Ukufinyezwa nokubiywa komhlaba The Contraction and Enclosure of the Land

(St. J. Page Yako) (St. J. Page Yako)

1. Batsho bon’abantwana begazi, 1. Thus spake the heirs of the land

2. Noxa lon’ilizwe lingalesilo lethu. 2. Although it is no longer ours.

3. Lo mhlab’ uza kusongwa ngokwengubo, 3. This land will be folded like a blanket

4. Ube ngangentende yesandla. 4. Till it is like the palm of a hand.

5. Inkabi yeleqe yogaxelek’ ezingcingweni, 5. The racing ox will be entangled in the wire,

6. Ayisakuba naw’amandl’ okuxhentsa, 6. Too weak to dance free, it will be worn out.

7. lya kub’idudekile yidyokhwe nayipuluwa 7. By the dance of the yoke and the plough.

8. Sigilane ngezifuba njengezabonkol’ 8. They will crowd us together like tadpoles in a

emcepheni, calabash ladle.

9. Iintombi zethu zolotyolwa ngamaqhosha 9. Our girls Will have their lobola paid with paper,

10. Izintwe’ ezi man’ ukuqhawuka zihlangana 10. Coins that come and go, come and go.

11. Kuthiwa namhl’ igazi malingaphalali, 11. Blood should not be spilled so they say

12. Ukuhlanganis’ amathile namathile 12. Nowadays, to unite the different peoples,

13. Ukuze singakhothani njengemaz’ 13. Until we no longer care for each other As a cow

ikoth’ithole licks her calf,

14. Iqhutywa luthando nabubushushu begazi. 14. when love and nature urges her to do so

15. Linako n’iqhosh ukukhoth’ elinye? 15. Can money bring people together?

16. Ew’ indod’ igilane nomolokazana, 16. Yes, a man may have words with his son’s wife,

17. Unyan’ angamhlonel’ uninazala, 17. His son no longer need to respect her mother.

18. Sisong’ amadolo singabi nak’ ukunaba 18. Yes, we fold up our knees, It’s impossible to

19. Kub’ umhlab’ ufinyeziwe stretch out

19. Because the land has been hedged in.

 The making of a slave

(JJR Jolobe)
1. I can no longer ask: how did it feel?
2. This strangling of the yoke cord,
3. Because I have seen it with my own eyes in a chained ox.
4. Blindness left my eyes as I suddenly realized:
5. I have seen the making of a slave
6. In a young yoke-ox.

7. Glossy he was, beautiful, born to be free,

8. He asked nothing from anybody.
9. He only wanted to be proud of being a young ox,
10. But then somebody said, “Catch him, tame him”—as if it was to help him
11. I have seen the making of a slave
12. In a young yoke-ox.

13. He strove to resist, strove to win his freedom,

14. He was surrounded, fenced in by schemes and plots,
15. They conquered him with cunning, “He has to be educated”,
16. A harmless word but a mask for calamity:
17. I have seen the making of a slave
18. In a young yoke-ox.

19. He was bound in thong which carved into his head,

20. He was whipped, kicked and occasionally stroked,
21. But the aim remained the same: to get the yoke on his neck
22. Only the privileged were educated in their own interest:
23. I have seen the making of a slave
24. In a young yoke-ox.

25. Then the last phase dawned: the yoke was on his neck,
26. The halter around the throat tight, almost strangling him,
27. But they said, “Our work is done”,
28. From now on, with the others, he will obey the owner and master:
29. I have seen the making of a slave
30. In a young yoke-ox.

31. He kicked, tried to break out

32. But the whips talked.
33. He twisted around trying to ward them off, but they said, “Beat him!”
34. A slave is the plaything of a weakling:
35. I have seen the making of a slave
36. In a young yoke-ox.

37. Although he floundered and fell, he was continuously beaten at the tail.
38. At times I even saw how he gaffed,
39. his yoke-ox partner, his friend, with his horn
40. suffering under the yoke breeds enmity between brothers:
41. I have seen the making of a slave
42. In a young yoke-ox.

43. The sky had darkened with gentle rain.

44. I saw his hump,
45. It was red with blood, the mark of revolt;
46. He aches for the place where he once was free;
47. I have seen the making of a slave,
48. In a young yoke-ox.

49. Dead still, tired, nowhere was there any sympathy,

50. Be bellowed bitterly, deep sounds,
51. The halter was loosened a little-so he could breathe,
52. The was tightened again and he gasped for air:
53. I have seen the making of a slave
54. In a young yoke-ox.

55. I saw him later, crushed and enslaved,

56. Pulling a double ploughshare deeply through the earth,,
57. Obedient, struggling for breath, in pain—he was being driven to his death.
58. Life is to be lived for oneself:
59. I have seen the making of a slave
60. In a young yoke-ox.

61. I saw him hungry, while he worked and sweated,

62. Tears filled his eyes while his soul was destroyed,
63. He could resist nothing anymore,
64. Only the idea of freedom kept him breathing in hope:
65. I have seen the making of a slave
66. In a young yoke-ox.

Ukwenziwa komkhonzi
(JJR Jolobe)
1. Andisenakubuza ndisithi kunjani na
2. Ukukhanywa yintambo yedyokhwe emqaleni,
3. Kuba ndizibonele kwinkabi yomqokozo.
4. Ubumfama bamehlo busukile ndagqala,
5. Kuba ndikubonile ukwenziwa komkhonzi
6. Kwinkatyana yedyokhwe.

7. Yabigudile intle, izalelw’ inkululo,

8. Ingaceli nto mntwini, izingca ngobunkomo.
9. Uthe umntu mayibanjwe iqeqeshwe ithambe,
10. Ezilungiselela ngokunga uyasiza,
11. Kuba ndikubonile ukwenziwa komkhonzi
12. Kwinkatyana yedyokhwe.
13. Inge ingamangala ikhusel’ ilungelo.
14. Yangqingwa yabiyelwa ngobulumko namava.
15. Amaqhinga ooyisa kufunw’ iqobozeke.
16. Isizathu esihle singafihla ububi,
17. Kuba ndikubonile ukwenziwa komkhonzi
18. Kwinkatyana yedyokhwe.

19. Irhintyelwe ngeentambo, zayidla ebuntloko,

20. Yangxoliswa, yakhatywa, kwaphathwa kulelezwa.
21. Injongo yona inye mayithwale idyokhwe.
22. Lolwezulu uqeqesho olujong’umqeqeshwa,
23. Kuba ndikubonile ukwenziwa komkhonzi
24. Kwinkatyana yedyokhwe.

25. Iqondo lokuphela, ubekiwe loo mqobo,

26. Yajikela nentambo entanyeni bukhanywa,
27. Kwathiwa igqityiwe, yofakwa emkhondweni
28. Ukufunda intando yomlawuli umnini-yo,
29. Kuba ndikubonile ukwenziwa komkhonzi
30. Kwinkatyana yedyokhwe.
31. Ibe ngakhabalaza, izam’ukuqhawula,
32. Kwathethwa ngeziniya. Ijonge nangasemva.
33. Iba iyaxakisa, koko kuthiwe; “Betha.”
34. Obotshiwey’uyinto yokudlala kwigwala,
35. Kuba ndikubonile ukwenziwa komkhonzi
36. Kwinkatyana yedyokhwe.

37. Ibe ngasadalala yalunywa emsileni.

38. Xa limbi ndiyibone igweba nangophondo
39. Kuwayo umqotyozwa wamzuzu begazi-nye.
40. Ubunzima bedyokhwe budal’ ugxekwano,
41. Kuba ndikubonile ukwenziwa komkhonzi
42. Kwinkatyana yedyokhwe.

43. Lalingathi limnyam’ izulu kukhumezela.

44. Ndijonge elundeni, ndalibona libomvu
45. Kuthontsiza igazi, umkhondo woxhathiso,
46. Ibuzisa ikhaya, umzi wenkululeko,
47. Kuba ndikubonile ukwenziwa komkhonzi
48. Kwinkatyana yedyokhwe.

49. Ime buxe kudinwa, kungekho luvelwano.

50. Yasitsho esikrakra isililo ibonga.
 51. Kunyenyiswe kancinci ukuba iphefumle,
52. Kwabuya kwaqiniswa ibulawa umoya,
53. Kuba ndikubonile ukwenziwa komkhonzi
54. Kwinkatyana yedyokhwe.

55. Ndiyibone mva seyaqobozeka yathamba,

56. Itsal’ umbaxa-mbini wekhuba etshoniswe
57. Waphelela ikhonza, ikhefuza igcuma.
58. Ukufa kukuqhutywa, impilo kuzenzela,
59. Kuba ndikubonile ukwenziwa komkhonzi
60. Kwinkatyana yedyokhwe.

61. Ndiyibon’ ilambile ngaphantsi kwaloo mbuso,

62. Iliso liinyembezi, umxhel’ ujacekile,
63. Ibe ingasakwazi nokuchasa imbuna.
64. Ithemba yimigudu ezond’ inkululeko,
65. Kuba ndikubonile ukwenziwa komkhonzi
66. Kwinkatyana yedyokhwe.

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