AFRICAN LION SONG (Words)

THE CANNED KING FROM THE AFRICAN JUNGLE

I hear our lions roaring
in the jungles
of Africa
The people are dancing
in their kraals in the jungles
of Africa.
The roar of the lion
is our symbol
of power and freedom
in the jungles
of Africa.

(Background Sound: - the sound of distant drums and African dancing with the  roar of the king of the jungle faintly in the distance)

I hear the lions roaring ..........................







I hear the lions roaring
in the jungles
of Africa.
I hear tourists singing
while drums are beating
in Africa.
I see thieves poaching
where the lions are roaring
to steal our rich bounty,
the power of freedom from Africa.

(Background Sound:  laughter and jollification in the backdrop of jungle sounds.    A single gunshot          then  Silence)

I hear the lions roaring .........................







I hear caged lions roaring
on the can-farms
of Africa
Tourists go hunting
while people go hungry
in the cities of Africa.
The roar in the jungle
is deadened by gunshots
there is no more freedom
In the jungles of Africa.

(Background Sound:  traffic noise and distant  police sirens and gunshots )

I hear no lions roaring .......................................

(Background Sound:   A loan baby crying - (the voice of  future generations) )






Ex Unitate Vires 15 May 2007
Updated 19 May 2007

Last update 17-03-2014   "The Extinct Lion Poem"

Edited 26-12- 2019

THE SOUND OF AFRICA (POEM)

THE SOUND OF THE AFRICAN DRUM

the sound of the rhythm of the beating of her drums which

pulse like blood through her arteries and veins.

From the high mountain tops and deep valleys the sound calls her people to unity.

The drum is the voice box Mother Africa -

It synchronises to the heartbeat of her people.

Her rhythm stirs their bones to single action.

Her sound calls her people to her breast.

The message beats out loudly:

"Feel the soil on which you stand, my children it's your soil ……

Your continent.

Your Africa

All who stand on it are your brothers and sisters -

Nurture them, feed them, love them and heal them.

"I am not calling you to war or discrimination against your brother of different skin, tongue or faith.

I call for the war against separation.

I call for the power of unity.

I call back my natural heritage and the sound of nature.

I call back the pride of Africa.

.

My children I give you all you need to nurture all of you

Export not my rich bounty for a ransom, but feed your starving brothers, sisters and animals first.

Educate my children, nurture them heal them and give them shelter.

Return their strength so they too can dance to the rhythm of my pulse.

One Drum

One rhythm - One action - One continent - One power

One United AFRICA

!ke e: /xarra //ke

16 April 2006

Reviewed 19 May 2007

Photograph: From a popular desk calendar sold at stationery shops in South Africa.

THE RHYTHM OF AFRICA

THE RHYTHM OF AFRICA



From the high mountain tops and the deep valleys below

We hear the sound of people calling for unity and peace

in our land - Our Africa!

---

The sound of the rhythm of the beating of her drums

pulse like blood through her arteries and veins.

The rhythm of her drums call her people to her breast

Without unity their bones will never rest

---


Feel the soil on which you stand My children it's your land

Hear small babies crying while their mothers are slowly dying

in our land - Our Africa!

---

The sound of the rhythm of the beating of her drums

pulse like blood through her arteries and veins.

The rhythm of her drums call her people to her breast

Without unity their bones will never rest

---

Deep in the jungles of Africa we hear lions roar

Just over the border sound the guns from the men of war

in our land - Our Africa!

---

The sound of the rhythm of the beating of her drums

pulse like blood through her arteries and veins.

The rhythm of her drums call her people to her breast

Without unity their bones will never rest
---

Hear the little children singing while their mothers dance

For Madeba brings a promise of unity and chance

in our land - Our Africa!

---

The sound of the rhythm of the beating of her drums

pulse like blood through her arteries and veins.

The rhythm of her drums call her people to her breast

Without unity their bones will never rest

in our land - Our Africa!

---

The sound of the rhythm of the beating of her drums

pulse like blood through her arteries and veins.

The rhythm of her drums call her people to her breast

Without unity their bones will never rest

in our land - Our Africa!

---
The sound of the rhythm of the beating of her drums

pulse like blood through her arteries and veins.

The rhythm of her drums call her people to her breast

Without unity their bones will never rest

in our land - Our Africa!

---

Where is sound of the rhythm of the beating of her drums ........




!ke e: /xarra //ke
Written for Healing Africa - Africa Heals on April 28, 2007

The old website has been replaced with 'Healing the divide'
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
19 May 2007

Ex Unitate Vires (POEM IN ENGLISH)

EX UNITATE VIRES (1995)


My Afrikaner Nation, my mother-tongue -
Why in shame our heads now hung?
We still have our pride
but no place of safety to reside.
My people, my country, my Language ....
1 "Eendrag maak mag" we pray with anguish.
-----
9 Apartheid started here?
-----
The Zulu tribe bewitched, deceived
Their white brother murdered - they could not leave.
At Blood River valley no bullets went astray
The battle was won that very Sunday.
A message so clear: 1 "Eendrag maak mag" "don't forget My day".

-----
How did we honour that message my nation.
In Apartheid we lived in jubilation.
Our children were strong and bright,
The best in the country so pure and white.
We ploughed, we sowed and reaped
With 1 "Eendrag maak mag" our pride ran deep.
-----
The Lord looked down how His nation divide.
Beneath white unity, the truth they did hide.
The Afrikaners prospered with pride,
While black and white separately reside.
We saw not the suffering, suppression and pain,
With 1 "Eendrag maak mag" our whiteness reigned.
-----
High our Babel Tower stood,
To keep church and children white and good
We fought the British the Boers they could not break.
We fought at the borders for safety sake
We sang our Anthem with pride in our chest.
1 "Eendrag maak mag", we were the best.
-----
Slowly the walls of our tower began to crumble
Within our 5 Taal there was an English mumble
We are white too - our English brethren revealed,
With that the fate of 4 Afrikanerdom was sealed.
We 8 praat our 5 Taal, we sang our Anthem and fought our fate
But 1 "Eendrag maak mag" also was to "Unity is Strength" translate.
-----
Sanctions could not destroy our nation.
We still clung to our slogan in anticipation.
Too little too late we tried to gain order.
We removed the 6 "Whites only" and also the border.
Mandella and De Klerk sounded the hour
while the truth commission stripped our power.
---------
"Back to the sea the 8 Boer" said our Xhosa brother,
Now the leading nation at the rudder.
Where our pride?, What happened to our 5 Taal?, what to do?
Where can we fly our 7 "Oranaja, Blanja, Blue"?
A new rainbow nation has now begun
Simonye WE ARE ONE!.
-----
Let's surf the net says the youth of South Africa,
Let's go the England, Australia or America.
There our hope must lie
Who morns when mighty Nations die.
3 !ke e: /xarra //ke was born in pain
2 Ex Unitate Vires, the mountain tops refrain.
-----

Ex Unitate Vires 1997
Translated to English 8-Jan-2007

____________________________________________

• 1 EENDRAG MAAK MAG = Unity is strength
• 2 EX UNITATE VIRES = Latin motto as found on the Coat of Arms of the Union of South Africa - meaning Unity is strength
• 3 !ke e: /xarra //ke + motto on the new South African Coat of Arms, written in the Khoisan language of the /Xam people, literally meaning: diverse people unite
• 4 Afrikanerdom often refers to the white, Afrikaans speaking South Africans (Afrikaners) although it does not actually refer to the white race only.
• 5 Taal = Afrikaans for language. The word often refers to the Afrikaans language. (Afrikaans)
• 6 All public facilities were marked "Whites only" or "Non Whites"
• 7 Oranja (orange), Blanja (white), Blou (blue) = the colours of the old South African flag.
• 8 Praat = speak Boer = Afrikaans for farmer
• 9 Apartheid = Separate development