The JRB presents an excerpt from Ilifa, Athambile Masola’s new isiXhosa collection of poetry.

Ilifa
Athambile Masola
uHlanga Press, 2021

Isifebe

NgeCawa ucula uSiyakudumisa.
NgoMvulo uyaphangela.
NgoLwesibini usentlanganisweni yesikolo sabantwana.
NgoLwesithathu ubukela uMzansi Magic.
NgoLwesine uya emanyanweni.
NgoLwesihlanu yi-nice-time negals.
NgomGqibelo udibana noTemba;
Okanye uXolani,
Okanye uSam.
Ok’salayo ufumana le nto ayifunayo.
NgeCawa ucula uSiyakudumisa.

Izaziso

Isaziso sokuqala: imilozi yabafana
Isikhumbuzo: umzimba wakho ndingawuthatha nanini na 

Isaziso sesibini: amehlo abomvu exhego
Isikhumbuzo: ndiyakukhulula ndikufuna uhamba ze 

Isaziso sesithathu: izandla zikanoteksi emathangeni
Isikhumbuzo: la mathanga ngawam lo mzuzu ukhwele ngaphambili. 

Isaziso sesine: ikhwelo lo mfana erenkini
Isikhumbuzo: ‘Ngas’ke undifake kulo mathanga baby’ 

Isaziso sesihlanu: isimemo somfundisi
Isikhumbuzo: ‘Sondela ndiphuze kaloku’

Isaziso sesithandathu: intlanganiso namadoda
Isikhumbuzo: ‘Uthini wena ntomb’encinci?’

Isaziso sesixhenxe: imissed calls ezilithoba ezisuka kwidean ethanda abantwana
Isikhumbuzo: ndiyakufuna

Ezi zaziso zigunyaziswa ngamakhwenkwe, abafana, amadoda namaxhego esiwaziyo nabo singabaziyo 

Isikhumbuzo: All men.

Iintombi ezilala emini

Kukho iintombi ezingqengqa emini
Ziyolelwa kukuphunga ubuthongo zizolile.

Azingxami.

Ezi zintombi ezingavuki neentaka
Zivuka xa kuvuma umzimba.

Ziyazimamela.

• Athambile Masola, descended from amaGcina and amaBhele, grew up in East London. A Mandela Rhodes Scholar, Masola researches the literary careers of historically ignored black women writers. She is the founder of Asinakuthula Collective, as well as a lecturer in the Department of History at the University of Cape Town. Her work has been published widely in journals, newspapers, and online. This is her first collection of poems.