The following children’s song was recorded in June 1958 at Kawere School in Dowa, a district in the Central Region of Malawi. Bilimankhwe is the name of a chameleon and in the song the children ask him why his eyes are swollen. Bilimnakhwe replies that he has been mourning the deaths of his kinsfolk and that it is inappropriate for the children to be laughing when there is a funeral at his home.
Then, Bilimankhwe goes further to state that he will no longer stay in the village as it has been ravaged by death. He informs the children that he will leave the village and let others rebuild it.
Bilimankhwe,
Why are your eyes so swollen?
