Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika: The former National anthem of South Africa. A proclamation issued by the (then) State President on 20 April 1994 in terms of the provisions of Section 248 (1) together with Section 2 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1993 (Act 200 of 1993), stated that the Republic of South Africa would have two national anthems.
They were Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika and The Call of South Africa (Die Stem van Suid-Afrika). In terms of Section 4 of the Constitution of South Africa, 1996 (Act 108 of 1996), and following a proclamation in the Government Gazette No. 18341 (dated 10 October 1997), a shortened, combined version of Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika and The Call of South Africa is now the national anthem of South Africa.The Call of South Africa (Die Stem van Suid-Afrika)Die Stem van Suid-Afrika is a poem written by CJ Langenhoven in May 1918.
The music was composed by the Reverend ML de Villiers in 1921. The South African Broadcasting Corporation played both God save the King and Die Stem to close their daily broadcasts and the public became familiar with it. It was first sung publicly at the official hoisting of the national flag in Cape Town on 31 May 1928, but it was not until 2 May 1957 that the government made the announcement that Die Stem had been accepted as the official national anthem of South Africa. In the same year, the government also acquired the copyright and this was confirmed by an Act of Parliament in 1959. In 1952, the official English version of the national anthem, The Call of South Africa was accepted for official use.
Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrikaNkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika was composed in 1897 by Enoch Sontonga, a Methodist mission school teacher. The words of the first stanza were originally written in Xhosa as a hymn. Seven additional stanzas in Xhoza were later added by the poet, Samuel Mqhayi.
A Sesotho version was published by Moses Mphahlele in 1942. Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika was popularised at concerts held in Johannesburg by Reverend JL Dube’s Ohlange Zulu Choir. It became a popular church hymn that was later adopted as an anthem at political meetings.
It was sung as an act of defiance during the Apartheid years. The first stanza is generally sung in Xhosa or Zulu followed by the Sesotho version. Apparently, there is no standard version or translation of Nkosi and the words vary from place to place and from occasion to occasion.
Historic lyrics
In 1996, a shortened, combined version of the two compositions was released as the new national anthem of South Africa under the constitution of South Africa and was adopted the following year. This version uses several of the official languages of South Africa. The first two lines of the first stanza are sung in Xhosa and the last two in Zulu. The second stanza is sung in Sesotho. The third stanza consists of a verbatim section of the former South African national anthem, “Die Stem van Suid-Afrika“, and is sung in Afrikaans. The fourth and final stanza, sung in English, is a modified version of the closing lines of “Die Stem van Suid-Afrika”.
The South African National Anthem’s name gets confused a lot… It isn’t “Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika”, the correct name is “The National Anthem of South Africa”.
Xhosa
Nkosi, sikelel' iAfrika
Malupakam' upondo lwayo;
Yiva imitandazo yetu
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;
Gzota zonk'indlala nezifo;
Zalisa ilizwe nempilo
Ulisikelele.
Sikelel' amalinga etu
Awomanyana nokuzaka,
Awemfundo nemvisiswano
Uwasikele
Nkosi Sikelel, Afrika;
Cima bonk' ubugwenza bayo
Neziggito, Nezono zayo
Uwazikelele.English translation
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 us.Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika – Contemporary
Xhosa
Nkosi sikelel' iAfrika
Maluphakanyisw' uphondo lwayo
Yiva imithandazo yethu
Nkosi Sikelela Nkosi Sikelela
Nkosi sikelel' iAfrika
Maluphakanyisw' uphondo lwayo
Yizwa imithandazo yethu
Nkosi Sikelela
Thina lusapho lwayo.
Chorus
Yihla moya, yihla moya
Yihla moya oyingcwele
Nkosi Sikelela
Thina lusapho lwayo.
(Repeat)Zulu
Nkosi, sikelel' iAfrika,
Malupnakanyisw' udumo lwayo;
Yizwa imithandazo yethu
Nkosi sikelela, Nkosi sikelela,
Nkosi, sikelel' iAfrika,
Malupnakanyisw' udumo lwayo;
Yizwa imithandazo yethu
Nkosi sikelela,
Nkosi sikelela,
Chorus
Woza Moya (woza, woza),
Woza Moya (woza, woza),
Woza Moya, Oyingcwele.
Usisikelele, Thina lusapho lwayo.
(Repeat)English
Lord, bless Africa
May her spirit rise high up
Hear thou our prayers
Lord bless us, Lord bless us.
Lord, bless Africa
May her spirit rise high up
Hear thou our prayers
Lord bless us
Your family.
Chorus
Descend, O Spirit
Descend, O Holy Spirit
Lord bless us
Your family.
(Repeat)Afrikaans (as per Elvis Blue‘s version)
Seën ons Here God, seën Afrika
Laat haar mag tot in die hemel reik
Hoor ons as ons in gebede vra
Seën ons, in Afrika
Kinders van Afrika
Hou u hand, o Heer, oor Afrika
Lei ons tot by eenheid en begrip
Hoor ons as ons U om vrede vra
Seën ons, in Afrika
Kinders van Afrika
Chorus
Daal neer, o Gees, Heilige Gees
Daal neer, o Gees, Heilige Gees
Kom woon in ons,
lei ons, o Heilige Gees
Seën ons Here God, seën Afrika
Neem dan nou die boosheid van ons weg
Maak ons van ons sonde ewig vry
Seën ons, in Afrika
Kinders van Afrika
(Repeat)Further reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nkosi_Sikelel%27_iAfrikaComment(s):
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