say on a day like this?
What words to we use?
But before we know, old experienced elders reason and pronounce with conviction
Ah! Tambo, ancient bone of our great ancestors!
Ah! Tambo, the anchor bone so many had to hold onto
Ah! Tambo, the bone whose marrow never runs dry
Sharing wisdom, integrity, and love
Yes indeed, many who knew you say it repeatedly
You were a cyclone!
One whose massive influence was for building
Future leaders, young men and women
Who so needed your wisdom
Yes indeed, Cyclone of unity they call you!
You united opposing forces
You created strong relations for us in foreign lands
That is why we are gathered here today
Holding onto that solid bone of unity that you represent
Emperor of Leadership in Africa!

Wherever you are today, in that vast hereafter
With countless pioneers and freedom fighters
We know you are looking at us
You see the youth of today learning to stand
Taking small steps, running, falling, gripped with fear!
But they stand again and run again!

Current dishonesty, struggles for power and positions
You see them all
Apologies! Apologies to you father Tambo!
Apologies! Daughters and sons of Africa!
Your teachings we will try to remember
We will try to hold each other and revive
The values you espoused

Our voices will break into song that resounds
Throughout the land, bringing joy to even the birds
Of heaven, together we will sing:
Tambo, leads us all, son of Tambo
Help us rebuild our nation, lead us
Son of Tambo!

Here I pause . . .
Here I pause . . .
...

Qinisani MaAfrika!
Qinisani uthando
Aluqine uthando luthi ngqi!

Ukhisimusi awusho lutho
Uma singathandani, singazwelani

Abanye balala bengadlile
Abanye bakhomba ngophakathi

Abanye sebashonelwa ngabazali
Abanye bayabathuka, bayabazonda

Ingabe sokhula kanjani ma kunje
Sokhula kanjani na?

Ingabe sophumelela kanjani
Ma singahloniphi?

Sozithola phi na izibusiso
Ma singenayo inkuthalo nokubambisana?

Sophila kanjani uma singenabuntu
Futhi singathandani?

Qinisani MaAfrika!
Qinisani uthando nokuzwana
Qinisani uthando maAfrika!
...