Ngoni praises for M'mbelwa (Rangeley papers from Society of Malawi)

Below are Ngoni language praises for Inkosi yaMakhosi M'mbelwa of Mzimba district in Malawi. As any student of isiZulu would quickly notice, there are here and there some words which appear to be of Tumbuka language origin interspersed in a few sentences. However the very existence of Ngoni language praises, almost a hundred years after the Ngoni left Zululand, is very commendable and incredible indeed. Thanks to the Society of Malawi for preserving this piece of history as collected by Late WHJ Rangeley,a former colonial Administrator in Nyasaland (present day Malawi).

Bayede Nkosi -Ngu Mbelwa ka Zwangendaba- Uzwangendaba ka Hlachwayo- uHlachwayo ka Magangata- uMagangata ka Magalela- Hamba sihambe siye eswazini - Lapha kwafa abakhulupheleyo - Wake wabona indaba ibebezelwa nomntwana waswebeleni.- Ingane abadala zibakohliwe - Wafika wanyangaya wafulelwa no uchani wezindhlela Bathi umungoni wakithi woima kuhle ulungisa abangoni bamandulo - Umuchiza owumunyama wadhla inkomo zikangani - Wabeke iso njengo nkomo - Hau Hau Zinduna - Makosanyane at gijimani siyokucala zindaba - kepha yena agijima apange Hawini -Uchani wontenteya ungachi - uyakucha ku Injenjeni - Inkosi iphuma kwao Ekwendeni - Ukwenda kumunyuma - Ulugcagca lungasuti kusuti umoya - Ukwenda kupumi Elangeni - Ilanga lika ngcingca - Inkosi ingumachwila - Yachwila zinkomo zakuwo - Kadi zimuka na mabuto aseMtenguleni - Umuzi wakwao kwa Ntuto - Ongu ka Soseya wakwa Ndwadwa - BAYETE NKOSI (copyright Society of Malawi. All rights reserved)

Compare the above praise recorded probably in the 1940s with the video clip below of a modern day praises to Inkosi yamakosi M'mbelwa in 2008. Apologies for the low volume which makes it difficult to follow the praises. This was due to the microphone not being near enough.