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Sources:

Ha = Harries (1962: 181) ‘The Wine Song’

Kn = Knappert (1979: 68-69) ‘The Wine Hymn’

Nab = Nabahany (ms in Arabic script) ‘Qala Liyongo’

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1. Ewe mteshi wa uchi¹ wa mbata² ulio ut̪ungu

¹ Kn: we mteshi ulo mnazini

² Kn: nipe uchi ulio uchungu

2. Nitekeya wa kikasikini ♦ tesheweo ni¹ mgema² wangu

¹ Kn: na

² Ha: ngema

3. Nitekeya na wa¹ kit̪upani ♦ uyayongao kwa zungu²

¹ Ha: wa

² Kn: ulo kuya na wale wazungu; Nab: [uya wawangawa kwa mzungu]

4. Nitekeya ulio nyunguni ♦ ulopikwa kwa k’uni na¹ nyungu

¹ Ha, Kn: kunyinywa

5. K’ishirabu¹ nikema kuwewa² ♦ nilit̪ake³ embekungu langu

¹ Ha: hishirabu

² Kn: mezani

³ Kn: nalitaka

6. Embekungu la mani ya chuma¹ ♦ mpiniwe mbwa t̪ungut̪ungu

¹ Kn: embe kungu latupalo mani ♦ latupalo ndani tungutungu

7. Embekungu k’angika¹ changoni ♦ pangikwapo siwa na mavungu

¹ Kn: langikwa

8. ¹Pangikwapo magoma ya ezi ♦ na mawano mawano ya bangu.

¹ Missing in Nab

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Sources:

Ha = Harries (1962: 182) ‘The Bathing Song’

Kn = Knappert (1979: 69) ‘The Bathing Song’

Nab = Nabahany (ms in Arabic script) ‘Upambe(?) wa Liyongo’

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1. Nowa k’ifuwa¹ na nguoza mbwenepo mayi ♦ k’ateka² k’inwa³ nisisaze k’asiya nyota⁴

¹ Ha, Nab: chifuwa

² Ha: hateka

³ Ha, Nab: chinwa

⁴ Kn: nikisaza, nyota sisii

2. Aniombao nisiize¹ nduu na mbasi² ♦ sina la kwamba nambe ninit̪ama nisiize.³

¹ Kn: sikuiza

² Kn: ahii

³ Kn: sina la kambi, namba nywai, sikuyasiza

 

Overview

New	Ha	Kn	Nab
1	1a,b	1,2	1a,b
2	2a,b	3,4	2a,b

 

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1.   Nowa[1] k’ifuwa na nguoza[2] mbwenepo[3] mayi  k’ateka k’inwa nisisaze k’asiya[4] nyota[5]	1.   I bathe and wash my clothes wherever I find water and I draw of it and drink to my satisfaction till my thirst is completely quenched.
2.   Aniombao nisiize[6] nduu na mbasi[7]  sina la kwamba nambe nini t̪ama nisiize.	2.   I should not refuse anyone, relative or friend, whoever asks me for it, what else should I say except that I shall not refuse.[8]

[1] naoga.

[2] nguo zangu.

[3] nionapo.

[4] nikamaliza.

[5] kiu.

[6] nisikatae.

[7] rafiki.

[8] Here interpreted as ‘end’, however tama ‘mouthful’ also makes sense.

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1.   Nili kwangu ndele[1] ♦ nami t’otomile[2] ♦ ndosele[3] mbwele[4] ♦ kilipacho wazi.	1.   I was at home asleep ♦ in a deep slumber. ♦ I dreamed, and I saw ♦ visions which were clear.
2.   Ndoto ndoseya[5] ♦ t’oshee[6] miuya[7] ♦ kuuwawa nduya[8] ♦ mwana wa shangazi.	2.   I dreamed a frightening dream, ♦ a shocking calamity had befallen me ♦ of being slain by my own kinsman – ♦ my father’s sister’s son
3.   K’ondoka ti k’ima[9] ♦ nguu kaiyuma[10] ♦ moyo ukanima[11] ♦ k’amwita K’undazi.	3.   I got up, standing straight, ♦ like a firm mountain, ♦ as my heart gathered courage, ♦ I called out to Kundazi.
4.   K’undazi amwao[12] ♦ katwaliye ngao ♦ na msu nd̪onao[13] ♦ pamwe na shirazi[14].	4.   Kundazi, whom he knew well (and trusted), ♦ ‘Fetch my shield ♦ and the sharpened sword ♦ together with a lantern.’
5.   Kinoo ndeteya[15] ♦ msu chungachiya[16] ♦ nuo[17] ninoweya[18] ♦ utishao mwazi[19].	5.   Bring me the whetstone ♦ to make the sword ♦ even keener ♦ so that its brightness scares [the enemy].
6.   Ninowe kipate ♦ makali yanete[20] ♦ payewepo[21] p’ite ♦ sit̪owe zimizi[22].	6.   Let me whet it ♦ till it becomes razor-sharp. ♦ Wherever they [the enemies] are fully gathered, ♦ I should break through them without fear.
7.   Payewepo nyime[23] ♦ moyo usimame ♦ niwe gombe dume ♦ k’iuka ja mbuzi.	7.   Wherever the enemies are, I will confront them, ♦ standing with a firm heart. ♦ I will be like a strong bull ♦ and leap like a goat.

[1] nimelala.

[2] nimelala usingizi mzito.

[3] nimeota.

[4] = mbwene, nimeona.

[5] nimeota.

[6] nimeshangaa.

[7] hatari; mawimbi.

[8] ndugu yangu; inamaanisha aliyetaka kuuliwa ni Fumo Liyongo.

[9] nikisimama imara.

[10] mlima uliosimama imara.

[11] ukanisimama.

[12] amjuaye.

[13] njoo nao.

[14] siraji, taa.

[15] niletee.

[16] tia makali.

[17] mnoo.

[18] ninolee.

[19] mwanzi, ng’aro.

[20] imefikia makali ya hali ya juu.

[21] palipojaa.

[22] bila ya kuwa na hofu.

[23] niime.

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Sources:

Ha = Harries (1962: 146-147) ‘Shairi la Ndoto’

Hi = Hichens (ms 205000 SOAS, typed)

Kn = Knappert (1979: 75-76) untitled

Wer = Werner (ms SOAS 210015; cited after Rozenstroch (1984): 224) ‘Utendi wa Liyongo’

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1. ¹Nili kwangu ndele ♦ nami t’otomile² ♦ ndosele mbwele ♦ kilipacho wazi³.

¹ = Wer: 3; missing in Kn;
Wer has the following additional first two lines:

Wer (1): Upijao mbiu ♦ Sipije hiyao ♦ Wite Mfamau ♦ Na nkivu mothi.

Wer (2): Patia mkamba ♦ Na ngovi ya simba ♦ Waume huumbwa ♦ Watishao mwathi

² Wer: na mito tamile

³ Hi: uwathi; Wer: mwathi

2. ¹Ndoto ndoseya² ♦ t’oshee³ miuya⁴ ♦ kuuwawa⁵ nduya ♦ mwana wa shangazi.

¹ = Wer: 4; missing in Kn

² Wer: Ndocho ndoseo

³ Hi: Tuthee

⁴ Wer: Toothee moyo

⁵ Ha: kuuawa

3. ¹K’ondoka ti k’ima^2 ♦ nguu kaiyuma³ ♦ moyo ukanima ♦ k’amwita Kundazi.

¹ = Wer: 5; missing in Kn

² Ha, Hi: kondoka tikima; Wer: kondo kati kema

³ Wer: nguo kaiyuma

4. ¹Kundazi amwao ♦ katwaliye ngao ♦ na msu² nd̪onao ♦ pamwe na shirazi.

¹ = Wer: 6; missing in Kn

² Hi: susu

5. ¹Kinoo ndeteya ♦ msu chungachiya² ♦ nuo³ ninoweya⁴ ♦ utishao mwazi.

¹ = Wer: 7; missing in Kn

² Ha, Hi: chuga chiya

³ Hi: N’uo

⁴ Wer: Ninoe nnoo

6. ¹Ninowe kipate ♦ makali yanete² ♦ payewepo pite ♦ sit̪owe zimizi³.

¹ = Wer 8; missing in Kn

² Ha, Hi, Wer: ya nete

³ Hi, Wer: mdhimidhi

7. ¹Payewepo² nyime^{3 ♦} moyo usimame⁴ ♦ niwe gombe dume⁵ ♦ k’iuka⁶ ja⁷

¹ = Kn: 2, Wer: 9; Missing in Kn

² Kn: nijiwapo

³ Kn, Wer: nime

⁴ Hi, Kn: usiname

⁵ Hi, Wer: tume

⁶ Hi: kiuka; Kn: kiukisha mbuzi

⁷ Ha, Wer: cha
Kn adds the following lines to this stanza:

nife dondo wazi ♦ ndi fumo wa Ozi

The preceding stanza in Kn corresponds to Nr. 10, line 6 and reads as follows:

Mwanangwa ni fili ♦ hafi kwa ulili ♦ hufa kwa jabali ♦ kwalo kondo kali.

Wer has the following two additional lines:

Mwenda juu kamwe ♦ Ndoo mbele huchume ♦ Ukufika wambe ♦ Jumbe likudhidhi
Ukufika wambe ♦ Ukumbini yumbe ♦ Sikhofu dhilembwe ♦ Dhitishao mwadhi

 

Overview

New	Ha	Hi	Kn	Wer
1	1	1	–	3
2	2	2	–	4
3	3	3	–	5
4	4	4	–	6
5	5	5	–	7
6	6	6	–	8
7	7	7	2a-d	9
			1		line 6 in Nat̪ani Niliye (10)
			2e-f
				10
				11

 

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1.   Sifu uta wangu wa chit̪anzu cha mpingo	1.   Let me praise my bow, made from the supple twig of the ebony tree,
2.   Upakwe mafuta unawiri kama chiyoo	2.   let it be smeared with oil so that it may glitter like a mirror.
3.   Mwanzo ch’ondokeya nifumile[1] nyoka umiyo[2]	3.   I started shooting at the neck of a snake
4.   Hafuma na nd̪ovu shikiyole kama ut̪eyo[3]	4.   and an elephant whose ear is like an ut̪eyo basket[4];
5.   Hafuma na k’ungu na kip’aa chendacho mbiyo	5.   I also hit a deer and the swift antelope.
6.   Wanambiya hepe[5] mwana Mbwasho nacha matayo?	6.   You are telling me, the son of Mbwasho, to avoid you: am I afraid of your weapons?

[1] nimefuma.

[2] mishipa ya shingo.

[3] ungo.

[4]A flat basket used for sifting grain

[5] -epuka.

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Sources:

Ha = Harries (1962: 182-83) ‘The Bow Song’

Kn = Knappert (1979: 75) ‘The Bow Song (sifa la uta)’

Nab = Nabahany (ms in Arabic characters) ‘Qala Fumo Liyongo’

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1. Sifu¹ uta wangu wa chit̪anzu² cha mpingo³

¹ Ha, Kn: sifa

² Kn: kitanzu

³ Ha: mtoriyo; Kn: mti roo

2. Upakwe mafuta unawiri kama chiyoo¹

¹ Kn: kioo

3. Mwanzo ch’ondokeya¹ nifumile nyoka umiyo²

¹ Ha: chondeka; Kn: ´kiondoka

² Kn: umiye

4. Hafuma¹ na nd̪ovu shikiyole kama ut̪eyo²

¹ Kn: kafuma

² Ha, Kn: shikilole kwa mautiye

5. Hafuma na k’ungu¹ na kip’aa² chendacho mbiyo

¹ Ha: Hafuma kungu; Kn: kafuma kunguu

² The expected form would be chip‘aa consistent with the chi-ki correspondence in this poem

6. Wanambiya hepe mwana Mbwasho nacha¹ matayo?

¹ Ha: nasha; Kn: acha

 

Overview

New	Ha	Kn	Nab
1	1a	1	1a
2	1b	2	1b
3	2a	3	2a
4	2b	4	2b
5	3a	5	3a
6	3b	6	3b

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