TRANSLATION request: 'Jikele Maweni'

Subject: TRANSLATION: 'Jikele Maweni'
From: Margret RoadKnight
Date: 13 Feb 06 - 07:54 PM

Appreciate any help with meaning of JIKELE MAWENI as sung by Miriam Makeba.

Subject: RE: TRANSLATION request: 'Jikele Maweni'
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 13 Feb 06 - 08:12 PM

Here's what I assume is the song in question, from this site:

Intonga zamakwenkwe                The sticks of the young men
Zapugel' emlanjeni wo-hmm        Are being broken at the river
Ukubeta kubetsw' intonga ya-hmm        Because there is stick fighting going on!
Amadod' ayoyika        ukubeka                Even grown men are afraid
        Mlanjeni wo-hmm                To go down to the river
Ukube ka mlanjeni wo-hmm                
Ukuba kubetsw' iintonga, ya-hmm        Because there is stick fighting going on!

O Jikele maweni ndiyahamba        Turn back at the cliffs; I'm going.
Jikele maweni ndiyahama
O Jikele maweni ndiyahamba
Jikele maweni ndiyahamba

Aqensa makwenkwe                The young men are dancing
Aqensa kwabamand'                Dancing at the mine
Aqensa makwenkwe                The young men are dancing,
Aqensel' emgodin'                Dancing at the mine.
2X

Repeat Jikele Maweni

Ajika' madoda ajika kwabamand'        The (grown) men are turning, turning beautifully
Ajika' madoda                        The (grown) men are turning
Ajikel' emgodin        '                Turning at the mine.
2X

Repeat Jikele Maweni and
Ajika' madoda
Intonga zamakwenkwe                The sticks of the young men
Zapugel' emlanjeni wo-hmm        Are being broken at the river
Ukuba kubetsw' intonga ya-hmm        Because there is stick fighting going on!

Subject: RE: TRANSLATION request: 'Jikele Maweni'
From: Windsinger
Date: 13 Feb 06 - 08:51 PM

Thanks, McGrath! What an unexpected and delightful trip down memory lane.

My mom was a big Makeba fan in her youth, and expressed a particular fondness for this song. When that video of the "Graceland" concert in Zimbabwe came out, many years later, she was elated to find Makeba (and "Jikele"!) on the playlist.   

That was my first introduction to it. Hope you've seen/heard it, it's a really brilliant rendition.

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir