Poem
S.E.K. Mqhayi
AH! JUNE STAR
Ah! June star!The clan of the young AmaNdlamba,
Hayï, the son of my chief!
My chief is the son of Ndluzodaka.
He is born from two people,
He is the son of Makinana and Nopasi.
Nopasi is the daughter of White-Jealousy and Ntshunqe,
Ntshunqe is from the famous Bomvana clan.
His real name is Luhadi,
His ribs swell out and collapse:
There is something terrifying under the stone,
These beautiful young men are involved with loose women.
Who hasn’t heard it?
Who hasn’t heard about the rising of the June star over Ndlambe’s place?
The June star is the greatest star of the house of Phalo.
A letter came from Wright and Brownlee in Gqolonci.
The letter crossed the Keiriver and the Mbasheriver,
When it arrived at little Bloodriver, it started to speak.
It said: “Come home Makinana, your father had died.
He died in Mtumane at the foot of Qangqalala,
Come take control, because the Ndlambe now has nobody.”
Makinana said: “I will come, but I am still harvesting.”
In the meantime he encouraged his soldiers through the veld,
Ntakamhlope was running in front,
But before the letter of Tytaba Fynn could say:
“Turn around Makinana, the country’s in turmoil,”
Makinana said: “Oh no, it’s not part of our culture to turn our backs on what we have achieved within ourselves.”
They kept pushing on home.
Then Mpethu Fynn went himself and told Makinana to his face: “Listen,
Listen to me, turn back, you are looking for trouble.”
But Makinana said: “Never,
It is not my culture to ignore my fellow people.”
They were already at Draaibosch
When Those-who-lisp appeared swinging their guns in the air.
This is where the score had been settled.
Dwa! came the sound of the guns of Those-who-lisp;
Dwa! came the sound of the guns of the Xhosa,
On both sides the warriors plunged to the ground.
Those-who-lisp went back to Komga.
Even Ndluzodaka
From the clan-of-the-clay-huts became part of Sandile.
Summon all the nations, so that we can allot the stars:
The stars should be allocated,
You, Basotho people, take the Dogstar, the Harvest star before winter,
And share it with the Tswana and Chopi, and other loincloth wearers,
The Zulu will take the belt of Orion,
And share it with the Swazi, the Chopi and the Shangaan,
As well as all the other uncircumcised peoples.
You from Britain, take Venus,
And share it with the Germans and the Boers.
You whites-who-do-not-know-how-to-share-anything
Learn to share it with the Boers and the Germans.
We will hold on to the June star, we the people of Phalo,
That group of seven stars,
Is the star by which we count our years,
We count the years of being a man,
We count the years of manhood,
I can go on and on, but here I will stop.
© Translation: 2008, Antjie Krog, Ncebakazi Saliwa & Koos Oosthuyzen
The June star refers to the time of circumcision.
“Those-who-lisp are the English.”
“Turn around Makinana, the country’s in turmoil.” This refers to the time after the cattle killing.
A! SILIMELA!
A! SILIMELA!
A Silimela!AmaNdlamb’ amatsha,
Hay\' atnaNdlamb’ amatsha!
Inkos’ am ngumntakaNdluzodaka.
Yindod’ ezalwa ngabantw’ ababini,
Izalwa nguMakinana noNopasi.
UNopasi yintombi kaMon’ umhlophe kaNtshunqe,
Umhlophe kaNtshunqe kwaBomvana.
NguLuhad’ igama lakhe,
Umbambo zemka zabuyelela:
Ngaphantsi kwelitye kuyoyikeka,
Kuba zilaph’ iinzwana namadikazi.
Ngubani n’ ongevanga?
Ngubani n’ ongevang’ ukuba sithwasil’ isilimela kwaNdlambe?
Isilimela ke yinkwenkwez’ enkulu yakwaPhalo.
Incwadi yaphurn\' eGgolongc\'ivela kuLayithi noTshalisi.
Yawel\' iNciba yawel\' uMbhashe,
Kwal\' uk\'b\' ifik\' eMgazana yathetha.
Yathi, "Goduka Makinan\' ufil\' uyihlo.
Ufel\' eMthuman\' emazants\' eQangqalala,
Goduk\' uye kubus\' amaNdlamb\' akanamntu."
Wath\' uMakinana, "Ndiyeza ndisavun\' amazimba."
Wath\' esitsho wab\' eyifak\' eyakowabo yakuloNkanti,
Wankqenkqeza phambil\' uNtakamhlophe,
Wath\' uk\'ba abesek\'ngeneni kweTyityaba yafik\' incwadi kaFen\' isithi,
"Buya Makinan\' ilizwe selonakele."
Wath\' uMakinana, "Hayi, asilisiko lakoweth\' ukubuya ngomva,"
Wath\' esitsho wab\' etyhudis\' ejonge phambili.
Uth\' ak’ba seMpethu wafik\' uFeni ngesiqu wathi, "Ndithi,
Ndithi buya Makinana uza nerhola,"
Wath\' uMakinana, "Hayi,
Asilisiko lakoweth\' ukubuya ngomva."
Kwalil\' uk\'b\' abeseDrayibhoso
Yavel\' eyakwaNtsasan\' ityeth’ iintong\' ezinkone.
Kulapho yaqala khon\' ukugagana.
Yatshay\' impampile yasemLungwini;
Yatshay\' impampile yasema-Xhoseni,
Yaw\' imikhuthuk\' amacal\' omabini.
Yarhox\' ekaNtsasana yasinga kwaseQumrha.
Wee tyuu uNdluzodaka
Viaya kutsho kuNdanda kooVece kuXesirnagqagala\'.
Bizan\' izizwe kuza kwabiw\' iinkwenkwezi:
Inkwenkwezi\'mazabiwe,
Nina beSuthu thathan\' uCanzibe,
Niya kwabelana nabeTshwana nabaTshopi,
Nina bakwaZulu thathan\' amakroza,
Niya kwabelana namaSwazi namaTshopi nama Tshangana,
Neziny\' intlang\' ezingamajarha.
Nina baseBritani thathan\' iKhwezi,
Niya kubambana namaJamani namaBhulu,
Noko nibantu bangakwaziy\' ukwabelana
Nisuke nenz\' imfazwe yamaBhulu neyamaJamani.
Siza kubambana ngeSilimela thina mabandla kaPhalo,
Yona nkwenkwez’ inkulu,
Kuba yinkwenkwezi yokubal\' iminyaka,
Yokubal’ iminyaka yobudoda,
Yokubal’ iminyaka yobudoda,
Iminyaka yobudoda. Ncincilili!
© 1943, SEK Mqhayi
From: Inzuzo
Publisher: Wits University Press, Johannesburg
From: Inzuzo
Publisher: Wits University Press, Johannesburg
Poems
Poems of S.E.K. Mqhayi
Close
AH! JUNE STAR
Ah! June star!The clan of the young AmaNdlamba,
Hayï, the son of my chief!
My chief is the son of Ndluzodaka.
He is born from two people,
He is the son of Makinana and Nopasi.
Nopasi is the daughter of White-Jealousy and Ntshunqe,
Ntshunqe is from the famous Bomvana clan.
His real name is Luhadi,
His ribs swell out and collapse:
There is something terrifying under the stone,
These beautiful young men are involved with loose women.
Who hasn’t heard it?
Who hasn’t heard about the rising of the June star over Ndlambe’s place?
The June star is the greatest star of the house of Phalo.
A letter came from Wright and Brownlee in Gqolonci.
The letter crossed the Keiriver and the Mbasheriver,
When it arrived at little Bloodriver, it started to speak.
It said: “Come home Makinana, your father had died.
He died in Mtumane at the foot of Qangqalala,
Come take control, because the Ndlambe now has nobody.”
Makinana said: “I will come, but I am still harvesting.”
In the meantime he encouraged his soldiers through the veld,
Ntakamhlope was running in front,
But before the letter of Tytaba Fynn could say:
“Turn around Makinana, the country’s in turmoil,”
Makinana said: “Oh no, it’s not part of our culture to turn our backs on what we have achieved within ourselves.”
They kept pushing on home.
Then Mpethu Fynn went himself and told Makinana to his face: “Listen,
Listen to me, turn back, you are looking for trouble.”
But Makinana said: “Never,
It is not my culture to ignore my fellow people.”
They were already at Draaibosch
When Those-who-lisp appeared swinging their guns in the air.
This is where the score had been settled.
Dwa! came the sound of the guns of Those-who-lisp;
Dwa! came the sound of the guns of the Xhosa,
On both sides the warriors plunged to the ground.
Those-who-lisp went back to Komga.
Even Ndluzodaka
From the clan-of-the-clay-huts became part of Sandile.
Summon all the nations, so that we can allot the stars:
The stars should be allocated,
You, Basotho people, take the Dogstar, the Harvest star before winter,
And share it with the Tswana and Chopi, and other loincloth wearers,
The Zulu will take the belt of Orion,
And share it with the Swazi, the Chopi and the Shangaan,
As well as all the other uncircumcised peoples.
You from Britain, take Venus,
And share it with the Germans and the Boers.
You whites-who-do-not-know-how-to-share-anything
Learn to share it with the Boers and the Germans.
We will hold on to the June star, we the people of Phalo,
That group of seven stars,
Is the star by which we count our years,
We count the years of being a man,
We count the years of manhood,
I can go on and on, but here I will stop.
© 2008, Antjie Krog, Ncebakazi Saliwa & Koos Oosthuyzen
From: Inzuzo
From: Inzuzo
AH! JUNE STAR
Ah! June star!The clan of the young AmaNdlamba,
Hayï, the son of my chief!
My chief is the son of Ndluzodaka.
He is born from two people,
He is the son of Makinana and Nopasi.
Nopasi is the daughter of White-Jealousy and Ntshunqe,
Ntshunqe is from the famous Bomvana clan.
His real name is Luhadi,
His ribs swell out and collapse:
There is something terrifying under the stone,
These beautiful young men are involved with loose women.
Who hasn’t heard it?
Who hasn’t heard about the rising of the June star over Ndlambe’s place?
The June star is the greatest star of the house of Phalo.
A letter came from Wright and Brownlee in Gqolonci.
The letter crossed the Keiriver and the Mbasheriver,
When it arrived at little Bloodriver, it started to speak.
It said: “Come home Makinana, your father had died.
He died in Mtumane at the foot of Qangqalala,
Come take control, because the Ndlambe now has nobody.”
Makinana said: “I will come, but I am still harvesting.”
In the meantime he encouraged his soldiers through the veld,
Ntakamhlope was running in front,
But before the letter of Tytaba Fynn could say:
“Turn around Makinana, the country’s in turmoil,”
Makinana said: “Oh no, it’s not part of our culture to turn our backs on what we have achieved within ourselves.”
They kept pushing on home.
Then Mpethu Fynn went himself and told Makinana to his face: “Listen,
Listen to me, turn back, you are looking for trouble.”
But Makinana said: “Never,
It is not my culture to ignore my fellow people.”
They were already at Draaibosch
When Those-who-lisp appeared swinging their guns in the air.
This is where the score had been settled.
Dwa! came the sound of the guns of Those-who-lisp;
Dwa! came the sound of the guns of the Xhosa,
On both sides the warriors plunged to the ground.
Those-who-lisp went back to Komga.
Even Ndluzodaka
From the clan-of-the-clay-huts became part of Sandile.
Summon all the nations, so that we can allot the stars:
The stars should be allocated,
You, Basotho people, take the Dogstar, the Harvest star before winter,
And share it with the Tswana and Chopi, and other loincloth wearers,
The Zulu will take the belt of Orion,
And share it with the Swazi, the Chopi and the Shangaan,
As well as all the other uncircumcised peoples.
You from Britain, take Venus,
And share it with the Germans and the Boers.
You whites-who-do-not-know-how-to-share-anything
Learn to share it with the Boers and the Germans.
We will hold on to the June star, we the people of Phalo,
That group of seven stars,
Is the star by which we count our years,
We count the years of being a man,
We count the years of manhood,
I can go on and on, but here I will stop.
© 2008, Antjie Krog, Ncebakazi Saliwa & Koos Oosthuyzen
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