Ngivuka ekuseni
ngigqoke njengenene –
Ihembe elimhlophe, uthayi, nensudi.

Ngihamba esitaladini
Bese ngihlangabezwa indoda
engitshela ukuthi “khiqiza.”

Ngiyikhombisa
Ubhukwana wempilo yami
Ukuthi ucwaningwe bese inginika ukuqekuza.

Besengingena emnyango omkhulu webhilidi
ngithole indlela ivalwe ngunogada
“Ufunani?”

Ngiphaquza imisinga yedolobhakazi
uhlangothi nohlangothi no “misisi”
ogudluzela isikhwama sakhe ngakolunye,
angibheke ngamehlo athi
“We! Klibhi! Ngiyakwazi ukuthi ungubani;
ngaphansi kwalezosingubo zikanokusho
kuncencetha inhliziyo yesela.”

Utshani buluhlaza njengomati
ohlotshiwe ngezimbali zamazama
abomvu njengamalangabi eklobeni.
Ibentshi lasephaki, libusisiwe,
liqukethe ulova olalele
Ukuhuba kwesiyalu
Esichela amanzi ayiqcwele
Esiqumbini samakholwa angamajuba

“Ungasondeli otshanini,
Izinja ezingaxhaniwe zinqatshelwe.”

Nangoke “umisisi” ehambisa ipikinisi yakhe
ebhavile yase iqholwa ngamakha.
Inuka ubuso buka saziso “Ungasondeli”
ngekhala elibanda njengenhlanzi eseqhweni
ishaya indesheni ngomlenze wangemumva
isishiye simpongoloza ngokuthu
kuthela nehlazo.

Umlando into enzima
Isilo esimakhanda khanda
Usikhumba simabalabala eminingi
Ecishe ingabaleki
Imibalabala evusa usinga
Ijabulise inhliziyo ngaphakathi
Neminye ethi ivuse umunyu nosizi
Lapho sesikhumbula
Izehlakalo ezashiya okhokho nokhokhose
Bebambe ongezansi

Umlando bakwethu yinto enzima
Lesi silo simakhandakhanda
Sike sithi uma usibukisisa
Ugcwale ukuziqhenya
Uzwe izigubhu ezingaziwa
Sishaya kamnandi kuwena ngaphakathi
Zithi gu gu! Gu gu!, zithi gu gu!
Ingani phela amagugu esizwe lana
Ayacwebezela ayakhazimula
Athi woza qala kimi, ngithinte kahle
Ungiphulule, ugabise nanokugabisa ngami
Uma uthanda, maqedane ukhumbulisise
Ukuthi ungubani ufisani uphokophelephi na
Enpilweni.
Ukuzethemba koza?
Whoo yeka! kumamatheke ngisho nezinzwane!

Kepha elinye ikhanda lesilo lona
Liyaphenduka, usathi uyazigqaja
Lithi Mana bo! Akubona ubuhle bodwa
Obusemlandweni wakho
Futhi noma owaso nasiphi na isizwe
Khumbula nezibuhlungu izigameko
Ukuze ufunde, ukhule, ukugweme ukubuyela
Emuva kulezo zikhathi
Ezithanda ukukhathaza umoya wakho
Ingani phela inhliziyo iyathanda
Ukulalisa yembeze futhi izifihle izinkumbulo ezimbi
Phela isuke yenqaba nezinyembezi zayo, ezehlayo
Zigobho-gobhoze lapho isiqaqamba kalusizana
Ngenxa yokubona ububi, obusebusweni
Besilo esimakhanda – khanda
Esesiphakamise elona lakhe laba limbi ikhanda leli
Kuvuke namadala wona amanxeba
Lapho sesisho impela sithi
Umlando lona yinto enzima

Izintombi esizikhumbulayo namuhla zashona
Kabuhlungu, zilwela amalungelo azo
Isikhathi sasingafani nesanamuhla
Umthetho wezwe wawungavumi ngisho ukuthi
Zilokothe ukuyivula imilonyana yazo!
Inkozi uCetshawyo wayengakulindele neze okwenzeka.
Kepha kithina izintombi zeNgcuce
Zingamaqhawekazi esiwakhumbula
Ngenkulu inhlonipho, Sisho futhi nokuthi
Ukulahleka kwezimpilo zazo akulona Ize leze!
Kusipha amandla, kusipha imvuselelo
Kusivula amehlo kabusha, khon’ukuze
Nathi sibhekane nezanamuhla izingqinamba

Kwabadala nabancane lesi isikhathi
Sokulwa impi yokuzakha, ukwakhana
Nokwakha isizwe esihle sikaMthaniya
Yebo umlando yinto enzima
Kepha uyafundisa! Qinidolo mAfrika!

Unabuphi ubuhle na?
Unaluphi uju na?
Unaluphi udobo na?
Udobo olungabuyi lulambatha
Ufika nobumnyama okobusuku

Ungen’imizi nemizana
Ushiye uphawu ngemumva
Uphawu olungenabulili
Uphawu olungenaminyaka
Uphawu olungenasigwili
Uphawu olungenasifundiswa

Uqoqa kuqaqambe inhliziyo
Kulume isisu kozele
Kuxeg’amadolo kom’umlomo bantakababa
Ubon’umhlab’usigubuzela
Usigubuzela kuphele ukwazi

Abantu baphenduk’izithuli
Abantu baphenduk’izimpumputhe
Kwand’amaxhegu
Kwand’amaxhegukazi
Sesahlala sizichitshana okwezikawu

Akekho ongathi ubanjwe ngesidlovana
Ukulubela ubumnandi kuphelile
Amaphupho ashabalele
Impilo ishabalele
Ishabalalise okwentuthu yamaphepha

Usebenzile mkhumbi wezimanga
Ingathi utakule izigqila
Ezingazange zithole thuba
Ithuba lokuncela ubisi lomhlaba
Oluyifa lakho wedwa
Ongasoze walushiyela muntu

Mkhumbi wezimanga
Buzwakele ubuwelewele
Buzwakele ubigodlogodlo
Izitobhi zigcwele ziyanyinyitheka
Kulindwe wean Mkhumbi wezimanga

Selokhu uqalile ugimbaawugcwali
Angithi ungundabuzekwayo?
Kuphuma intsha kuphume esinedolo
Kubukeka kuliphupho qiniso
Kwazwakala kuyimbude uqobo

Bobodwa abangazwisisi
Abathi ngozwa phambili
Bafike babheme bakholwe
Kuqhibuke izihlathi
Inhliziy’iphuphum’intokozo

Lapho umuntu ezibona
Ezibon’kwazi ukubamba
Usiba alubeke ephepheni
Namuhla kunamuhla
Isina muva liyabukwa

Ungene mkhumbi wahlwanyela
Ungene negugu lomhlaba
Wafika nokhiye uqobo
Wafika nefa laphakade
Namunye ongakuphuca lona

Ngithi phambili nenqola kamagayisa
Phambili nenqola emasondosondo
Phambili nqola enqamula
Izihosha nemiqansa
Ngisho kuwe lifa laphakade

Ukuba yijazi
Ukuba yisigqila
Ukuba yisitebhisi
Ukuba yisilahlwa
Ukuze ukuqonde
Yiba nokukhubazeka

Ukuba umbele wemali
Wezikhungo zabakhubazekile
Ubhinde ubeyibhange
Lezisebenzi zikahulumeni
Ubuye ube ucansi lezinyawo
Izinyawo zeziqumama
Sezifinya ngendololwane
Ukuze ukuqonde
Yiba okukhubazeka

Ucele usizo ubusuku nemini
Akukho namunye osabelayo
Kuhulumeni nasemiphakathini
Bonke bayaqinisekisa
Baqinisekis’ukungabaluleki kwakho
Kwawena uzizwe ungelutho
Kodwa ukuze ukuqonde
Yiba nokukhubazeka

Ukubandlululwa sekwaba yinsakavukela
Ukubukelwa phansi
Abantu babon’ukukhubazeka
Bangamboni umuntu
Kodwa ukuze ukuqonde
Yiba nokukhubazeka

Sibabazile koma amathe
Umuntu wonke uphenduke isinkwa
Siphithizeliza okwezimpethu
Isililo siqhuma phezulu
Sithandaza kuphele umthandazo
Isiphetho kube ukundwaza
Kodwa ngolokhu ngishilo . . .

Zikhukhula ndini nifike nonya
Anangasinika thuba nakucabanga
Kwakhalwa ubumayemaye
Yemuk’imizi yabafowethu
Yaphuma imiphefumulo
Izinhliziyo zagobhoza igazi
Sasala sikhungathekile

Izingozi ziseluhlaza cwe
Fikiyane udlame
Udlame nalo olwashaya laqothula
Zalala zilekanyana izidumbu
Imizi yaphenduka amakloba omlilo
Amanxiwa aphenduka amadlelo
Amawa aphenduka amakhaya

Khona manje kuxhuphuzel’isisu
Abantu baphenduk’izilwane uqobo
Kudlwengulwa zaguga
Kudlwengulwa zingane
Kudlwengulwa zilwane
Sesahlala sibambe umoya
Kodwa ngolokhu ngishilo . . .

Bumnandi bomhlaba sewashabalala
Nang’umashayabhuqe uhlasele
Ukhiqiza izintandane imihla ngemihla
Izintandane ezingenamhlaba
Izintandane ezokhula nozozo
Izintandane eziyokhula nemibuzo
Imibuzo eyobe ingenazimpendulo
Kuphela ziyobe zembethe ububha
Nokuhlala zibhodla umlilo

Ngifikelwa ukwesaba nokuthuthumela
Umhlaba usuyisihogo uqobo lwaso
Izimanga ziqeda ukwazi nokuqonda
Izimanga ziqeda uthando
Zitshale inzondo nobulwane
Amandla okuzama aphelile
Amandla okucabanga aphelile
Kodwa ngolokhu ngishilo
Osaphila ufa kancane, kancane, kancane

Sabe sesihlala ezihlabathini ogwini lolwandle
Sabe sesibuka ukuwa nokuphakama kwamagagasi
Sabe sesilalela ukudlalisana kwezinyoni
Kona kwasekunjengako okwemimoya yethu
Yona inyoni’enkulu sayibona isiyikhwela intambama
Isikhwel’emafini amnyama isigoduka
Nathi laba sase sithubeleza ebusuku
Sesifumbethe imicabango ngekhaya lethu
Lona lase lisibiza lisibiza njalo kude eNingizimu