Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika – God Bless Africa, the Original/ Classic Version

Flag of South Africa
Flag of South Africa

Here is the classic version as written by Enoch Sontonga, with added verses by Samuel Mqhayi. Enjoy the good old version, or the classic version, and compare it to the more modern version which I posted earlier.

Nkosi, sikelel’ iAfrika;
Malupakam’upondo lwayo;
Yiva imitandazo yetu
Usisikelele.

Chorus

Yihla Moya, Yihla Moya,
Yihla Moya Oyingcwele

Sikelela iNkosi zetu;
Zimkumbule umDali wazo;
Zimoyike zezimhlouele,
Azisikelele.

Sikelel’ amadol’ esizwe,
Sikelela kwa nomlisela
Ulitwal’ilizwe ngomonde,
Uwusikilele.

Sikelel’amakosikazi;
Nawo onk’amanenekazi;
Pakamisa wonk’umtinjana
Uwusikilele.

Sikelela abafundisi
Bemvaba zonke zelilizwe;
Ubatwese ngoMoya Wako
Ubasikelele.

Sikelel’ulimo nemfuyo;
Gxota zonk’indlala nezifo;
Zalisa ilizwe ngempilo
Ulisikelele

Sikelel’amalinga etu
Awomanyana nokuzaka,
Awemfundo nemvisiswano
Uwasikelele.

Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika;
Cima bonk’ ubugwenxa bayo
Nezigqito, nezono zayo
Uyisikelele.

 

Lord, bless Africa;
May her horn rise high up;
Hear Thou our prayers
And bless us.

Chorus

Descend, O Spirit,
Descend, O Holy Spirit.

Bless our chiefs
May they remember their Creator.
Fear Him and revere Him,
That He may bless them.

Bless the public men,
Bless also the youth
That they may carry the land with patience and that Thou mayst bless them.

Bless the wives
And also all young women;
Lift up all the young girls
And bless them.

Bless the ministers
of all the churches of this land;
Endue them with Thy Spirit
And bless them.

Bless agriculture and stock raising
Banish all famine and diseases;
Fill the land with good health
And bless it.

Bless our efforts
of union and self-uplift,
Of education and mutual understanding
And bless them.

Lord, bless Africa
Blot out all its wickedness
And its transgressions and sins,
And bless it.

 

Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika – God Bless Africa

Africa
Africa

Today I would like to talk about the great ode to Africa, ‘Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika‘ or ‘God Bless Africa‘ which used to be the national anthem of five African countries.  Little did Enoch Sontonga, a simple school teacher in Johannesburg, know that his hymn praising his love for his country and land of ancestors would become one of the most known African national anthems when he wrote it in 1897, in his mother tongue Xhosa.  This song became a pan-African anthem to the countries of Zambia, South Africa, ZimbabweNamibia and Tanzania … Zimbabwe and Namibia have since then adopted new anthems.  At its creation, it was sung to the 1879 tune ‘Aberystwyth‘ by Joseph Parry.  In 1927, seven more Xhosa stanzas were added by poet Samuel Mqhayi.  In 1996, under President Nelson Mandela, a shortened version of ‘Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika‘ was added to the national anthem of South Africa, and Sontonga’s grave was dedicated as a national monument.  In Zimbabwe, after independence in 1980, it was sung in Shona language as ‘Ishe Komborera Africa‘; in Tanzania, it is still the national anthem and is sung in Kiswahili as ‘Mungu ibariki Afrika‘.  In Zambia, it is ‘Stand and Sing of Zambia, Proud and Free‘ or ‘Lumbanyeni Zambia‘.  Enjoy… sing… and feel it… as God blesses Africa.  Watch Miriam Makeba, Hugh MasekelaLadysmith Black Mambazo, and Paul Simon sing it… and reap the blessings.

Nkosi Sikeleli Africa
Malup hakanyiswu phando lwayo
Yiswa imithanda zo yethu
Nkosi Sikelela
Thina lusapo lwayo

Nkosi Sikeleli Africa
Malup hakanyiswu phando lwayo
Yiswa imithanda zo yethu
Nkosi Sikelela
Thina lusapo lwayo

Woza Moya (Woza, Woza)
Woza Moya (Woza, Woza)
Woza Moya oyingcwele
Nkosi Sikelela
Thina lusapo lwayo

Morena boloka sechaba sa heso (sa heso)
O fedise dintwa le matswenyeho
Morena boloka sechaba sa heso
O fedise dintwa le matswenyeho
O seboloke (O se boloke)
O seboloke morena
O seboloke sechaba, Sechaba sa Heso
Sechaba sa Africa

God bless Africa
May her glory be lifted high
Hear thou our prayers
God bless us
Us Your children

God bless Africa
May her glory be lifted high
Hear thou our prayers
God bless us
Us Your children

Come Spirit
Come Spirit
Come Spirit Holy
God bless us
Us Your children

Lord, we ask you to protect our nation
Intervene and end all conflicts
Lord, we ask you to protect our nation
Intervene and end all conflicts
Protect us
Protect us Lord
Protect us, Protect our nation
Protect Africa