From: Karl Aloritias To: choral-chat Subject: [choral-chat] N'kosi vs. Nkosi (long and probably boring) Date: 14 Feb 2003 10:51:49 +0800 Greetings, choral-chatters! Some time ago I started work on compiling the 2003 PUCS freshers' songbook (and also the 2004 PIV songbook). Naturally, I soon noticed the discrepancies that exist between the lyrics of all the various versions floating around AICSA-land of various songs. Even the online songbook project versions appeared to contain lyrical errors, or at least bits which, on analysis, I didn't think were 'quite right'. So I did a bit of research, and went back and checked transcripts of the originals (those I could find). And, lo and behold, what a difference it makes to understanding the lyrics! It's interesting to see the differences between the originals, or at least the earliest versions I could find, and the current ACISA circulations. The biggest difference was in punctuation. Most of the currently circulating AICSA versions contain punctuation that appears to have been inserted at random, or possibly in places where the editor of that particular edition felt it should go. Restoring the original punctuation to pieces like Since First, Come Again, and Pastime makes so much difference to understanding the lyrics - my reaction after doing so was along the lines of "Ahhhh, so THAT'S what it means!". There are also differences in the words. Some of the differences are justified - typically modernisation of archaic spelling, or the 'translation' of archaic words or phrases - for example, Pastimes' orginal "pass the day" being converted to "mirth and play". This is, IMHO, a good thing - I'm sure many choristers would be baffled by the 16th, 17th and 18th-century spelling and phrasing of some of the songbook classics! Some of the differences can be most likely attributed to sloppy (possibly hasty, or maybe just lazy) transcribing somewhere along the way, such as when the last phrase of Come Again's third verse was transmuted from "while she for scanty triumphs laughs" to "while she, wile she for triumphs laughs". Other differences are possibly an attempt to make lyric phrases more understandable - but then again, is "Grutch[1] who lust" in Pastime really more understandable than the original "Grudge whoso will"? -------------------- Anyway, to get closer to the point (and the subject line) of this e-mail (finally! I hear the one or two of you who are still with me at this point), the most error-prone AICSA song that I have discovered so far is the one known as "N'kosi Sikelele Afrika", attributed to Enoch Sontanga. Actually, the errors start even there - the correct title is "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika", and the author's surname is spelt 'Sontonga', not 'Sontanga'. The version currently circulating around AICSA apears to have lyrics which have been written down by ear. It contains elements of three different versions/translations - Xhosa, Zulu and Sesotho - and the person writing it down does not appear to be too familiar with any of these. As a result, the lyrics of the current AICSA version(s) are a mishmash of poor spelling (although this is perhaps understandable), incorrect pronunciation, incorrect word and syllable emphasis, and poor phrasing. As this is a comparatively recent work (composed 1897), and has particular importance to many people (as a freedom song under apartheid, and as - in a modified version - the present-day anthem of South Africa), I humbly suggest that the errors in this piece should be rectified. I have collated, from the Xhosa, Zulu, and Sesotho versions/translations, a version that matches as closely as possible the AICSA versions, while correcting their mistakes in spelling/pronunciation/phrasing/word and syllable emphasis. I hereby submit my proposed version to the denizins of choral-chat, in the (possibly vain) hope that they may be able to offer any thoughts, suggestions, queries, comments and/or violently-held opinions on the matter: Current AICSA consensus version[2]: N'kosi Sikelele Afrika, by Enoch Sontanga ---------------------------------------- N'kosi sikelele Afrika, malu phakanyisu phondo lwayo yizwa imi thanda zo yethu. N'kosi sikelela thina lu sappholwayo. Woza moya, woza moya, woza moya owonyinqwele, usi sikelela Thina lusapholwayo. Morena bolokasse shaba sa yeso. U fendisa ngentswalemaf swenyego. Usi boloke, usi boloke, usi boloke morenasi boloke, seshaba sa leso seshaba sa Afrika. Proposed corrected version: Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika, by Enoch Mankayi Sontonga (c.1873-1905) --------------------------------------------------------------- (1st verse - from Xhosa version) Nkosi sikelel' iAfrika Maluphakanyisw' uphondo lwayo, Yizwa imithandazo yethu, Nkosi sikelela, thina lusapho lwayo. (2nd verse - from Zulu version) Woza Moya, woza moya, Woza Moya, Oyingcwele. Usisikelele, Thina lusapho lwayo. (3rd verse - from Sesotho version) Morena boloka sechaba sa heso, O fedise dintwa la matshwenyeho, O se boloke, o se boloke, O se boloke, morena se boloke. sechaba sa heso, sechaba sa Afrika[3]. ------------------------------------------- [1] Misspelled in most, but not all, AICSA songbooks as 'gruch', 'grunch', or some variation thereof. Means (in the context of Pastime) 'begrudge'. [2] Different AICSA versions have different ideas of where words begin and end, and which syllables should be spelt (and pronounced) in which way. This is my best stab at an consensus version of the several different AICSA editions that I have. [3] The last word is also 'heso' in the proper version, but I figure that AICSA choristers are so used to endinding with 'Afrika', which appears to have slipped in from the official South African anthem version. - Karl Aloritias