Lyrics & songs

[ciroccoj]

Right, so I had a bit of an issue with misposting a link in an earlier post today, but now I've sorted it out. These are two songs from the Black History Month concerts that happened this month, both by the World Voices Choir from Brookfield High School. The first is Nkosi Sikelel'i Afrika (God Bless Africa), the "pan-African anthem" often sung in South Africa before Apartheid. The second is Follow the Drinking Gourd, an American slave song. Both are from their CD, Ubunti, which they released earlier this month.

Nkosi Sikelel'i Afrika

(Xhosa verse)
Nkosi, sikelel' iAfrika;
Malupakam'upondo lwayo;
Yiva imitandazo yetu
Usisikelele.

(Zulu verse)
Woza Moya (woza, woza),
Woza Moya (woza, woza),
Woza Moya, Oyingcwele.
Usisikelele,
Thina lusapho lwayo.

(Sesotho(?) verse)
Morena boloka setjhaba sa heso,
O fedise dintwa la matshwenyeho,
Morena boloka setjhaba sa heso,
O fedise dintwa la matshwenyeho,

O se boloke,
O se boloke,
Morena se boloke
Setjhaba sa heso,
Setjhaba sa South Afrika - South Afrika.

Follow the Drinking Gourd
Follow the Drinking Gourd, World Voices Choir

Follow the drinking gourd,
Follow the drinking gourd,
For the old man is waiting
for to carry you to freedom
If you follow the drinking gourd

When the sun comes back
and the first quail calls,
Follow the drinking gourd,
For the old man is waiting
for to carry you to freedom
If you follow the drinking gourd

The riverbank will make a very good road,
The dead trees show you the way,
Left foot, peg foot traveling on,
Following the drinking gourd.

The river ends between two hills,
Follow the drinking gourd,
There's another tree on the other side,
Follow the drinking gourd.

Where the great big river meets the little river,
Follow the drinking gourd,
The old man is waiting,
for to carry you to freedom
If you follow the drinking gourd

The Drinking Gourd, in case it's not obvious, is the Big Dipper, which can be used to easily identify the North Star, which points, by a staggering coincidence, straight North ;)