Nkosi Sikelel 'iAfrica

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Nkosi Sikelel 'iAfrika (German: "God, bless Africa") is the title of a song that is widespread in South Africa as a political hymn and is partly part of today's national anthem of South Africa . The national anthems of Tanzania and Zambia are also based on this song.

history

The text of the first stanza of Nkosi Sikelel 'iAfrika was written on isiXhosa in 1897 by Enoch Sontonga , a teacher at a Methodist mission school in Johannesburg . Initially, the song served as a hymn . It was first performed publicly in 1899 at the ordination of a pastor. From 1901 the song became known through the choir of the Ohlange Institute founded by John Langalibalele Dube . In 1912 it was sung at the end of the inaugural assembly of the South African Native National Congress , later the African National Congress (ANC). The song was first recorded in London in 1923 , with Sylvia Colenso, daughter of Bishop John William Colenso , at the piano. In 1925 the song was accepted by the ANC as its anthem. The poet Samuel Mqhayi added seven more stanzas in isiXhosa in 1927. The song then appeared in several song books. Moses Mphahlele published a version in Sesotho in 1942 .

The song was increasingly sung at political gatherings. It became a sign of resistance to apartheid . After the end of apartheid, Nkosi Sikelel 'iAfrika was officially recognized as the national anthem of South Africa in 1994, but the only officially recognized anthem The Stem van Suid-Afrika remained valid in parallel. In 1997 South Africa received a new national anthem, which is composed of parts of both hymns. It contains the first and fourth stanzas of the original: two lines in isiXhosa, two lines in isiZulu and four lines in Sesotho.

The song became an anthem in other countries in southern Africa . The national anthem of Tanzania, Mungu ibariki Afrika , follows the model in melody and largely also in terms of text. It was already used in 1961 in what was then Tanganyika . From 1964 to 1973 the melody and text were also used as the national anthem of Zambia, until the text was replaced by a national version - but the anthem is still sung to the same melody. In 1980 Zimbabwe also introduced the national anthem 'Ishe Komborera Africa' as an adaptation of Nkosi Sikelel 'iAfrika , which, however, was replaced by another anthem in 1994. The song was also used as an anthem in several homelands . After all, Namibia , which had just become independent, also used the song as an anthem for a short time in 1990.

description

The song is sung borne in the style of a chant . It is written in a major key; the melodies vary somewhat from verse to verse - also because of their different lengths. The first part of the third stanza is performed as a call and response .

The first two stanzas are sung on isiXhosa and isiZulu - alternately after every two lines. The third stanza is partly isiXhosa, partly isiZulu, the two following stanzas Sesotho. At the end there is another short isiXhosa stanza.

There are variants of the text. For example, the last stanza is occasionally left out. There is no standardized English or German translation of Nkosi Sikelel 'iAfrika .

Text of the multilingual version

Nkosi Sikelel 'iAfrica
Maluphakamis' uphondo lwayo
Yizwa imithandazo yethu
Nkosi sikelela, thina lusapho lwayo
Nkosi Sikelel 'iAfrica
Maluphakamis' uphondo lwayo
Yizwa imithandazo yethu
Nkosi sikelela, thina lusapho lwayo
Woza Moya (woza, woza)
Woza Moya (Woza, woza)
Woza Moya, oyingcwele
Nkosi sikelela
Thina lusapho lwayo
Morena boloka Sechaba sa heso
O fedise dintwa le matswenyeho
Morena boloka Sechaba sa heso
O fedise dintwa le matswenyeho
O se boloke, o se boloke
O se boloke, o se boloke
Sechaba sa heso, Sechaba sa Africa
O se boloke Morena, o se boloke
O se boloke Sechaba, o se boloke
Sechaba sa heso, se Sechaba sa Africa
Ma kube njalo! Ma kube njalo!
Kude kube ngunaphakade
Kude kube ngunaphakade!

Approximate translation of the first stanza into German

Lord bless Africa.
May his spirit [literally 'horn'] arise.
Hear our prayers too.
Lord bless us his [Africa's] family.

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. a b c d e Portrait of the composer Enoch Mankayi Sontonga at sahistory.org.za (English), accessed on May 23, 2017
  2. Tanzania's national anthem at nationalanthems.info, accessed on May 23, 2017
  3. Zambia's national anthem at nationalanthems.info, accessed on May 23, 2017
  4. ^ National anthem of Zimbabwe until 1994 at nationalanthems.info, accessed on May 23, 2017
  5. Namibia's national anthem at nationalanthems.info, accessed on May 23, 2017