sounds of a cowhide drum

Sounds of a Cowhide Drum

••Imisindo Yesigubhu

Sesikhumba Senkomo

Mbuyiseni Oswald Mtshali

Foreword by Nadine Gordimer

“Not surprising that Mbuyiseni Oswald Mtshali, with his deep understanding of the human psyche, master of the ultimate in communication – undreamt of by Twitter – the poet’s power to reach from the conscious to the depths of the subconscious, has added to Sounds of a Cowhide Drum in this new edition the beat of poems written in his mother tongue, isiZulu.”

– From the Foreword by NadiNe Gordimer

Originally published in 1971 by Lionel Abrahams’ Renoster Books, Sounds of a Cowhide Drum quickly became a classic of South African literature. This new edition carries a simultaneous isiZulu translation of the poems, and a new foreword by Nadine Gordimer.

Dr Mbuyiseni Oswald Mtshali has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Southern Africa English Academy Poetry Award in 1971, the London Poetry International Award in 1973 and the South African Lifetime Achievement Literary

Award (SALA) from the Department of Arts and Culture in 2007. He taught at the New York City College of Technology and is founder and deputy headmaster of Pace Community College in Jabulani, Soweto. Having worked in the United States for many years, Mtshali returned to South Africa and now lives in Soweto.

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Sesikhumba Senkomo



COWHIDE_DRUM.indd 3 2012/08/28 9:28 AM

First published by Renoster Books, Johannesburg, 1971

This edition published by Jacana Media (Pty) Ltd in 2012

10 Orange StreetSunnysideAuckland Park 2092South Africa+2711 628 3200www.jacana.co.za

© Mbuyiseni Oswald Mtshali, 2012

All rights reserved.

ISBN 978-1-4314-0441-4 Also available as an e-bookd-PDF ISBN 978-1-4314-0442-1 ePUB ISBN 978-1-4314-0443-8 mobi file ISBN 978-1-4314-0512-1

Cover illustration by Wopko JensmaSet in Sabon 11/13ptJob No. 001846

See a complete list of Jacana titles at www.jacana.co.za


v

This book is dedicated to my late parents, especially to my late mother who wanted me to be "something in life."

I also wish to give thanks for the support of my loving family Dinah,Celiwe, Michelle, Michael, Zanefa, Chan, Steve and

Tammy and precious grandkids Ariana, Julien, Sophia, Isabella and Zack-Zakhele. I also appreciate support from

comrade-in-letters and friend Nadine Gordimer and dedicated artist and peace advocate, Wopko Jensma, who chose to

use the paint brush to promote peace than a gun to enforce apartheid. His woodcut image for the cover was done forty

years ago before Nelson Mandela exhorted the nation, "It's in your hands! Reach out and touch somebody's hand!"


vii

Contents

Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xiii

The shepherd and his flock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Umalusi nomhlambi wakhe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

I will tell it to my doctor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Ngiyokutshela inyanga yami . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Boy on a swing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Umfana osemjikelweni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Portrait of a loaf of bread . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Umfanekiso womgxusha wesinkwa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

The washerwoman’s prayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Umthandazo kamama wewashingi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

A snowfall on Mount Frere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Umkhithiko phezu kweNtaba yaseFeleya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Men in chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Amadoda Asemaketangeni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Inside my Zulu hut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Phakathi kweqhugwana lami lakwaZulu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Reapers in the mieliefield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Abavuni ensimini yombila . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

A newly-born calf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Inkonyane esanda kuzalwa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

The birth of Shaka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Ukuzalwa kukaShaka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

A roadgang’s cry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Isiqubulo sabagqomi bomgwaqo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

The rain in the veld . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Imvula eseqeleni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33


viii

Walls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Izindonga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Pigeons at the Oppenheimer Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Amajuba ePakini kaOppenheimer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

A voice from the dead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Izwi elivela kwabafileyo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

The birth of our daughter 28.2.69 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Ukuzalwa kwendodakazi yethu 28.2.69 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

A brazier in the street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Imbawula esesitiladini . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

An old man in church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Indoda endala esesontweni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

The day we buried our bully . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Ilanga esangcwaba ngalo isichwensi sethu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

A lost coin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Inkence elahlekile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Sunset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Ukushona kwelanga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

This kid is no goat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Lelizinyane alisiyo imbuzi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

The poet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Imbongi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Riding on the rainbow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Ngigibele uthingo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

High and low . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Phezulu naphansi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Always a suspect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Umsolwa njalo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Keep off the grass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Ungasondeli otshanini . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

The chauffeur shuffle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Ubushudushudu bukamshayeli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71


ix

At the seashore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Ogwini lolwandle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

A drunk in the street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Isidakwa esitaladini . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

The moulting country bird . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Inyoni ebuzayo yasemaphandleni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

The song of sunrise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Iculo lokuphuma kwelanga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

The miner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Umvukuzi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Portrait of an old pair of shoes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Umfanekiso wezicathulo ezimbili . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Two chimney sweepers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Abashaneli ababili bakashimula . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

The face of hunger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Ubuso bendlala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

If you should know me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Ukuze wazi mina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Intake night – Baragwanath Hospital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Ubusuku bokwemukelwa esiBhedlela sasebhalakwana . . 95

On drowning sorrow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Ukugwilisa usizi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Nightfall in Soweto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

Ukuhlwa kobusuku eSoweto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

At heaven’s door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Emnyago wasezulwini . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

The coffin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Ibhokisi lomngcwabo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

The watchman’s blues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

Umzwangedwa kanogada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

The detribalised . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Asebelahle phansi ubuhlanga babo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111


x

Going to work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

Ngiya emsebenzini . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

My metamorphosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

Ukwebuza Kwami . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

White City Jabavu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

White City Jabavu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

A ballad of Eloff Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

Isihayo sase-Sitaladini – iLofu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

The master of the house . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

Umnumzane wendlu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

Just a passer-by . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

Umdluli nje kuphela . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

Handcuffs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

Ozankosi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

At a snail’s pace, please! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

Njengokutotoba komnenke, sicela ngesihle! . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

My shadow, Courage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

Isithunzi sami uSibindi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

An abandoned bundle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

Umgodlana ontshingiwe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

Death – The Tart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

Ukufa-ngunondindwa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147

Ride upon the death chariot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

Gibela phezu kwekalishikazi lokufa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

Thoughts before sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

Imicabango ngaphambi kokulala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

Dirge for my passing years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156

Inkondle-sililo yokudlula kweminyaka yami . . . . . . . . . . . 157

Amagoduka at Glencoe Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162

Amagoduka esiteshini saseGilonko . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

Sounds of a Cowhide Drum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170

Imisindo yesigubhu sesikhumba senkomo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171


1

••


2

The shepherd and his flock

The rays of the sunare like a pair of scissorscutting the blanketof the dawn from the sky.

The young shepherd drives the master’s sheep from the paddock into the veld.

His bare feet kick the grass and spill the dew like diamonds on a cutter’s table A lamb strays away enchanted by the marvels of summer morningThe ram rebukes the ewe “Woman! Woman!Watch over the child!”

The sun wings up on flaming petal of a sunflower.


3

Umalusi nomhlambi wakhe

Imisebe yelanga ifana nembaxambili yesikelo sisika isibhalala sentathakusa esibhakabhakeni.

Umalusi omncaneuqhuba izimvu zikabasi wakhe ezikhipha esibayeni ezelukela eqeleni.

Izinyawo zakhe ezingacathulelwanga zikhahlela utshani zichithe amazolo njengamadayimani esetafuleni lomsiki.Izinyane lidukela kude likhangwe ubukhazikhazibasekuseni behlobo; Inqama ithethisa imvukasi“Mfazi! Mfazi!Qaphela ingane!” Ilanga lishaya amaphiko ezihlandla ezivutha salangabi likajongilanga.


4

He perches on an ant heap to play the reed flute and to salutethe farmer’s children going to school and dreamily asks, “O! Wise Sun above, Will you ever guide me into school?”


5

Uqhwakela esidulini sezintuthwane ukushaya igekle lomhlanga, ashayele indesheni izingane zomlimi ziya esikoleni abuze sengathi uyaphupha,“Maye! Wesihlakaniphi seLanga laphezulu,Uyongiqhuba nini nami ngiye esikolweni na?”


6

I will tell it to my doctor†

I will tell it to allto the doctor as I sit on a mat of woven grass and beads;and dry monkey bones shrink my head and rattle the eardrums.

I will listen to his voice chanting incantations like a priest giving a blessing to a soul seeking solace.

I will ask him to boil the pot of herbs, and brew a Love potionas strong as a mule’s milk.

I will give it to the world whose eyes are myopic with misery; and this world wink a smile,and dandle me like a devoted mother,and smother me with affection I have never known before.

† A doctor is a healer, a witch is a killer. Witchdoctor is a moronic colonial oxymoron


7

Ngiyokutshela inyanga yami

Ngiyokutshela konke lokhu inyanga yami, ngihlezi phezu kwecansi elelukwe ngencema laphothwa ngobuhlalu; namathambo omile enkawu ashwabanisa ikhanda lami akhehlezele ezigujini zendlebe.

Ngiyolalela izwi layolihaya amahubo avusa amadlingozi njengomfundisi enikela izibusiso emphefumulweni okhanukela induduzo.

Ngiyoyicela ingibilisele ibhodwe lamakhambi, ingithakele iNtando enomfutho ofana nobisi lomnyuzi.

Ngiyolunikeza umhlaba onamehlo afifiyela ngomunyu; bese lomhlaba ungicishelaiso elisasimoyizeloungigone njengomama onesisa,ungenze isimungumungwana ngesiheengingakaze ngisazi nakadeni.


8

Boy on a swing

Slowly he moves to and fro, to and fro,then faster and faster he swishes up and down.

His blue shirt billows in the breeze like a tattered kite.

The world whirls by: east becomes west north turns to south;The four cardinal points meet in his head.

Mother! Where did I come from? When will I wear long trousers?Why was my father jailed?Will he come back?


9

Umfana osemjikelweni

Kancane Kancane uyanyakaza phambili emuva, phambili emuva bese uyasheshisa masinya, masinya ngokushwiza uya phezulu, naphansi. Ihembe lakhe eliluhlaza sasibhakabhaka libhakuza emoyeni weshowe njegekayiti elinimanikiniki.

Umhlaba uyanyonteka sasizunguluzwane Impumalanga iba yiNtshonalanga iNyakatho iphenduka iNingizimu; izikanekiso ezine zomhlaba zihlangana phakathi ekhanda lakhe. We! Mama! Ngavelaphi na? Ngiyoligqoka nini ibhulukwa elide na? Waboshelwani ubaba wami na? Uyobuya na?




Sesikhumba Senkomo



“Not surprising that Mbuyiseni Oswald Mtshali, with his deep understanding of the human psyche, master of the ultimate in communication – undreamt of by Twitter – the poet’s power to reach from the conscious to the depths of the subconscious, has added to Sounds of a Cowhide Drum in this new edition the beat of poems written in his mother tongue, isiZulu.”

– From the Foreword by NadiNe Gordimer

Originally published in 1971 by Lionel Abrahams’ Renoster Books, Sounds of a Cowhide Drum quickly became a classic of South African literature. This new edition carries a simultaneous isiZulu translation of the poems, and a new foreword by Nadine Gordimer.

Dr Mbuyiseni Oswald Mtshali has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Southern Africa English Academy Poetry Award in 1971, the London Poetry International Award in 1973 and the South African Lifetime Achievement Literary

Award (SALA) from the Department of Arts and Culture in 2007. He taught at the New York City College of Technology and is founder and deputy headmaster of Pace Community College in Jabulani, Soweto. Having worked in the United States for many years, Mtshali returned to South Africa and now lives in Soweto.

9 781431 404414

ISB

N 9

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sounds of a cowhide drum

Documents

new edition

dr mbuyiseni oswald

nadine gordimeroriginally

new foreword

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friend nadine gordimer

nadine gordimernot surprising