Isililo Sobukhosi Poem by Thabani Khumalo

Ngiding' ukubuyiswa okulahlekeni kwami;
ngoba ngemizamo yamandla ami ngehlulekile -
ngikhuseleni nina ke, ningixhase ngoba ngiwile.

Makhosi hlanganani nonke ngobuningi benu
ningesule izinyembezi zami ezinengi ezeminyaka.
Indlela angiyazi; ngiyantula - namanje ngisedukisiwe,
anginamandla futhi uma ngihamba ngingedwa;
ngizungelezwa ngumuzwa wokukhathazwa yiphika lovalo oluphakuzelayo -
umuzwa wodwa, hayi okunye, khepha umuzwa.

Ngibiza ngisensitha yalo lezwe elihlakazekileyo, aziningi izinto eziyikukhalipha ezenziwa la ngaphandle -
izwe selokhu lababala lehlelwa ngumhlolo wendlala - alikalungi.
Emzimbeni wami ngizizwa nginobucuba nobuthakathaka -
izizwe zingihlekisa ubulubale... njalo ngandelwa yibuthakathaka:

Kubo obaba bonke, kuqala ngalo ozala mina -
uSithembiso Julius Buthakathaka khumalo - uMthobo;
ngomzila wokuzalana kwenu kuze kufike ekuqaleni kolwazi lwemvelo,
nginimema nonke njengalokhu mina nginguye undlangamandla asemandleni
futhi ngifunga ngithi - mina - ngiyisiphahla sendlunkulu;
isiphahla senkosi nesiphahla sabantu;
'uThabani - om'hle ngamehlo njengentombi yombukiso -
phepha ngathathel' insontsha kaLonkosi - uZhi'; uzibununu om'hle njengomfaz' onqunu - igubhankomo,
sondelani ngomoya nangemimoya ngokulandelana kwenu,
sondelani ngolwazi lwemicabango yakho konke nangesenzelo sokwenza:
wozani kimi ngisaphila ezweni; ngenzeni ikhaya!

Manyel' endlelen' ethemb' inkani,
Khumalo - zigidigidi, Khumalo - balakhulu,
wena ongangezwe... woza kimi - buya futhi!
emhlabeni olugwadule wonalo engingazi lutho ngawo - noma nje ngiwunyangaya imihla ngemihla,
ngaphansi kohlaza lwasendle nesibhakabhaka esilizulu - phezulu,
phinda futhi khumalo, lembe eleqa amany' amalembe -
ungaphakathi kwemithambo yegazi lami nokushaya kwenhliziyo - uphile ezweni.
Usendo olwakwaKhumalo lonke nangokwanda kwalo - alube ngumuzi, futhi, omkhulu ngami.

Ngikhuleka kuwe wena Khumalo ozala bonke abanye oKhumalo - Simakade!
ngithi zibophezele ngobuqotho bamabutho empi yesiNdebele,
uphendule umthandazo lo - owokudangala - owami.
Angidlondlobaliselwe ubukhosi, nami ngi-lugqhoza lwejaha,
besengibuyiselwa kithi esigodlweni - ekhaya kwaBulawayo,
ngibenomqhele omnyama 'bhuqe, ' owenkazimulo yokulungelwa ngabantu.

Ngikhala kuwe ngingedwa, ngingewona umlandu kabani,
enqabela isigameko somhlolo omkhulu kakhulu -ongaka,
ngoba lezi, ezichiphika kimi nsukuzonke (emehlweni)
yizinyembezi zomuntu omdala... ngoba sengabamdala.
Bengingeke ngikwazi ukuza kuwe - Khumalo -
ukube bengingakaqondani ngqho! neqiniso ezinhlamvini,
manje ngifunde lukhulu ngaphandle la, emhlabeni.

Ngamukele nani-noma ngingegodle lutho oluyingcebo...
ngicela wazi kuphela lokhu, ukuthi,
ngizwile ngoba usungitshayile umhlaba.