Amatshivela - John Solilo, 1933

Amatshivela mathathu elizweni;

NgoAsindim! Andazi! Andikhathali!

Kwimizi ngemizi ayabonwa;

Kwimizi ngemizi ayaziwa.

Ayabhoxa eson' iinto zabantu,

Ayazona ezigqib' iinto zethu,

Ayazon' izimilo ezingcwele,

Ayayon' imizimba emihle.

Ziingxaki, zonakalisa ilizwe,

Ngamatshivel' angenakungandwa;

Ngabandlela isinga ekufeni,

Bayasenga, betsala amashwa.

Walweni niwagxothe, makhaba.

Xa babiza awab' amagama,

Bayavuma, besenza iingoma -

Asindim! Andazi! Andikhathali!

Esona sono sikhulu,

Kweyab' ivangeli enkulu,

Kukubhaqwa, kubonwe, kubanjwe;

Bagale ukuvuma ityala:

"Ndoniwe, ndalahlekiswa ngumntu,

Ndiyazisola ngokulandela umntu."

________

Shirkers - John Solilo, (1933)

Three shirkers inhabit this world:

I's-not-me! I-don't-know! I-don't-care!

They're found in countless homesteads;

they're known to countless homesteads.

They scatter and damage people's property,

they spoil and smash our possessions,

they spoil holy disposition,

they spoil shapely bodies.

They're problems destroying the country,

they're shirkers that can't be deterred;

their paths lead directly to death,

they milk, invite misfortune.

Youngsters, confront and expel them.

When invoking their praise names they sing in chorus:

It's-not-me! I-don't-know! I-don't-care!

The mightiest sin in their mighty gospel

is red-handed arrest,

to be caught in the act;

only then will they confess:

"I was swayed and misled by someone else,

'm sorry I followed somebody else."