THE IMBONGI: THE CONSTRUCTION OF A HEROIC POEM

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At the place of the Gcaleka people, in the land of the Xhosa, at the royal residence, at Mgwebi's place, at Mhlontlo's, there was a king whose name was Zwelinzima. Whenever he was about to try cases in the morning, when he conducted the affairs of the entire land and determined the way things should be ordered in the land of his people, he would come out of the house carrying his skin mat which would be spread outside. The king would come out of the house wrapped in a kaross made of the skin of game animals, a variety of animals' skins that were joined together to form a cape. His headgear was also constructed of game, sometimes made of the feathers of exceptional birds.

NOTE: This history also appears in South African Voices, Volume III: The Way We Travelled.

Apha ke kwaGcaleka...kwaXhosa...komkhulu...kwaMgwebi...kwaMhlontlo...kwakukho inkosi apho...uZwelinzima...igama layo...iyaham--- xana iza kuthetha amatyala kwakusa nezinto yelizwe lonke nendlela ema kuqhutywe ngayo kumhlaba wakowayo...iye iphume endlini...iphume iphethe ugaga lwayo...lufike^[254] lwandlalwe phandle kuba iza kuphuma inkosi emdlini yambethe umnweba umnweba ingubo yeenyamakazi...iinyamakazi enzingeluhlobo lunye...yambethe iintlobo ngeentlobo ezidityaniswe ngokokuba zibe yiyo ingubo...ibe ifake isiqhova entloko isiqhova kwa senyamakazi...ngenye indlela ibe sisiqhova seentsiba zeentaka ezingaphezulu kwezinye intaka...kukho imbongi imbongi yenjenje ukwenza okokuba ibenokufumana komkhulu ngobuchule ngokukwazi ukuthetha nangokukwazi ukubonga ukuze ikwazi ukufumana...iye ithi ke thu entla komzi ithi apho ke kuloo mfo kaMgwebi wayeyinkosi imbongi yakhe eyayisitsho umfo wasemaCireni...owayevela ngasentla emzini ehle ngasentla kuba umzi wawuphantsi kwentaba...avele athi

Hoyiiiiiini na!...hoyiiiiiini na!...
ovuk' emini ngobudenge akabonanga nto...
ngokuba yen' engasoze wayibona inamba xa icombuluka
nangenkulu yakuMabuya...
kanene...imilambo leyo ayifani
kodwa amagama wona ayayelelana...
ndatsho kubo kukho uMbashe neNciba
int' ekunaya kwahlukene ngendlela ukuba mdaka...
xa ndinixelela ndithi iindlela ezibheka eMbashe zibomvu
ndithi iindlela ezibheka eNciba zimdaka...
ewe ke Silwanyanandini sakuloTese
wena mntu wendl' ephezulu enamaphel' asebhotwe
kokwabo kwenu kwaNxito...
hoyiiiiiini na!...hoyiiiiiiiiini na!...
ewe ke singavumbuluka ngokutsho
sithi phuma mphakathi ugabule izigcawu
ahlale umntana wenkosi...
ndithe kuwe iintombi azizindabi
zoyika ukuhlatywa emnqundu...
'za ndithetha loo nto ndithi amadikazi imisunu yaw' igubhukile...
ndithe kuwe intaka enamandla sisinagogo yona
ibethwa kuphum' amathumbu kanti iya kubaleka...
ndithe kuwe kutheni na ngonje le nto
amathumbu angaka kuwe wedwa
ngab' angabe aphelele kuwe na?
kanene...zithini n' iintombi zakwantonjane
xa kuz' idabi lemithondo...
ndithe kuwe iinkciyo mazibe ngambini mantombazana
ayez' amadikaz' akomkhulu aza kuqongqoth' umongo
hoyiiiiiiiiini na!...hoyiiiiiiiini na!...
uyandibona na nkungu walala kwiintaba ngeentaba...
uyabona na Bhentsel' esangweni
uyabona na Jukuty' umthond' ungawusi mntwini...
eee itheni na le ndod' idumb' amasende
yenziwa kukudwaba kodwa na?
hoyiiiiiiiiiini na!...hoyiiiiiiiiiini na!
kungamhla kungani na kuzwe lakuHintsa
uze kungabonakali zikhali zimenyelezalayo...
naal' idabi lisiza lisiza ngaseMbashe
ngonje 'ze nimis' iming' emikhulu
kumzi wakomkhulu
hoyiiiiiiiiini na!...

atsho azokufika athi akub' efikile lowo uyimbongi phambi komzi wakomkhulu afike ke ngonje asibeke isandla phantsi umfo engambathanga imbongi ayiyambathi ingubo iyibeka kwigxalaba elinye...ithi yakuba ifikile komkhulu kusuke amadoda amabini ayikhawulele athi wambonga umntana wenkosi umazi ngani na umntana wegazi ungumntana waphi lo unembeko engasoze ifunyanwe mntu...ithini na kanene inkosi yona ukuphendula isuke inkosi incwine e! e! e! ee! ee! mziseni ngapha bo ndimbone...kanene ke kusuke kuthiwe ke phumela ngaphambili iyakufuna inkosi mfana ngaphambili...wayizuza ke inkomo imazi ebhadi ngenxa yokubonga kwakhe umfo lowo wakwaHintsa xa wayebongwa ngumfo wasemaCireni 'yabona^[255] ke sisiqendu eso.