UMTJHUMAYELI 12

₁Khumbula umdali wakho

emalangeni wobutjha bakho,

kungakafiki imihla emimbi

nokutjhidela kweminyaka ozakutjho ngayo uthi,

“Anginakwenama ngayo.”

₂Iye, ngaphambi kobana ilanga nomkhanyo,

inyezi neenkwekwezi kube mnyama,

namafu asabuthile ngemva kwezulu,

₃mhla abaqaphi bekumba bathuthumelako,

neendlakela zithoma ukukhokhoba,

nabagayikazi bangasagayi ngebanga lokuba mbalwa,

nabahlola ngamafesidere sele bafiphele.

₄Iye, mhlana iminyango ngaphandle ivaliwe,

kunciphe netjhada lokugaya,

lokha iphimbo seliphakama njengelenyoni,

kodwana ukuzwakala kwalo sekuphasi;

₅lokha umuntu angakesabi iindawo eziphakamileko

nalokha kunezinto ezethusako endleleni;

iye, lokha nakuthuthumba umuthi we-alimondi

nentethe sele irhurhuba

nomvusakunzi ungasasebenzi.

Ngambala, umuntu uya endawenakhe yanini nanini

nabalilako behla benyuka endleleni.

₆Iye, mkhumbule umdali wakho

kungakaqhusuki intambo yesiliva,

ithunga legolide lingakaphahlaki,

umjeka ungakaphadlheki emthonjeni

nevili lingakaphukeli ngepetsini,

₇ithuli lingakabuyeli equlwanini

njengombana lalinjalo

nomphefumulo wokuphila ungakabuyeli kuZimu

owawunikelako.

₈Kulilize lakolize!

Iye, uMtjhumayeli uthi:

“Yoke into ililize!”

UMtjhumayeli gade angakahlakaniphi kwaphela,

kodwana gade afundisa nabantu ilwazi.

Walinganisa izinto wahlolisisa

bewahlela kuhle izaga ezinengi.

₁₀UMtjhumayeli wafunisisa

kobana afumane amezwi afaneleko

nokutlola amezwi weqiniso ngobuqotho.

₁₁Amezwi wohlakaniphileko anjengesitlhorholojakomo

nezinto eziqakathekileko,

zinjengeenkhonkhwani ezimanyene nesitlhorholojakomo.

Lokho kuvela kumelusi munye.

Ndodanami, yewuyelele!

Ukwenza iincwadi ezinengi akunasiphetho

begodu ukufunda khulu kukhathaza umzimba.

₁₃Ekugcineni, koke okuzwakeleko kufanele kunakekelwe:

Yesaba uZimu ulonde imiyalwakhe;

lokho kungokomuntu woke

₁₄ngombana uZimu uzokugweba yoke imisebenzi,

ngitjho nakho koke okufihlakeleko,

nanyana kukuhle, nanyana kukumbi.