Lama ithemba ngokuma kwelanga lashabalala ngokuzilahla kunina
Intokazi kaMhlakaza yayisilethulile iphupho, sekulindwe ukuba lifezeke ngalolu suku
Umkhosi was’ uhlatshwe walawulwa.
Lonk’ elikaKleli noSandile
Layizwa intokazi kaMhlakaza
Yon’ eyayiwabonile Iawo
Mathong’ okhokho bay’ abangazange
Baze bawasikaze ngamehlo.
Ilanga labe selimiswa njalo,
Lapho ngisho wena salukazi –
Umxhilibana njengodade nje,
Wawuzobhilelwa ubutshitshi,
Ukhunjuliswe lokhuy’ okudala,
Zithi kuwe izinsizwa: Qoma!
Kwaphum’ ixheg’ eselibhinca nhlanye,
Lathath’ ubhoko ladondolozela
Liqinis’ imisiph’ emilenzeni;
Lagcob’ amafuth’ ezimvub’ ekhanda
Khon’ izinwele zizo buyelana;
Laqal’ ukuphoth’ amadev’ angwevu.
Elinye lezwakala selishela
Lithi: “Uyongiphendula uthini,
Mabani lapho sengithi kuwena,
Ngiyakuthanda ntombi kaSandile.
Uyogwinya nje amazwi ami?”
Kwakusemnandi betekulisana,
Kumnand’ ukuzulisana ngem’qondo.
Kwabhinca kwahloba amakhehla
Ngisho nanamadolo njengoMthontela
Acwala ongiyane, neziqhoza,
Namasakabula, nezinsimba.
Alinga nokubhina ethi: “Yeka
Kuse yithi seqa njengamathole!”
Bheka izibaya nezinxuluma
Kukhamisile lezoziprofitho
Zamandikikazi akaXhosa
Aphupha njengoJosef’ eGibhithe,
Kepha won’ ephupha imbubhiso
Yenzalo yawoyise oMlanjeni.
Phendukis’ amehlo, uzobona
Amanqe, izinyoni zaphezulu
Zizitika, zilale zingembethe;
Nezinja, nenkentshane, nezimbodla·,
Zenza isimonqo sasethala.
Likhul’ igama lakho Nongqawuze!
Laphuma lon’ ilanga njengemihla,
Nomoya wathi walakahla phezu
Kwaleyo ntaba yesiqalekiso,
Naphezu kwamagama awoMhlakaza,
NoNongqawuze nenkohliso yabo.
Ukuduma kolwandle kwabethusa,
Bese bethatha sengathi yikhona
Ukubhilwa kwabo. Noma kunjalo
Akukh’ oyedwa owezwakalayo
Ebika elokudangala nosizi.
Nanguya laphay’ uTsili iqhawe
Ebamisa isibindi njalo,
Ngokuvungamisa yon’ inkondlo
Yamaqhawe amakhulu odwa,
OMakana nawoNdlambe nawoLinda.
Amazwi abo ezwakala ngisho
Kuzo izigodlo zamathongo
Ayesakhathele, esazunywe
Ubuthongo phezu kwezicephu
Zamafu, nezolwandle, nezokhamba.
Kwakuzwakala izwi elincane
Lowesifazan’ ekikizelela
Ukungena kwamaqhaw’ ezinsizwa
Ngezigi zenhliziyo yakhe yedwa,
lgidizela ngezig’ ezinkulu
Esifubeni sakhe. Ephuph’ ebona
Bon’ oyisemkhulu bemabhongo,
Namaveleta ezinsizwa ezawa
Empini yokuqala yemibango
Yezwe lawokoko, leli lanamuhla.
Ilanga lakhwel’ umango walo
Liyilokhu lisinekile njalo
Imisebe yalo ehlabayo.
Lazi konke okwehlakalayo
Nokuzovela phinde lithi vuya,
Ladwengula lay’ entshonalanga.
Kwezwakala omuny’ ebuza ethi:
“Kodwa nith’ ikhona into ekhona?”
Abanye babik’ indlala nokoma,
Amaqhalaqhala athula duya.
Kwavela ishing’ elithize lathi:
‘’Ngikhombise, uphi uNongqawuze,
Ngincame ngizizwele ngesijula?”
Kwahlokom’ izwi Iabadala bathi:
“Thul’ umsindo mfana kaNobani,
Uxosha amathongo, azofika
Ngokushona kwenhlamvu yal’ ilanga.”
Yashona yathi gqwambi, kodwa dwaya.
Kwahwelela kwaqoqana ukuhlwa,
Yaphum’ inyang’ ihlek’ usulu nayo.
Luthuli lwani lolu oluthunqa
Laphaya, kade kumi izixuku
Zilindele ukubunjwa kabusha?
Ngitshele! Sekuyiwo yini lawo
Mabutho, nemihlambi, nemithimba
Eb’ ilindwe mini yonkana lena?
Ngalalelisa ngezwa ukukhala
Kwakho wena mntwana ongenacala;
Ngalalelisa ngezwa ukukhala
Kwakho wena ntombi nenkehl’ emsulwa;
Ngalalelisa ngezwa ukukhala
Kwakho wepa salukazi osele,
Kwaduma kwabikel’ izinkanyezi.
Wen’ owaz’ umnyundu oncel’ igazi
Usungene ungasenakuphuma,
Kanjal’ usizi nesililo sabo
Abezwakala kude mini leyo
Phakathi kobusuku makhashana
Ubuthongo busonge sank’ isintu.
lndlala yabavinga labo bonke,
Abalula nabayincekenceke
Yabasonga inqwaba ngelokufa.
Abasinda abakwaluvaywana,
Abathi besuka bathi shelele
Kanye nelanga lapho kuthi zibe.
Kunanamuhla phezu kwamaganga
AngaseNqamakwe naseMabele,
Kukhona amathambo amaqhawe
Angazange aphunyuzwe ngaphansi
Komhlabathi wezwe loyisemkhulu.
Ayagangathwa, egazingwa mihla
Nayizolo, yilanga nobusika.
Thin’ esizalwe nkathi yanamuhla,
Sidlul’ ezinkundleni zaMalinda
Samangal’ ubulima bawokoko
Nokulutheka okungasandile.
Siyesab’ ukudlula kulendawo
Puna kuvuk’ amathambo kaTsili,
Axhakazele azilahle phambi
Kobuso bethu elule nezandla,
Nemiholo yamehl’ ekhamisile.
Siyesaba namazwi angaphuma
Emlonyen’ owomil’ ongenamanzi.
Siye sival’ izindlu silunguze
Ngezibuko ezakhiwe ngenhlaka,
Sigolozele phakathi komnyama,
Sibon’ isimo sikaNongqawuze
Ebalekel’ umhlaba ngejubane
Eligijim’ amalangab’ omlilo.
Sibuye siy’ ezangomeni zethu,
Zishaye phans’ ithambo nezinkwindi,
Zisong’ izandla ngendabuk’ enkulu,
Zisitshel’ ukuthi uNongqawuze
Usagcin’ inhlawulo yamang’ akhe.
Nami ngayizwa lendaba kudala,
Ngezwa nangamathambo amabutho
Aphenduk’ imbewu achamisela
Amagoso kaBhokwe noJabavu
Abavuk’ othulwini lwemikhonto;
Basuka bathi ngcindezi ngemfundo,
Bahalalisela umhlaba wonke
Njengomoya won’ ovunguza
Uphephetha ushiy’ ushanelile
Amaz’ amasha. namaz’ amadala,
Ubuthe amabibi nezindwani.
Khuluma ngi’tshele! Baphi oTshiwo
Namany’ aMakhosi oHanahana,
NoXiniha, uHahabe, noMenziwa?
ONqabisile, noManxa, noNukwa?
Zileleph’ izintombi zikaXhosa,
OSuthu, uNojoli, noNomalizo?
Khuluma ngitshele! Baphi oHintsa
NaMakhosi kaXhosa nezinkehli
Ezazigqok’ amanqe zibhinc’ intshe,
Zidlokovul’ eQonce nakwaMonti?
Bonke sebenjengamahlamvu wona
Apheshulwa ngumoy’ umnhla nomzansi.
Sebenjengephupho namagam’ abo
Ahlaba njengomkhonto: anomlingo.
Nongqawuze, wena mphrofethikazi!
Ziphi izintombi zayizolo na?
Ziphi izintombi zakuthangi na?
Nomhlambi wamathole nezimvana?
Okush’ okudala okuhl’ okubi!
Yebo, konke lokho, nikubekephi?
Konke kupheshuliwe yiw’ umoya,
Kwashabalalis’ okwefu nenkungu.
Zindaba zakho Nongqawuze-ndini!