Sihlutwa 'bantwana

Sihlutwa 'bantwana. Siphucwa iziza. Sithutha nemini. Ayasikhathaza.
Siyaphela yindlala. Nemali ayikho. Hambani 'madoda. Niy 'emsebensini.
Hambani 'madoda. Iskhathi asikho.

1. De slet från oss barnen, de rev ner våra hem.
Vi drevs ut ur staden till trakter utan regn.

Barnen mördas av svälten, av hunger piskas vi.
Gå ner män i gruvan, förlora ingen tid.
Gå ner i förnedring. I mörkret är vårt liv.

2. Här är dödens hemland, här sinar livets brunn.
Vi skriker i förtvivlan men himmelen är stum.


English translation: (not singable)
They tore the children from us, they demolished our homes.
We were driven out of the town to places without rain.

The children are killed by starvation. We are whipped by hunger.
Go down into the mines, men! Do not lose any time.
Go down into humiliation. We live in the dark.

Here is the homeland of death, here the well of life runs dry.
We cry in desperation but heaven is dumb.





This song is merciless in all its nakedness.
The melody of the verse consists of only one (1) note.
Yet that melody, hammered in like nails, can with its relentless words express more than the most embellished musical line.

The madness of apartheid came to an end.
The suffering of African children and their mothers did not.
This is a very hard song to sing.
But harder still to ignore it.