Ubuntu Poem by Yanga Menjenjalo

Mbumbi wekhaya lilinxowa,
Mbangisi wentlaba zahlukane,
Mbangisi wesikhundla sochuku utyala uxolo,
Mpheki wophule incasa yothando nomanyano zifumbathe ubusi,
Mxhasi wentsika kungquphantsi ubhodloka, 5

Mthi omkhulu onika umthunzi omnandi kuneziqhamo,
Tyholo lokukhusela iintloko zoomgquba,
Mbophi wamanxeba womphefumlo,
Mazi ebhongxise iimibele ifumbathe imfube ikakazisa abantwana bomgquba nabezizwe,
Msimbithi weenkonde neenkondekazi ungabuni noku buna, 10

Sityalo esikhuliselwe phezu komjelo wamandzi,
Sityalo esivelisa iziqhamo ezinesongo,
Sihlobo esingasengeli phantsi imbilini yamahlwempu,
Sihlobo esingumsimelelo sokuwela kuloo mifula inobuzaza,
Sokuba yintoni na ngaphandle kwakho? 15

Mfo kaBawo ukubakho kwakho sixhelelwa exhukwane,
Thina sizinzalelwane sesizwe neezizwe intloya asiyazi sazi amasi anengqaka eteke-teke,
Mfo omkhulu usikhumbise indlela yokungaceli intloya kubuhlanti obumile ingca,
Awu! Mkhululi wedyokhwe yobukhoko ndikothulela isidlokolo,
Tsi! Gabula Simphiwe nomlomo obumvu bebhentsisa inkwenkwezi wena buntu uyiyo ke, 20

Kuba xa kufike wena iindonga ziyamanyana kwaye ubumnyama buyadeda,
Kuba xa utshila entungo nenkungu yendzondo isithela ngaphayana kweentaba,
Kuyacaca lubala into yokuba uDlezinye ukhahlelekile kwelikhaya,
Kowu utshila enkundleni itsho imizimba iswabuluke ixela iimithwane yethanga,
Kowu buntu sondela ndikungalele ityuwa ungabuni, 25

Pewu! Pewu! Tsi! Tsi! Pewu! Tsi!
Ithe kanti andilazanga eliphumelelayo,
Ndizame ukusondeza sowuxhilwe ngamaxhalanga,
Ngoba kule imihla sesingamakhoboka wesihogo nje kutheni?
Lonto ude uphume nini na kwelotyholo ukulo ingathi kant' bakwenze isithunzela? 30

Yazi ukuba kule mihla buntu uduke phi na?
Ngoba ntlandlolo umzi kantu ebehlinza impuku nomelwene wakhe kunye nomdluli,
Tyhini buntu konakele phi na kule imihla?
Nje banje kule'mihla suseke sazingqaqu neemigqakhwe,
Phofu nathi satyefeza ngokuthenga emithiyo ngenethole, 35

Wabhanga umzi buntu uphi na?
Wadlakazela ungquphantsi ngenxa yenqala nokunyoluka,
Satshutshumbisa sona isitshingitshane sokutshabalalisa,
Yazi na uMbumbi wesizwe esithele ngaphayana kwamafu akasiboni sitshabalala na?
Sade sathumela neenqwela zomthandazo azosihlangula akaphendula, 40
Mawethu masixozeni kumthi ubuntu ebewutyalile,
Masibe yimbumba yomanyana hayi eyamanyala,
Masibe ngombho nomxesibo sibumba umsebendzi kabuntu,
Madoda masingabi ngooGoliyathi kusapho nasekuhlaleni,
Bafazi yibani zizikhukukazi zokwenene kulo ngquphantsi, 45

Gabula ingqanga uCaphuis isithi masibe yinyanda singabi zintsasa,
Yazi ukuba buntu ukubuya kwewele lakho unkululeko bendiba izinto zizokuguquka,
Sidamza kwibhotolo kwaye sixhelelwe nasixhukwane gabula embo,
Yonke lomincili besinayo ngaye isuke yalubisi oluphalakileyo,
Mawethu makungade kugqube impungutya kwelikhaya, 50

Noko lamandla afunekayo kulo mceli mngeni awudingi madoda anezigalo,
Lo umcimbi udinga thina sibe moya mnye,
Kwaye ndiyafunga nefuthe likaBuntu lingasanxusa libe yingqanga,
Masibekini phantsi iintonga kunye nempakamo,
Masithandaneni sigqwathule amagqabi kulamthi kaBuntu, 55

Noko ningade nilalazelise iingwatyu,
Kuba awunguwo lo umthi wase- Edeni uneziqhamo,
Lo! Unechiza lokuwisa amakhalane wentiyo nokungcikivana,
Kunjalo nje neloqhakuva eli qaqambisa ingqondo ukuba ungaqiqi lingagqabhuka,
Kwaye neqhenqe lenqala ungaqhathula unalo zide iingqaqambo ziqhawule ngenxa yelogqabi, 60

Xa ndizo kutshaya lombeka pheshaya wam umnandi,
Intonga ayakhi mzi kunjalo nje umona lichiza lokudodobelisa impulelo yakho,
Uze ukhumbule ubuntu ngumzingisi wentsikelelo nempulelo,
Buntu xhego lam ndigaxelise lonxili yakho,
Utsho undikhwelisa kuSikanisi ndiwele lomfula ze ngaphesheya kunentsimi ndokulima isithole sakho! 65