Mama Tembu's Wedding
Mama Thembu's Wedding Celebration: A Harmonious Union of Tradition and Joy
Lyrics
Haya ham, haya ham
Expressing excitement or celebration
Haya ham, haya ham
Reiteration of excitement or celebration
Haya ham, haya ham
Continued expression of excitement or celebration
Hayaya hayaya ham
Extended expression of excitement or celebration
Tonight’s tonight’s the wedding feast (Haya ham)
Highlighting the current night as the wedding feast
The men arrive with slaughtered beasts (Haya ham)
Men bringing slaughtered beasts to the feast
A wail a chant soon fills the air (Haya ham)
Describing the atmosphere with wailing and chanting
For miles around the people hear (Mama Thembu)
People from miles around hearing the commotion (attributed to Mama Thembu)
Mama Thembu’s getting married here tonight (Mama)
Announcing Mama Thembu's marriage and the joyous spirits
All the spirits looking shouting their delight (Mama)
Spirits expressing joy for Mama Thembu's marriage
Mama Thembu’s getting married here tonight (Mama)
Reiteration of Mama Thembu's marriage announcement
The bones are thrown and mama's happy shining bright (Mama)
Mama Thembu's happiness emphasized through thrown bones
Ela gqirha lagqita laqabela phaya
Repetition of celebratory phrases
Ela gqirha lagqita laqabela phaya
-Ela gqirha lagqita laqabela phaya
-Ela gqirha lagqita laqabela phaya
-The maiden's kneel and kiss the bride (Haya ham mama)
Maidens kneeling and showing respect to the bride
The warrior waits he’s filled with pride (Haya ham mama)
Warrior filled with pride, waiting for the ceremony
The drummer starts to pound the drum (Haya ham mama)
Drumming beginning, creating a festive atmosphere
For miles around they hear the sound (Haya ham mama)
Drum sounds heard for miles around
Mama Thembu’s getting married here tonight (Mama)
Reiteration of Mama Thembu's marriage and joyous spirits
All the spirits looking shouting their delight (Mama)
-Mama Thembu’s getting married here tonight (Mama)
-The bones are thrown and mama's happy shining bright (Mama)
-Ela gqirha lagqita laqabela phaya
Repetition of celebratory phrases
Ela gqirha lagqita laqabela phaya
-And I sighed and I called in the deep of the night (Ela gqirha)
Sighing and calling in the deep of the night
Because never before has there been such a sight (Ela gqirha)
Expressing awe at an unprecedented sight
As the bride Mama Thembu walks out through the door (Ela gqirha)
Describing Mama Thembu walking out as the bride
And the valleys still echoes the sound of the roar (Ela gqirha)
Valleys echoing the sound of a roar, possibly a celebratory roar
Mama Thembu’s getting married here tonight (Ela gqirha)
Reiteration of Mama Thembu's marriage and joyous spirits
All the spirits looking shouting their delight (Ela gqirha)
-Mama Thembu’s getting married here tonight (Ela gqirha)
-The bones are thrown and mama's happy shining bright (Ela gqirha)
-Ela gqirha lagqita laqabela phaya
Repetition of celebratory phrases
Ela gqirha lagqita laqabela phaya
-Ela gqirha lagqita laqabela phaya
-Ela gqirha lagqita laqabela phaya
-'Bela phaya (Mama Thembu)
Additional celebratory mention of "Bela phaya" by Mama Thembu
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