KASCHULA TRIBUTE-LICENCE TO WRITE

The first of March was a very special day for professor Russell Kaschula. He has become an icon in most people’s lives, especially to those whom he has taught, mentored and inspired. Kaschula is not only the NRF SARChI Chair in the Intellectualisation of African Languages, Multilingualism and Education; he is also the father of ‘Technauriture’ (a term referring to the contribution of technology to the preservation and popularising of oral performance in Southern Africa). He has done a lot to elevate isiXhosa poetry.

UFAFA OLUDE
Yintak' obusi kumzi kaXhosa
Siphakula sijolise kuyo kuba
Olufaf' olude
lusikhombis' ubuncwane
Sisity' esihle esingazange
sadlela
Yintong' entle egawulw'
ezizweni
Ingxangxos' egxanyel'
ezizweni

Sebekubik' amabala
bekunyephuza,
bekudlis' igusha, wen’
ujonga phambili
Ndoma ndijing' Iliso
kwedini yasemzini
eyafika ngokuthwal'
uxanduva yaphuhlisa,
Yaphuhlis’ ulwimi
lwakaNtu phakathi
kokhwel' ecingweni,
"oosingaMaXhosa
abafe bethwel'
umnqwazi" qhubeka!
Qhubeka, wena ubhexesha.
Amade ngawetyala!
Ah! Kaschula!
Tsi ndingabonga de
litshone ngawe!
Ngcingcilili!
– nguAkhona ‘Bhodl’ ingqaka’ Mafani

UBUNJINGALWAZI
Ubunjingalwazi
bungayintoni na?
Bungayintoni
ngaphandle kobuthandazwe?
Kant' amaXhosa
ayethetha oku,
xa esith' isandla sihlamb'
esinye?
Kodwa ezakho izandla
zihlamba isizwe,
Ewe zihlamba zihlambulula
isizwe sikaXhosa

Sikubonile usilwa
ukutshabalala kwesiXhosa
Sele abanini bolwimi besoyika behlehl’ umva
Wena wama, wayintsika,
ugxile ekubeni ulwimi
lwesiXhosa malusetyenziswe luhlonitshwe,
Kumaziko emfundo malufundiswe, maluphuhliswe!
Ewe nakule lahleko
yalo malukhawuleze
luphuthunywe Ubunjingalwazi sibubona kuwe mzukulwana
kaKaschula!
Sithi camagu kuwe mhlekazi! Camagu baw' uKaschula!
– nguSiphelo ‘Nqontsonqa’ Dyongman

UMBHAYIZO WEENYHWAGI
(Isinikizelo kuProfesa Russell H Kaschula)
Deda mhlangala, le nyashaza namhla iyaswabuluka
Iphapha nentlwayelelo yamathwathwa obomi.
Thina sigxotha isitshatshela sobuganyonyo.
Iingqungquthela zengqondo siziphangile namhla
asilambathi,
Kuba nakwizitywakadi
zamahlathi
silondoloza izichenene.
Soleka umsundulo sikhweza iintlambo. Kanti lona
olu nxano
Luncanyiswa
ziingqimba zomgquba.
Nakwiimbizo zezala
siphosa igolide.

Bathe besithi xathula,
sathi Kaschula;
Baye bathi rhuthula, sathi
thina Kaschula;
Bakuthi mathula, siye
sathi Kaschula;
Nabathe Rhashula, baxelelwe bathula,
Sithe, makwedini, lo ke
yena sithi nguKaschula!

Asizidwangube zodwa
ezibonisela iimpindo zeTsitsa;
Nenjojeli yakwaKaschula
ithe ndimde ngako konke;
Ingcotshile yade
yankatshela neenqanawe
Kuba naphesha kweelwandle le ngqavula yolwazi iyaqokela.
Wofika idimbaza kwizisele zesiXhosa, bahlahlambe abomthomnyama,
Bathi, ‘Kwathi, kwathi,
yini na le?’
Iphendule iminyanya ithi le nto umoya inentumekelelo.
Namhlanje nali elamanyange, sebe-sebe, ngale kwemida
yolusu.
Lodenda kuba kutheni na, kuba lona alizulelwa
nazizisebezo zaseBhakubha?
Namhlanje sixakathula namaqhathula akhotha
exathula ethe chu noKaschula.
Ndimi!
– nguSimthembile Matyobeni

AH! SOMALWIMI!

Hlabelani bafazi nenz’ intsholo
Zintombi bizan’ amayeyeye
Niqambe nigraye nisile
Nisenz’ umtyangampo nixel’ abafo
Ngaye lo Somalwimi

Tsiyoooooooo!
Wavel’ eKapa singamazi
Ethwele ethwalisiwe
Ephekiwe phantsi kweso sandla
SikaPeter Mtuze ethuthuzele
Emthuthuzela ecaleni kooYaliManisi

Iimbongi zikaNtu zazal’ imbongi
Zayizala yabonga ngokwahlukileyo
Izibongo zayo zondel’ ezingqondweni
Kwimizi ngemizi iyabongwa
Kwimizi ngemizi kuthethwa ngayo
Le mbongi inguSomalwimi

Ah! Somalwimi!
Uzibhunyul’ izibhunqe zobuthi
Zokucalulana ngobuhlanga
Sathi sijong’ uMlungu
Suka sabon’ indoda yomXhosa
Exhosa ixhosile
Ah! Somalwimi!

Ndiyekeni mna ndingabongi
Ndinqandeni mna ndingathethi
Kuba ukuthetha kwam
Ndithetha kucamngc’ abanye
Koko ndikuthethileyo
Siya kunqaka Somalwimi
Sithi nenenene ibhekile uyayazi
‘Ba bekungenjalo ngele wasixelelayo

Ah! Somalwimi!
Kwedin’ iintonga ziqoqiwe
Amadalo aloliwe
Sikunik’ izandla siyakuntyontyela
Nyantsula Somalwimi sikunik’ iintsikelelo
Siyakuqhwabela sikunik’ ihlombe
Sivumele sithi iilwimi unazo
Kodwa ulwimi akunalo
Buza kwabakwaziyo
Ah! Somalwimi!
– nguDumisa Julius Mpupha

UMHLA WOKUQALA KWEYOKWINDLA

Ngomhla wokuqala k
weyoKwindla kuloo minyaka
Umhlaba wazuz’ isipho,
isipho esiyindodana
Wathi uzuz’ usana kant’
uzuz’ intlahla
Wazuz’ intlahla kuba kwazalwa uKaschula
Bathi unguKaschula kanti unguMagrazalula!

Bafazi ndiboleken’ iindlebe naz’ iindab’ ezimnandi
Madoda bazan’
iindlebe nirhabule nal’ ulwazi
Mlisela nomthinjana sondelani ningathi beningazi

Ngalo mhla kwazalwa
iNjingalwazi
Ndithetha ngeNjingalwazi ejing’ ulwazi
INjingalwaz’
ebalasele ngokuphand’ ulwazi

INjingalwazi engagcisiyo
ngolwazi
INjingalwazi
ephila ngokusasaz’ ulwazi
Ah! Mhlekazi! Ndiyakhahlela ndikothulela umnqwazi!
– nguHleze Kunju

UWARHASHULA
Mzukulwana kaKaschula
Ngenene unguwaRhashula
Igqirha eliyindoda likaDingezweni
Elabonwa ngoka Mntuze
Igqirha lamagqirha elakuthwesayo
Ndiyarhanela wakuthwesa ngesilo
Ekulungiselela umsebenzi onzima
Wokuxhonkxa iinkcubabuchopho
Oogqirha beelwimi zamaAfrika
Iingcaphephe zolwimi noncwadi

Ntlambi yeentlambo zamaQwathi
Mxhonkxi wemithi yamahlathi aseGoso
Kanti ngaloo ndlela uncanca isiXhosa
Kanti ngaloo ndlela uphantsi koqeqesho
Oluya kukwenza ulutho mhla ngowayekela.

Mnyamezeli njengookhokho bakho
Awath’ amaNgesi abenz’ igwiba lawo
Kanti abazuzis’ ithamsanqa
Badal’ ubudlelwane
Badal’ unxibelelwano
Belungiselela ikamva elingaziwa bani.

Sizukulwana samaJamani namaWendu
Basiphathela amaJalumane neentsimbi zeplastikhi
Ambatha amakhosikazi ahomba ngezidanga amadoda
Zaphuhlisana iinkcubeko
Bath’ abakhwetha bakho
Athi amagqirha owathwesileyo
Usibonisile ukuba ukwanda kwaliwa ngumthakathi
Usibonisile ukuba abantu ngabantu ngobuntu
Usibonisile ukuba umntu ngumntu ngabantu
Athontelana amaAfrika ezo kufunxa ulwazi.

Dadela enzulwini mzukulwana kaKaschula
Gqwetha ude uye kuma ngeJaji
Kakade wayinikwa intonga kwaSesile

Ngesigama, ngolwimi ngenkcubeko
Hlanganisa imihlambi eyalanayo
KwiSebe leeLwimi
kwiYunivesithi ngokubanzi
Kwisixeko esiyingxaki
Isixeko seengcwele
Esiphantsi kweNtaba yezono

Isiphiwo sakho singummangaliso
Sokudal’ ulwazi
Sokudal’ uxolo
Uwatyhutyhile amaziko emfundo
Ah! Daluxolo! Ah! Dalulwazi!
Sivuyisana nawe ngomhla wakho wokuzalwa
UQamata akusikelele akuthamsanqelise.
– nguGodfrey Mona

UMHLA WOKUQALA
KWEYOKWINDLA
Ngomhla wokuqala k
weyoKwindla kuloo minyaka
Umhlaba wazuz’ isipho,
isipho esiyindodana
Wathi uzuz’ usana kant’
uzuz’ intlahla
Wazuz’ intlahla kuba kwazalwa uKaschula
Bathi unguKaschula kanti unguMagrazalula!

Bafazi ndiboleken’ iindlebe naz’ iindab’ ezimnandi
Madoda bazan’
iindlebe nirhabule nal’ ulwazi
Mlisela nomthinjana sondelani ningathi beningazi

Ngalo mhla kwazalwa
iNjingalwazi
Ndithetha ngeNjingalwazi ejing’ ulwazi
INjingalwaz’
ebalasele ngokuphand’ ulwazi

INjingalwazi engagcisiyo
ngolwazi
INjingalwazi
ephila ngokusasaz’ ulwazi
Ah! Mhlekazi! Ndiyakhahlela ndikothulela umnqwazi!
– nguHleze Kunju