Inkanankana
Impilo ehalelwa izinkumbi,
umkhosi ophithilizelisa abasha nezaguga,
umkhosi odedelwa ulaxazwe njengomlilo,
abawuphethe bayawuphihliza bebaleka,
abawufunayo baphithizela njengamatsheketshe,
umkhosi ozingelwa njengenyamazane.
Umkhosi omtoti ngamehlo,
abawunambithayo bewuphimisa njengolwandle,
abawubukayo bewulambele okwendodo,
umkhosi owakhiwa eningini,
kodwa othwala ngothando.
Umhlangano wezimpunzi ezimbili,
Unoxhaka obambela ukubulala,
Ungozi engapheli yasesiphongo,
Usuthombe siqoshwe ngensimbi.
Umkhosi oveza izithelo,
Izwe lakonhliziyo ngiyise,
Unkundla engavivinyelwa,
Umfundo eqheliselwa ingakafundelwa,
Unyango ngena wedwa,
Umvaleli wezimpelesi ngaphandle,
Ufindo eliqhaqhwa enkantolo liboshelwa ngaphandle,
Ufindo liboshwa nempelesi liqhaqhwa nabameli
Translation by Siphiwe ka Ngwenya
Problem
Life yearned for by multitudes
A ceremony of the first fruits
That causes both young and old
To walk up and down
A ceremony looked down upon
Thrown away like fire
Those who carry fire destroy and run away
Those who want fire walk up and down like red ants
A ceremony hunted like wild animals
A ceremony of the first fruits attractive to the eyes
They taste and spit out like the sea
They look at and hunger for it like a medal
A ceremony harvested from multitudes
But who bare love
A gathering of two bulls
A trap that kills
A wound from the forehead that never heals
A sculpture crafted with steel
A ceremony that produces fruits
Land of the lost
Battlefield with no training
Education set aside before learning
The door where you enter alone
The door that locks bridesmaids outside
A knot unfastened in court and imprisoned outside
A knot imprisoned with a bridesmaid
Set free by the lawyers
Isizukulwane
Ondlebe kazizwa abaphikelela kwagoqanyawo
Osehla senyuka njengamatsheketshe
Bephithizelisa okwezibonkolo
Beklama beqatha angalinywayo
Bephihliza ezekhethelo lempilo
Bekhalakathela njengezimvu emgedeni
Bephuphutheka njengezimvukuzane emhlabathini
Bengqengqemuka ngohleko lokufa
Begigitheka ngisho seligeqwa
Isizukulwane sasendle
Onontanda kubukwa
Abaphilisa okwezitibane
Abagadlwa ngenduku eyodwa bephindelelwa
Begqimuzwa bedekezwa ezingeqiwa ntwala
Isizukulwane sokweduka
Onkani yakhe omphikeleli
Abanhlanhlatha ngisho beyibona inyathuko
Bephulukundlela okwesikhukhula sikadomoyi
Bephoqoza amafa abo okwesiphepho
Begugula izimpilo zabo okwezikhukhula
Isizukulwane sokulahlwa
Onokuzula abajigimisa okonogwaja
Beqansa izintaba ezingaqanswa
Bephila eyokugigitheka neyokuzilawuya
Beyizimpunzi zasendle uqobo
Maluju azibuye emasisweni