Imvumi Yenyaniso: ibali lobomi bukaMiriam Makeba

Miriam's mother holds baby Miriam in her arms.

Kudala-dala, kwisixeko saseRhawutini, kwazalwa usana oluyintombazana. Olo sana yayi ndim. Umama wandithiya igama elingu Miriam. UMiriam Makeba.

Miriam's mother washes dishes. She carries her baby on her back.

Umama waye sisangoma, kodwa waye phinde aphangele nasemakhitshini eco-ca izindlu zabanye abantu. Kwaku nzima uba umama amkele umvuzoowoneleyo wokusondla sobabini ngoko ke waqalisa wathengisa umqombothi ezama indlela yokwandisa imali engenayo.

Miriam's mother feeds baby Miriam in a jail cell.

Kodwa imithetho yelizwe yayithi ukuthengiswa komqombothi akulungan-ga. Amapolisa amvalela umama ento-longweni iinyanga ezinde ezintandathu. Ndandineentsuku ezil-ishumi elinesibhozo kuphela ubudala ngelo xesha, ndingenokwazi ukuphila ngaphandle kwamama. Ngoko ke nan-gona ndandilusana nam ndasiwa ento-longweni.

Little Miriam vacuums the carpet. She sings as she goes.

Ndiseyintombazanana nje encinane ndandikuthanda ukucula. Ndathi xa ndikhula ndamana ndincedisa umama ekucoceni izindlu zabantu. Into eyayenza loo misebenzi ikhawuleze nentsuku zam ziqaqambe yayikukucula xa ndisebenza. Ukucula kwaku ndonwabisa ngendla engachazekiyo.

Young Miriam holds a microphone and sings in church.

Ndandicula nasecaweni yam, kwaye loo nto yayonwabisa nabanye abantu. Umculu unamandla okudibanisa abantu. Xa sicula kunye sasiziva sikhaliphile sinamandla.

Miriam sings on a professional stage. She is accompanied by a guitarist and a trumpet player.

Abantu babesithi ilizwi lam sisipho kwaye amaculo am akhethekile. Ndaqalisa ukucula nezinye iimvumi kwaye umculo wethu wamanyelwa lihlabathi lonke.

In the apartments in Sophiatown, there are many people dancing to music.

ISophiatown yayilikhaya lam, indawo yenkcubeko nomculo. ISophiatown, indawo apho abantu baseMzantsi Afrika babecula badanise kunye. Kodwa abantu ababephethe ilizwe ngeloxesha babengayithandi lendiba-no. Abo baphathi babengafuni abantu abamnyama nabamhlophe babe ngabahlobo.

Miriam wheels her luggage through the airport. She is crying.

Ndandisazi ukuba ayilunganga into yokuphatha abantu ngohlobo olwahl-ukeneyo ngenxa yebala lesikhumba sabo. Iinkolo zam khange ndizifihle ngoko ke abo bantu ababephethe ba-befuna ndihambe kwelilizwe. Ndathi xa ndandicuka eMelika, ndax-elelwa ukubana asobe ndiphinda ndivu-nyelwe ndibuyela ekhaya.

People from around the world read the newspaper.

Abantu kwihlabathi liphela beva ngebali lam. Amaculo am nebali lam anceda abaninzi bakwazi ukubona uba kwakungekho bulungisa ebantwini abamnyama eMzantsi Afrika. Ndagqiba kwelokubana noba kungathiwani na ndizakuqhubeka ndicule ngelizwe lam ndixele inyani ngalo.

Miriam sings for a king and queen.

Ihlabathi lawuthanda umculo wam, ndamkelwa ngamazwe amaninzi. Ndazuza amawonga ndaculela nabantu ababalulekileyo kwihlabathi lonke. Ubomi bam babuqaqambile kodwa yayikhona into eyayi ngandoneli-si. Ndandingavumelekanga ukucula kwilizwe lasekhaya kwaye nabantu apho babengakhululekanga.

Miriam dances with Nelson Mandela.

Yaze ke yafika imini entle xa uNelson Mandela wonyulwa waba nguMongameli waseMzantsi Afrika. Ilizwe laphathwa ngabantu abatsha yaze imithetho emidala yembandezelo yasuswa. Nam ndade ndakwazi ugugoduka intliziyo yam inethemba elitsha.

Miriam dances and sings on stage. People of all colours dance in the audience.

Emva koko ndakwazi ukucula kwilizwe elinenkululeko nobulungisa. Abantu bemibala eyahlukahlukeneyo bakwazi ukonwabela umculo ndawo-nye. Nam ke ndancedisa ukuze oku kwenzeke ngenxa yokuba ndandikha-liphile ndinamandla. Ndacula inyaniso kuwo onke amaculo am.

Imvumi Yenyaniso

Singing the Truth in Xhosa

Created by Jade Mathieson, Louwrisa Blaauw, Bianca de Jong

Translated into Xhosa by Oscar Masinyana

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