“Isithandwa / Home is Home” by Mukoma Wa Ngugi

Jalada

11 years ago

Isithandwa
Yiza ngapha isithandwa,
namhlanje kushushu.
Yiza isithandwa wam,
Ngomso kuyazipholile,
Yiza isithandwa, ndifuna
kukubilisa buliso ncinci.
Ngomso kuyabandile nathi?
Isithandwa, uthetha ntoni?
Unantoni? Masithetha!
Ekhaya ni ekhaya. Ndiza
kuphinda, ekhaya ni ekhaya.
Umamela kakhulu.Kuleyethi
isithandwa. Sikhona.
Masiya ekhaya.

Home is Home
My dear,
Walk to me
It is hot today
but tomorrow will be cool
My dear, come to me,
I want to ask you a question,
What will tomorrow bring?
What do you say?
What is it with you?
Speak!
Home is home
Repeat after me
Home is home
Listen well,
We are here,
and it is late now
Let us go home.

Written in isiXhosa, translated and read by Mukoma Wa Ngugi

https://jaladaafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/isithandwa.mp3?_=1

Mukoma Wa Ngugi (@MukomaWaNgugi) is an Assistant Professor of English at Cornell University and the author Mrs. Shaw, Black Star Nairobi, Nairobi Heat and the forthcoming poetry collection, Logotherapy.

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