Professional Documents
Culture Documents
African Languages Guide
African Languages Guide
SONG/LYRICS
PRONUNCIATION
LITERAL TRANSLATION
mah-mah YEH
Woza, mfana.
Oh, woza!
Busa le lizwe bo!
Busa lomhlaba!
BOO-sah LOM-hhlabah!
BOO-san GO TAN-doh
boh!
MEANING
Here comes the lion,
my people, the father
(of our nation).
We hail this coming
of the lion.
The lion and the
leopard!
Here comes the lion,
my dear people.
We will have victory!
The lion wears the
leopard spots.
(connotes royalty)
The lion and the
leopard, oh what a
sight!
Run, the lion will
attack!
(imitation of animal
sounds bull, donkey,
horse to connect
with animal spirits)
ingonyama = lion;
ne = and; ngwe = leopard;
ne = with; a= the;
mabala = spots
OH OH ee-YOH
Mamela!
MAH-meh-lah!
Hela, hem
HAY-lah HEM mahmamela!
MEH-lah!
(Setswana)
THE STAMPEDE (Zulu)
Yona yona yona
YOH-nah YOH-nah
YOH-nah
mamela = listen
hela = pay attention;
hem = (adds emphasis);
mamela = experience
Baba, wa mi baba!
THE MOURNING
Hamela, hamela,
HAH-meh-lah
hamela.
HAKUNA MATATA (Swahili)
Hankuna matata.
hah-KOO-nah
mah-TAH-tah.
SHADOWLAND (Setswana, Zulu)
Fatshe leso
FAT-see LEH-soo LEE-ah
lea halalela.
HAH-lah-LEH-lah.
(Setswana)
Ngizo buyabo.
GEE-zoh BOO-yah-boh.
(Zulu)
Beso bo
BEH-soo boh
(Setswana)
TAMATISO (Zulu)
Tamatiso, a so a
tah-mah-tee-SOH,
helele ma.
ah SOH ah
HEH-leh-leh MAH.
yona = it
(roaring sounds)
Oh, father.
Hunt lets go hunt,
father.
Oh, father.
Lets proceed lets
go hunt.
(Here) it (comes)!
Also: Youve messed
up / Youve done
something wrong.
Father, oh my father!
(breathy expression of
grief)
hakuna = none;
matata = worry
No worries.
ngizo = I will;
buyabo = return
beso = people; bo = my
I will return.
(popular South
African nursery
rhyme underscoring
childrens fondness
for ketchup/tomato
sauce)
My people
OH OH ee-YOH
Mamela!
Ubukhosi
bokhokho!
We ndodana ye
sizwe sonke!
MAH-meh-lah!
OO-boo-KHOH-see
boh-KHOH-khoh!
WEN doh-DAH-nah yeh
SEEZ-we SOHNK!
Hela, hem
mamela!
HEH-lah HEM
mah-MEH-lah!
FINALE (Zulu)
Busa le lizwe bo!
oh BOO-sah SEEM-bah
YOH!
Busa lomhlaba!
ingonyama = lion;
ne = and; ngwe = leopard;
en = with; a = the;
mabala = spots