Sengiyakholwa ukuthi sewafa,

Ngoba noma ilanga liwukhanyis’ umhlaba

Ngibon’ ekusen’ izilwane ziklaba,

Ziziphunga ngamashob’ anenhlali,

Emhloph’ okwezinkomazi zakith’ eMhlali,

Nokho sengike ngabona kuhlw’ emini.

Sengiyakholwa ukuthi sewafa,

Kwangihlwel’ emini ngoMandlakayise.

Ngabe ngiyathe ngincenga bangiyise,

Bangithela ngamanz’ ezinyembezi,

Ngambon’ elele bengakamembesi.

Ngalibon’ iphupho liz’ emini.

NangoNomasomi kwabanjalo.

Izinkanyezi zamehlo zacimeza,

Wabanda wehlulw’ ukuzifudumeza.

Mina ngema ngaqhaqhazela izingalo

Ngilunguz’ ubuso bakhe buhwelela,

Nobuhle benqaba bangifiphalela.

Ngingekholwe kanjan’ ukuthi sewafa

Um’ umgwaqo wakho uvulekile,

Ngibon’ iminyaka yonk’ ubhudulekile?

Wema kungathi wahamba umnyang’ uvuliwe

Khon’ abanye beyophuma seng-

athi badiniwe,

Kanti sebelandela wena bangabuyi.

Ababuyi, wena weqhawe laseMzwangedwa.

Bavalelisa ngime bangishiye ngedwa.

Abanye ngibabeke kwaGulukudela,

Lapho umnyama uthule ubagubudela;

Abanye ngibatshala eMhlathuzane,

Lapho befukanyelw’ izikhukhukazana,

Ngoba ngizw’ insimbi yengelos’ incencetha,

Ibavus’ ekuseni beyokhuleka baqenqetha.

Ngibabon’ ilanga ezansi libomvu,

Ngababona lisemagqumen’ ezibomvu.

Izibomvu ezansi noMhlathuzane

Ngizibonile zikhanya ziphikisana.

Ngalalela phansi komthomb’ omkhulu

Lapho kulel’ uFrans’ ubabamkhulu,

Ngezw’ izwi lithi: “Shayan’ ingelosi

Ebusika nasehlobo ikhal’ ingalingozi!”

Kanjalo sengidelil’ ukuthi sewafa,

Ngoba ngibona kimi kuqothuk’ ekhanda

Izinwele zobusha, izimvu zingikhanda,

Zinginik’ ukuzotha nophawu lobudala

Engalubona kuwe uyimpung’ usukhathala.

Emva kwalokho waya ngokuya ushabalala,

Nami ngaya ngikubona kancan’ unyamalala.

Namuhla sengiyakholw’ ukuthi sewafa,

Ngoba kwaButhongo ngiyakubona

Uza nenhliziy’ enokuphola,

Ungiweza ngamasango namazibuko

Obuhlakani nezindlela zenkalipho;

Nodondolo lwakho ngiluzwa lugqula

Phambi kwamehl’ ami ngingakuboni.

Nginjengempumputhe ngamehl’ omzimba.

Yebo, manje ngiyakholwa sewafa,

Wanyamalal’ ungunaphakade.