NGONI LANGUAGE PRAISES FOR INKOSI YA MAKHOSI MPEZENI IV

Ngoni language is a dialect of the Zulu language.

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TRADITIONAL NGONI SONGS

Below is a video extract of Ingoma dancers from Mzimba district in Malawi dancing Ingoma at the foot of Hora Mountain in Mzimba.

A ngoni song common to both Ntcheu Ngoni and Mzimba Ngoni of Malawi

As part of my effort to collect traditional Ngoni songs I managed to get the following extracts from Enock Timpunza Mvula's article entitled 'Strategy in Ngoni Women's Poetry':-

'The community knows the bad consequences of jealousy in families. It is common to hear songs which advise women against being jealous. Such songs are usually performed during wedding ceremonies. Margaret Read gives three songs which she collected from the area in the 1930s. All three songs warn the bride against becoming jealous when living with co-wives.Two of the songs were sung by the Ngoni of northern Malawi while the third one,a version of which I also recorded, was performed by the Gomani Maseko Ngoni:

Hoyayiyoyo indoda ilalepi?

Ngiyamfuna

He ngiyamfuna ngezinyawa ho

Ngiyamfuna

Hoyayiyoyeha

Indoda Hale endlini

Aye kwamayimkhuyu.

Haumkhuyu

Indoda Hale endlini

Woe is me! Where has my husband been sleeping?

I am looking for him.

I am looking for him with my feet,ho.

(Iam looking for him)

Woe is me!

(My husband is sleeping in the house)

He went to the big mother

Alas to the big one

My husband has been sleeping in the house

(Read, 1937: 6-7)

The version I collected of this song was performed by Mayi Erica Homo, Melesiyana Chimpepa, Nasilo Lihako, Maileti Zakulanda, Abigail Kalilombe, Hanna Chigwammowa, Loliya Jingapansi, and Verities Chigwammowa at Lizulu Inkosini, January 1986

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Mzimba Ngoni Impi at Hora Mountain in 1958

Ngoni Impi at the foot of Hora Mountain in Mzimba district in Malawi. What a beautiful picture!

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Traditional Christian Songs In Original Ngoni Language

I intend to post all the songs that I have been able to collect. So this is a work in progress page that will continue to be updated. Most if not all the songs that I'll post were composed in the late 18th century when most of Ngoni spoke Ngoni language (a Nguni language, a family of languages that include isiZulu, siSwati, isiXhosa etc ).

Most if not all songs to be posted are from the Izingoma zobukhristu hymn of the Livingstonia Synod of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP). I would like to thank Dr. Lupenga Mphande for pointing out to me among other things that the song book comprises apart from Ngoni, Zulu and Xhosa hymns as well. I hope that those involved in the promotion of Ngoni culture could drink from the well of wisdom of such scholars as Dr. Lupenga Mphande.


Baba Wethu by Jonathan Chirwa


1 Baba wethu sisondela kuwena,
Mawuhlangane nathi, Nkosi yethu.

2 Nazo zinhliziyo zethu ngezakho,
Uzihlole zona, uzihlanzise.

3 Nawo, amehlo ethu angawakho,
Makabone izinto zakho zodwa.

4 Nazo izandhla zethu zingezakho,
Mazibambe umusebenzi wakho.

5 Nazo izinyawo zethu ngezakho,
Mazigijime endhleleni yakho.

6 Nayo imilomo yethu ngeyakho,
Mayitshel'indaba yakho kubantu.

7 Nazo, izindhlebe zethu ngezakho,
Maziqaphele kuwe, Nkosi yethu.

PHENDUKANI NANGU YESU



1. Phendukani bobaba nangu Yesu,

Umemeza ilizwe, nanguke nanguke
Nangu Yesu umemeza ilizwe

2. Phendukani bomama nangu Yesu.

3. Makhosi phendukani nangu Yesu.

4. Zinduna phendukani nangu Yesu.

5. Majaha phendukani nangu Yesu.

6. Zinthombi phendukani nangu Yesu.

7. Tshokona muyayala nangu Yesu.

Izingoma zobukhristu no. 21
by Mawelera Tembo

1. Israel buyela, buyela ku Yehova.
Kulumqango wakho.

2. Ungadangali-ke.
3. Nange ‘zono zakho.
4. Nokuba ziningi.
5. Yena wozihlanza.
6. Yena umemeza.
7. Tshiyani okubi.
8. Lina Bantu bakhe.
9. Nimuthande yena.
10. Ngokuba ngumsizi.
11. Msizi wabo bonke.
12. Buyela, buyela.
13. Olahlekileyo.
14. Ukuleke kuye.
15. Yena uyakuzwa.
16. Buyani buyani, buyani ku Yehova.
Kulumqango wethu

Izingoma zobukhristu no.18

1. Ibandhla likaJesu limani hau limani,
Silimel'ukupila phakade kutalani;
Akunani abantu bohleka bohleka badinwe,
Sebenzani bandhla lika Jesu
Sofumama umvuzo ezulwini kutalani.

2. Umhlaba kaunawo umvuzo hau limani,
Oko mhlaba konke ku yapela kutalani;
Ubuhle bomhlaba uyaguga,
Upele ube sengamanyala kutalani,
UJesu wafela tina bantu;
Ukusihlenga ezonweni.

3. Yazini kuti tina sahlengwa hau limani,
Sihlengwa nje sobesingayazi kutalani,
UJesu nguye Msindisi wetu,
Wasindisa sonke ekufeni kutalani;
Yena ngi mbokoto esindwayo
Yipatwa ngesikutalikazi kutalani.

4. Siqinise siqine sithi ngco hau limani,
Siqinise ukulwa kwethu kutalani;
Sogiya sohuba ezulwini,
Somekeza sojabula tina kutalani
Sohuba kuzwakale intokozo,
Kojabiswa abasihlekayo kutalani.

5. Masikutale singadinwi hau limani,
Silime kuze kufike Inkosi kutalani;
Mhla Inkosi iyakubuya kodika izulu no mhlaba,
Bahlabelele abakolwa yo,
Kanye na bangcwele ezulwini kutalani
Lizwe Lonke


1.Lizwe Lonke vumani, nge njabulo ku Mlungu
HLabelani, ngokubonga iGama.

2.Yitshoni kuYehova, kuti uyesabeka,
Ekwenzeni, ngo buningi ba mandhla.

3.Hambanini nibone, imisebenzi yakhe,
Yesabeka, ekwenzeni ku bantu.

4.Uyabusa ngamandhla, kuze kube pakade.
Iso lakhe, liyalinda izizwe.

5.Yizani nizwe nonke, lina enimsabayo,
Hlabelani, nikotame, ngotabo.

6.Masihlokome sonke, sikotame ku Mlungu,
Aleluya! Aleluya! Somandhla.

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WHAT WAS THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE OF THE NGONI?

While there are some disagreements on what the original Ngoni language sounded like, it is quite clear to any student of Ngoni History that that language was certainly a Nguni language. Some examples of Nguni languages are Zulu, Xhosa, Swati and Ndebele. These language are simply dialects and a speaker of one of them can easily converse with a speaker from the other without needing a translator. It is like Mang'anja from Chichewa.

Some scholars have of late promoted the idea that the Ngoni language spoken in some areas of Mzimba is more similar to Siswati than Zulu. This is contrary to the stand taken by the early Scottish missionaries who said the language was most certainly Zulu.

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The History Of Mzimba District (Home of the Northern Ngoni of Malawi)

Below is a narrative of the history of Mzimba district in Malawi as narrated by Reverend Dr Overtoun Mazunda at the Centenary Celebrations of the establishment of Mzimba district in 2008 at the foot of Hora Mountain in Mzimba district in Malawi.

Picture of Inkosi Chimtunga who reigned from 1896 to 1915

This is probably one of the few pictures of Inkosi yamakhosi Chimtunga called Chimtunga (knobkerry) by his Chewa subjects. From left to right seated are Chimtunga, then Mtwalo and Chindi. As pointed out in the history narrative above, Inkosi Chimtunga was deposed by the British in 1915 for resisting efforts by the British to recruit Mzimba people to join the British Army during the First World War. Bayethe Amakhosi.

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INSTALLATION OF INKOSI YAMAKHOSI GOMANI IV AND THE LOSS OF NGONI LANGUAGE

The History of the Maseko Ngoni and the Gomani dynasty as narrated by Inkosi Kwataine one of the Indunas of Inkosi yamakosi Gomani in Chichewa or chinyanja, the adopted language of the Maseko Ngoni of Malawi and Mozambique.

President Bingu wa Mutharika of Malawi installing Alex Gomani as Inkosi yamakosi Gomani IV, paramount chief of the Maseko Ngoni of Malawi and Mozambique on 21st June 2009.

The colourful coronation of Inkosi yaMakhosi Gomani IV at Lizulu or Lizwe lamaZulu (Land of the Zulu) in Ntcheu should bring to the fore the need for the Government and all of us to work towards the preservation of our cultures and languages. Seeing Ngonis dressed in traditional regalia and singing traditional dances was quite a spectacle. It made one feel good to be a Ngoni.

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