MOURNING SONGS AMONG THE NGONI

By Margaret Read
Sources: Songs of the Ngoni People

There are no real mourning songs of the Ngoni as singing and dancing were not part of the burial rites except at the death of a chief, though at subsequent funeral rites, some months later, it is customary to dance ingoma. The first one is sung to the igubu and is obviously a woman's mourning for her husband. The second I heard a woman sing at tl:e burial of her grandmother, and she said her grandmother had taught it to her. Many other igubu songs are in reality mourning songs.



(1) Ngoni :

Ngagolozela lashon' umyeni (repeat)
Bathi ngitshengis' isizib' esinengwenya
Ngizilahle
Ngingokwenzan' elele na ? (repeat)

English :

I have stared at the setting (death) of my husband.
They say, show me the pool that has a crocodile.
Let me throw myself away.
What can I do ? Alas !


(2) Ngoni :

Namuhla ngiyakuloya
Nang' umthakathi
Wena wafa njani ?
Muyanihleka, hlekani, ngingodingayo mina.
Ngithum' ubani ?
Mwena muyatuma 'bantwana
Ngindinda nginje ngithum' endlini
Niyandinda nelidolo ngihamb' ematsheni
Ngingedwa ngithath' izigodo ngingedwa
Ha ! niyakhalel' umtakomama.
Waza wangishiya phalubalala
Ngihlalela yena. Nizothini?

English :

Today I shall bewitch¹
Here is the witch.
You, how did you die ?
You are laughing at me, laugh. I am poor, I.
Whom can I send ?
You folk you are sending children.
I wander about by myself. I send to the house.
I wander about on my knees. I go on the stones²
Alone I carry branches, I alone.
Ha ! I am crying for your child, mother.
She has gone. She has left me in a lonely place.³
I stayed for her. What shall I say ?

FOOTNOTE

1.The grandmother actually died in alarming circumstances and there was talk of witchcraft for weeks afterwards.

2.The stones at the women's washing place.

3.That is reading ebaleni for phalubalala.