Imbongi ijeqeza ezikhathini zakudala kusadliwa ngoludala kwaNonhlevu


Ngomz’ omdaladala kaGrout
OGroutville, mz’ omdala kaGilawoti!
Nawe zakusela izinsuku msuku
Kusabus’ obabamkhulu bebodwa.
Kuthiw’ injobo babeyithungel’ ebandla,
Bengenjengathi esiyithunga sisodwa
Sihlez’ ezigqikini nasezincansini
Bon’ abangazange bazithi shazi.
Ngendaba sesitshelw’ amandla
Kuthiwa kwakubuswa kulezo nsuku.
Kwakusekhona nezitetelegu ndini
Enzalo yazo siyibona ngolugazi.
Wo, zidlule lezo nsuku mzi kaGilawoti!
Lo kwakumuz’ owawuvunganyelw’ indlovu
Phansi koMakhabeni, likhoth’ oNdlovu,
Kusekhon’ amahlath’ anamahlozi,
Kungamangalisi ingwe eyingozi
Ikubhozomela, ikwenekele phansi.
Nanka amasim’ omhlanga elucansi,
Esikaza nomoba ay’ ashay’ eMvoti
Omanzi aw’ anehlimbithw’ angati’ amtoti,
Agudle njengomqhumo wasemthimbeni
Ephahle la nangal’ amanzi nob’ ephandle,
Kuhelisene kuyolwandle njengomthimba.
Azisekh’ iziziba zakho Mvoti,
Amaqhikiza nezintombi zakho
Ezazibhidla nje zishay’ intshiki kuzo.
Alisekh’ itsh’ elikhulu lokugxuma
Laph’ izinsizwa namagawu bezothi
Zingene ngenhloko zidl’ umtshuzo
Kuhle kwezingxangxa namadwi.
Amagagasi abengelutho, noma
Bewasika abesikeka dweshu.
Hhayi kungenjengansuku zanamuhla,
La sithontel’ inhlabathi yonk’ imihla
Namanz’ engenabo lobo bumtoti.
Uma besekhon’ abathi “Guga mzimba!”
Nathi kufanele sithi “Guga Mvoti!”
Kungaze kuthiwe “Guga”, la kungase
Kwenzeke yini khona lokho uma kuse
Khona namatsh’ esiShaka singashaywa?
Konje ukhon’ umuz’ ongashingiphala
Ngoba uthi won’ unganywe ngangcono
Amathongo angadlula okaMenzi?
Phezulu kwayo indlu yezinhlakanipho,
Emqongweni wamagquma kaMandelu
Wena Nodumehlezi wawehla njalo;
Nathi sike sihlangane nawe sibone.
Wawudabul’ amanz’ aseMvoti,
Ugudl’ amagqum’ aseZenzeleni,
Nakh’ ukhwel’ ukhal’ oluseMnyundwini
Ngenzansi kweziwa zakwaManzasengwa.
Lapha wawuy’ uthi voshosho uphuze
Ngothi Iwesijula emingamanzini
Eyethile ithakac’ izandla phansi.
Umzila nomkhondo wezinyamazane:
Izimbabala, nonkonka, nemigakla,
Udobel’ amehlo phakathi ehlathini.
Wen’ oyinkonyane kaSenzangakhona,
Wawubuk’ uhleke, konke kungokwakho.
Um’ amanz’ esekungen’ umthambo,
Izinjuqu zezinsizwa zikaZulu
Zazikuphasa ngalapha nangalapha,
Zikutatamise zikukhuphulele
Phezu kwedwala lamadlozi awoXaba
Alimbela ngaphansi kwaMhlaba, athi
Liyoba umgqiki nembeleko yakho
Laph’ ubuk’ izinkomo namankonyane
Zabantwanyana nezinkedama zakho.
Izinkophe zobukhosi bakho Zulu
Ziyasesabisa, zesabis’ obabamkhulu;
Zibuk’ oNtaba, zibuk’ oMqwebu,
Zibheke phans’ eNkobongo ngaseMhlali,
Kodw’ akuzwakali kusola, kuthe nya.
Zibuye zibhek’ uMkhwethu noGovu,
Zibabone belele noBantukabezwa;
Amagej’ omoba nezinqola zoNoqhomela
Zidlidla phezu kwabo: uthule kaNdaba!
Wawushilo khona bekugwaz’ oMbopha,
Benz’ uzungu noDingane noMhlangana,
Washo wathi ngeke libuswe, koba nje.
Abanye babasikibunda baseMvoti
Baqinisa begomel’ okwesibawu,
Bayasho bath’ ukhon’ ulele kulo
Labo lezi zinwel’ eziluhlaza cwephe;
Kodwa kakukho natshe abaholi bethu
Abalenze laba umcamelo wentamo
Yakho eyagebis’ oMbuyazi weTheku
Yaze yavum’ oFebana kaMjoji
Behlangene ngamakhanda eMtateni
Kanye noDumase, noWohlo, noPhobana.
Bath’ ulele phansi kwemisilinga
Namatshan’ uDukuz’ awanqwab’ eduze.
Konj’ ukhona yini umuzi wamakholwa
Obhekwe ngamadloz’ aqave njengala?
Akusilo yin’ ihlazo phezu kwethu
Uma siyizithutha nezimpumputhe,
Ngezimangaliso ezingak’ eduze
Nomuzi wamakholw’ amadaladala?
Ziph’ izimbongi zakho Mvot’ ozisini?
Baph’ oMhlophe bakaShaka bamvuse?
Nabo futhi sebebalekel’ eBheleya?
Ma bengekho ngesizukulwane manje,
Kuhle izigqala ziyal’ insengwakazi.
Kusizan’ ukubuk’ okudlule
Sengathi namhla emihleni yawotate
Kukhona ufasimbe nomlalamvubu?
Kuyinkundla yakh’ impela kaMjokwane,
Phezu kwamahlung’ ezakwaNobamba
Sendlal’ amadokodo angazange
Aphuphe nokuphuph’ ukuthi angase konje
Ab’ awomlungumnyama. Ucansi ongalwazi
Enkundleni yenxuluma kum’ ikamu
Lezindlu ezimhlophe kuhle kwamalanda.
Kanti kuthiwa koprofith’ onjani?
Noma konke sekuqhakazile namhla
Sesizibonela sikubingelela,
Konke lokhu kwabikezelw’ emkhand1wini
Uzigubuzele ngengubo ngaphakathi
Kwesibaya, bekuzum’ abafowenu
Ngoba beth’ umbuso uphethe lukhulu.
Kakubanga minyaka mingak’ ebusa
UDingan’ emzin’ omkhul’ uMgungundlovu,
lnhliziyo nezandla zakhe zigcwele
Lonk’ ihlule legazi lomnewabo,
Izandla zivuth’ amalangabi, zasha,
Wabalek’ ethwel’ izandl’ ekhand’ eqonde
KwaSobhuz’ eyozinqumela kuyena.
Kusinwa kudedelwana-ke khona lana;
Sokwashay’ inqingilizi kwaba manje.
Manje sidla ngengxwembe ley’ ebanzi,
Sikha phakathi kokhamba esalushiyelwa
Abelungu bomfundisi Gilawoti.
Sakhelw’ izindlu zezikole namasonto,
Thina banamuhla saphika sangena,
Sakhongozela lowomana naloloju
Abasiki bebund’ abathi imfundo.
Sabona khona izintshebe nezimpunga,
Nazo zithi zazingothishela njena
Emagqumeni kaHangu noManombe.
Ziyasigxeka zisiklolodela thina,
Zithi zona zazifunda ngoRoyali,
Zikhohlw’ abafo bawoLangalibalele,
BoBhungane ngaseMshanemampewana,
Bon’ ababhala basitshele ngenkinga yonke.
Bayakhohlw’ abafo boMakobosi,
ODabulamanzolwandle kashumi live
Kuhle kwenkonjane yobusika, yona
Nxa ifun’ ihlobo yemukela kude,
Iklay’ umoya ngeziswebhu zamaphiko.
Namhla bafikile sesikhamisile
Imilomo nezindlebe namehlo.
Zonke lezi zinto zisikhumbuzisa
Izaga zezimbongi zalo muz’ omkhulu
WawoKhesari wawoPita: lon’ iLoma
Okuthiwa kalakhiwanga ngelanga.
Nawe sibaya esikhulu saseMvoti,
Emqondweni weth’ unjengeLom’ uqobo,
Ngob’ ukhona yin’ umuz’ omdala phambi
Kwakho, wen’ owabanjengetshe legumbi
Kuyo yonk’ imiz’ emikhulu yamakholwa?
Akumangalisi mabethi kuwe:
“Mvoti ozisini wen’ onwele zakho
Ziluhlaza, bezikanywa ngamahleza.”