A very ancient Zulu song for the old and the dying, said to date from before the reign of Shaka.
The body perishes, the heart stays young,
The platter wears away with serving food…
My Mwananazi
To Work in a Butchery
Another satiric song from the Kalela Dances of the Zambia Copper mines (see also The Kalela Dance and The Cases). The song is in Bisa and jokes about Mulumba who is the dance leader.
Mulumba should have a job at the abattoir
So that he may steal the heads of slaughtered cattle…
The Twilight Song of the Honey-Bird
A Gikuyu herdsboy’s song from Kenya. It sets up a chain of language which links together humorously all aspects of life (see also Who Will Throw Goat’s Dung at Me?).
Honey-bird, honey-bird,
Get arrows, get arrows…
Cuckold Contented
A Yorùbá song, partly satirical, partly pragmatic. Sourced from the Black Orpheus magazine that was founded by Ulli Beier in 1957 and co-edited by Wole Soyinka and Es’kia Mphahlele.
My wife told me
I go to the market…
Ndlela, Son of Sompisi
The praises of Ndlela kaSompisi, a key general in the Zulu army, who rose to power after defeating the Ndwandwe on Shaka’s behalf (see also Shaka’s Praises).
Rattler of spears!
He who is unable to lie down,
one side being red with wounds…