Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-2pzkn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-01T05:31:57.745Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

81 - Umanyano! Mihlamb’ Eyalanayo!! Unity, diverse sheep!!

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 June 2019

Jeff Opland
Affiliation:
University of South Africa
Get access

Summary

Halahoyi! Africans, something stinks

like the ground snake, fouling the air.

How do we live in constant strife,

in ignorance and conceit?

Oh the homestead standing alone

with easy access through its gates,

whose people once had plenty,

now a sign of oppression.

We bark for you, my people,

confronting those who pick us clean.

Unity's our only strength,

it alone can nourish us.

Envy's an obstacle to this unity,

money's another obstacle:

and so we battle to scale the hill.

Can a seasoned debater dispute this?

This unity's a shade-screened leopard

in all the Creator's sorrows as well,

all enemies will be crushed by it,

and the pillars of heaven shattered.

And so be one and sing one song,

die side by side with your own.

Inspire the country with your words.

Was the country ever in such a state?

Where are the leaders the likes of Joshua

who had love and rose from a fall

to manage the nation of God

with poise beyond reproach?

It's a shame, my people, a scandal,

a disgrace not to help your own,

and you still saying, “We're students:

who are others compared to us?”

You see, my people, we're old,

truth threw us long ago;

unity's our only strength

for it alone can nourish us.

You form one flock from diverse sheep,

form one flock of us:

all nations unite against the blacks,

the Coolies and Chinese against the blacks.

Are you gathered in bundles for threshing?

Your recklessness is rampant.

Unity's our only strength

for it alone will nourish us.

Today Africa yields no milk.

Is there no one among the elders

to bear this report to the One on High,

to burn his first son as sacrifice?

Listen then!!

Type
Chapter
Information
Nation's Bounty
The Xhosa Poetry of Nontsizi Mgqwetho
, pp. 356 - 359
Publisher: Wits University Press
Print publication year: 2007

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×