Praises of King Mphande Zulu

Another set of izibongo praises for King Mphande (Zulu king from 1840–1872 and half-brother to both Shaka and Dingane, see also Praises of King Mphande Zulu), recorded by E.W. Grant in the mid-1920s.

Here are the praises of Mpande of Noziqubo,
Umamiude who appeared by the head-crest (1)
Between the British and the Boers; (2)
Crosser-after-them-of-Shaka!
Swallow-who-went-astray-in-the-sky!
Block ye by every path,
And report to Klwana of Mbongobongweni. (3)
The eagle of Ndaba lays in the meadows of the Tukela. (4)
Concerning the affair of Mapita, yes, together with Tokotoko. (5)
Who crossed the Mpofana and sat down;
The cattle were restless,
Yes! it was those of the amaSwazi! (6)
Msutu with a lone blanket like an elephant’s. (7)
Who can call out to the Creator?
Only the women will remain eating imbuya, (8)
Yes, it is in the deserted kraal-sites!
The seducer of Ndaba,
He is seduced by Ncagwana, yes, together with Matunjuna; (9)
They seduced him by small herds, yes, of heifers.
Nozishata, born of Moqoboza, above the two amaQongqo hills; (10)
The lightning came and struck down above Mswati, born of Sobhuza. (11)
He devoured Pahlapahla, yes, crushingly.
He went and adorned himself at Tandiwe’s, yes, in the hut.
The house of Mswati burned. (12)
The affair of Qongqo and little Qongqo. (13)
Sire who appeared by the head-crest
Between the British and the Boers;
Who can call out to the Creator?
Only the women will remain eating imbuya, (14)
Yes, in the deserted kraal-sites.
He devoured the eagle which was born of Mpiko.
The tobacco fields rotted, yes, even to pulp.
Among the Basuto of Sikwata’s. (15)
The affair done by Nzobo, born of Sobadhli. (16)
The affair done by Klwana, born of Zulu! (17)
The affair done by Maqaqalolo, born of Malandela! (18)
The black leopard of Songiya’s people is befooled. (19)

Here is the original Zulu version:

Nazo izibongo zikaMpnde waka Noziqubo
Umamiude owavola ngeesiluba
Pakati kwamaNgisi namaQadasi
UnowelamuvamaoShaka! Inkonjaneduketelezulwini!
Vimbani ngazo zonk’ izindhlela,
Nibikel’ uKlwanawaseMbongobongweni
Ukozi lukaNdaba luzalel’ ezimfundeni zoTukela!
Ngendaba kaMapita, yebo’ beneTokotoko,
Owawela iMpofana, wahlala pantsi;
Kwazanmzama izinkomo, Yebo! KungezamaSwazi!
UMsutu ongubond’ okwezendhlovu!
NgUbani ongamomez’ uMdali?
Abafazi bodwa bosale bedhl’ imbuya, Yebo! isemanxiweni
Isiyengane sikaNdaba,
Siyengw’ uNcagwana, yebo, benoMatunjana;
Basiyenge ngamaqabi, yebo, kungawezitole.
Unozishat’ ezalw’ uMaqoboza pezu kwanaQongq’ omabili;
Umbani liye lawuhlaba pezu kuMswazi ezalw’ uSobuza
Wadhl’ uPahlapahla, yebo, kubeSutu!
Wamshaya pantsi, yebo, koludumayo!
Uye wavunula kwaTandiwe, yebo, endhlini;
Indhlu kaMswazi yasha!
Indaba yeQongqo neQongqwana.
Umamiude owavela ngesiluba
Pakati kwamaNgisi namaQadasi
Ubani ongamemoz’ uMdali?
Abafazi bodwa bosale bedhl’ imbuya,
Yebo, isemanxiweni!
Wadhl’ ingqungqulu ebizalw’ uMpiko.
Izigwayi zabola, yebo, puhlu!
KubeSutu kwaSikata.
Indaba yenziw’ uNzobo obezalw’uSobahdli!
Indaba yenziw’ uKlwana obezalwa kwaZulu!
Indaba yenziw’ uMaqaqadoyo obezalwa kwaMalandelai
Isilo esimnyama siyapukuzeka esakoSongiya.

Recorded & translated by E.W. Grant in the mid-1920s,
& held in the James Stewart Archive
at the Killie Campbell Africana Library, Durban.
The imbongi’s name is unknown.

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Footnotes

1. Umamiude: One of Mphande’s praise names. Grant suggests it is the equivalent of ‘Sire’.
2. This praise appears twice (and occured in the earlier Praises of King Mphande Zulu). The reference is to two treaties made by Mphande in 1843, the first with the British defining the borders of Natal and Zululand, the second with the Boers concerning territory beside the Klip River. When the British complained the second treaty violated the first, Mphande occupied the disputed land himself and avoided further trouble.
3. Klwana of Mbongobongweni: One of Dingane’s commanders (induna), killed by Mphande.
4. Mphande is praised as “Ukosi”, the Black Mountain eagle, and later as “Ingqungqulu”, the tumbler eagle. In the praises of King Mphande Zulu, he was praised as the Bateleur eagle.
   Ndaba was Mphande’s great-grandfather (see Ndaba). The line refers to Mphande’s retreat with 17,000 supporters across the Thukela (Tugela) River when threatened by Dinane.
5. Mapita, a cousin and ally of Mphande, living across the Mpofana River. Tokotoko was his brother.
6. A brief reference to Mphande’s campaign against the Swazi.
7. Msutu, one of Mapita’s sons.
8. imbuya, A common weed, eaten at times of famine, and likely to be found in deserted kraal-sites.
9. Chiefs raided by Mphande for their cattle (heifers).
10. Site of the battle where Dingane was defeated in 1840 by Mphande assisted by the Boers.
11. Sobhuza, founder of the Swazi nation (see Praises of Sobhuza I and Praises of Sobhuza II), succeeded by Mswati (see Praises of Mswati II), who in the tradition echoed here was the one who actually killed Dingane.
12. These three lines refer once again (see note 4) to Mphande’s campaign against the Swazi.
13. A reference to the two amaQongqo hills (see note 10).
14. imbuya, A common weed, eaten at times of famine, and likely to be found in deserted kraal-sites.
15. A brief reference to the raid against Sikwata’s Basuto (described more fully in Praises of Mphande Zulu).
16. Nzobo: One of Dingane’s commanders (induna), tried jointly by Mphande and the Boers and executed by being tied to a wagon wheel.
17. Klwana: One of Dingane’s commanders (induna), killed by Mphande.
18. Maqaqalolo: One of the Zulu’s legendary ancestors.
19. Songiya: Mphande’s mother.