ORAL POETRY: THE POET

by Nongenile Masithathu Zenani

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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 lwandlalwe phandle kuba iza kuphuma inkosi emdlini yambethe umnweba ingubo yeenyakamazi...iinyamakazi ezingeluhlobo 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 inbongi 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 uyabona ke sisiqendu eso.