Bhotomane, Ndumiso; Biyela, Umhle; Koko, Magagamela; Ngcama, Ashton; Ngcobo, Sondoda; Tyabashe, Mdukiswa; Zenani, Nongenile Masithathu / South African Voices: The Way We Travelled: Oral History and Poetry (2006)
POEM
Date: August 31, 1967
Imbongi: Magagamela Koko, a Mfengu man, about eighty years old
Place: In a home overlooking the Kei River valley, Nqancule, Ngqamakhwe District, the Transkei
Audience: Ten women, two men, ten children
1S-451
Tape 8, side 2
Umntana...emveleni...emveleni
ujonga kuyise...
uyabona khona ukuz' amalungele abekhw' emhlabeni apha,
ubawo wayesisigwili,
isityebi...eneegusha eneenkomo eneebhokhwe eneemali...
wath' ubawo uba yayindoda eyayizekile kakhulu abafazi abaningi...
kwathi owam umama waqhawuka waqhawuka sisebancinci...
waqhawuka singabantwan' abahlanu...
waze asakuqhawuka singabantwana abahlanu
sahlala sondiwa ngabany' abafazi
sakhula...sakhula...sakhula...
sithe sisakubangamadoda
sisakwendisa sisakuthini...
kwasuke abafazi bakatata bashiyisalwa ndim...
bashiyiselwe ndim umama kudala waqhawuka.
Bashiyiselwa ndim ngantoni?
Bashiyiselwa ndim ngokokuba utata ---
mna andizange ndibenama...
mna umam' endambonayo ngutata.
Wathi naxa sengasavani naba bafazi bakhe
naba nyana wakhe,
wagcinwa ndim.
bas'ke bajika ngonje balutshaba kuye...
wagcinwa ndim ---
ngulaa nyana ungananina.
Wabe ngath' utat' uyalungisa ulungisalela abafaz' abakhoyo
abafaz' abakhoyo bas' abayazi benyuk' apha...
bekhweletela mna,
uba ngumntan' onantoni na lo uthandwa nguyise engananina...
ashiy' abantwana bethu thina sikho nam loo nt' andiyazi.
Mna ndandizibona ngobunkedama
kuba mna umam' andimbonanga ndiyanqwena kwabanonina...
andinamama ke mna ndiya kuthi mama kubani?
Umam' 'am ke ngutata lo...
alahliweyo --- ngoku --- nam 'se ndingaka.
Utata nay' uf' engangam lo...
nam 'se ndiyindoda 'se ndindesile...
wabhubh' utata ndisele naba--- nam ndizek' abafaz' abaninji ndazelis' utata
kub' ekh' apha kaloku kwakuhluthwa akukho nt' ingekhoyo
senz' int' esiyithandayo.
Kub' umfazi sasingamkhathalele
ath' asakugeza usuk' umyeke (k)uba abafazi bathi kho iminqundu...
uya kusuk' uyokuthath' intombi yomny' mny'...
x' angetshoyo kuwe ukuthi "gazi lam"...
ndinje ke ndashiy' abafazi mna emadodeni ndingumntana...
ikho loo nto umntana umntana ukushiyiyisela abafazi unin' efile...
ndayibona ngam lo...
ndiyema apho.
ujonga kuyise...
uyabona khona ukuz' amalungele abekhw' emhlabeni apha,
ubawo wayesisigwili,
isityebi...eneegusha eneenkomo eneebhokhwe eneemali...
wath' ubawo uba yayindoda eyayizekile kakhulu abafazi abaningi...
kwathi owam umama waqhawuka waqhawuka sisebancinci...
waqhawuka singabantwan' abahlanu...
waze asakuqhawuka singabantwana abahlanu
sahlala sondiwa ngabany' abafazi
sakhula...sakhula...sakhula...
sithe sisakubangamadoda
sisakwendisa sisakuthini...
kwasuke abafazi bakatata bashiyisalwa ndim...
bashiyiselwe ndim umama kudala waqhawuka.
Bashiyiselwa ndim ngantoni?
Bashiyiselwa ndim ngokokuba utata ---
mna andizange ndibenama...
mna umam' endambonayo ngutata.
Wathi naxa sengasavani naba bafazi bakhe
naba nyana wakhe,
wagcinwa ndim.
bas'ke bajika ngonje balutshaba kuye...
wagcinwa ndim ---
ngulaa nyana ungananina.
Wabe ngath' utat' uyalungisa ulungisalela abafaz' abakhoyo
abafaz' abakhoyo bas' abayazi benyuk' apha...
bekhweletela mna,
uba ngumntan' onantoni na lo uthandwa nguyise engananina...
ashiy' abantwana bethu thina sikho nam loo nt' andiyazi.
Mna ndandizibona ngobunkedama
kuba mna umam' andimbonanga ndiyanqwena kwabanonina...
andinamama ke mna ndiya kuthi mama kubani?
Umam' 'am ke ngutata lo...
alahliweyo --- ngoku --- nam 'se ndingaka.
Utata nay' uf' engangam lo...
nam 'se ndiyindoda 'se ndindesile...
wabhubh' utata ndisele naba--- nam ndizek' abafaz' abaninji ndazelis' utata
kub' ekh' apha kaloku kwakuhluthwa akukho nt' ingekhoyo
senz' int' esiyithandayo.
Kub' umfazi sasingamkhathalele
ath' asakugeza usuk' umyeke (k)uba abafazi bathi kho iminqundu...
uya kusuk' uyokuthath' intombi yomny' mny'...
x' angetshoyo kuwe ukuthi "gazi lam"...
ndinje ke ndashiy' abafazi mna emadodeni ndingumntana...
ikho loo nto umntana umntana ukushiyiyisela abafazi unin' efile...
ndayibona ngam lo...
ndiyema apho.
Text copyright © 2006 by the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System.
Photographs copyright © 2006 by Harold Scheub. Used with permission.
Those interested in using these materials for any purpose not covered under Fair Use must seek the permission of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Libraries and/or Harold Scheub.


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