Azania, malibuye izwe lwethu.
Mayibuye iAfrika, izwe lwethu

Africa, where have you gone?
Africa, what happened to you?

We breathe poverty.
27 years into liberty.
Yet, not much has changed.
The black man remains estranged.
No land, no wealth.
No access to health.
The black man is educated and unemployed.
His voice is meaningless and void.
The black man is a criminal.
Not a trustworthy individual.

Azania. Libuya nini izwe lwethu?
Ibuya nini iAfrika yethu?

Africa, where have you gone?
Africa, what happened to you?

Where is the black child's fortune?
When does he get to sing a happy tune?
When does he move out of the small shack?
When does he get his ancestors' land back?
No one will hire him, he doesn't own a car.
He lives too far.
He's below the par.
Where he's from, there's no tar.
His shoes pick up clouds of dust.
Victim to a system so unjust.

Azania. Libuya nini izwe lwethu?
Ibuya nini iAfrika yethu?

Africa, where have you gone?
Africa, what happened to you?

Our mothers know nothing but pain.
They wipe kitchens spotless, all in vain.
Our fathers toil in the gardens.
Prayers have become burdens.
Government officials care for nothing but their pockets.
While we cry tears filling buckets.
Is this the Africa we fought for?
Is this the freedom we fought for?
Africa is singing a burning weep.
Her sorrows run deep.

She is asking, "what about my children?"
"What will become of them?"
She can't bear to see it.
Unite Africa with her children.
She longs to see them prosper.
Africa loves her children.
They don't deserve to suffer any longer.
From the hands of the ruthless ruler.
They are her pride and joy.
She wants to see them enjoy,
Her rich soil.
Profit from her natural oil.
Her pure silver.
Her dazzling diamonds.
Her excellent copper.
Her soft gold.

Abantwana base Afrika mabaphile.
Inhlupheko yase Afrika mayiphele.

iAfrika mayibuye.
Mayibuye iAfrika.

Hope?
Oh, he left me.
I wasn't good enough for him.
Left, said he was coming back.
Never saw him again.
I tried to keep Hope by my side.
Nothing I didn't do for Hope.
I told Hope that I loved him.
That I needed him.
But he vanished.
Couldn't bear the mere sight of me.
Couldn't bear to hear me say his name over and over.
"I have Hope!"
"Hope is all I need"
I kept on proclaiming.
Looked back, and he was gone.
Didn't text me back.
Didn't bother to phone me back.
Left me there all alone.
Hanging by a thread. Me!
Asking, "has anyone seen Hope?"
"Where is Hope?"
Never laid my eyes upon him again.
Never felt close to him again.
I cried so many tears.
After so many years,
I still miss Hope.
Hope was my friend.
I wish he was still my friend.
After I showed him that I believed in him,
He left.
Now I'm left with despair.
He never leaves.
He's always here.
I need my Hope back.
Does he know I still think of him?
If you happen to cross paths with him,
Please tell him that I miss him.
I miss when we were younger.
We shared so much.
I remember his soft touch.
His kiss.
His embrace.
We would talk dreams all day long.
He made them feel real.
Possible.
Nothing I couldn't do.
Long as I had him.
I'll never know why he left.
I don't know where to find him.
He's a sweet memory now.
I'm with Despair now.
He's not any fun.

Spirit take the lead
Let my heart no longer bleed
Save me from falling
Make known my calling
I long for peace
For this heaviness to cease
I long for salvation
Unlock my revelation
Let me suffer no longer
Let me grow stronger
I remain faithful
I try to be grateful
Full of contentment
I show commitment
When do I get to break free?
Release these chains from me
They are tight, they burn
Reveal the light, I yearn
Spirit, take the lead
I sincerely plead
I need your guidance and understanding
I long for abundance and a happy ending
Spirit are you there?
Do you even care?
For me and my deepest emotion
Do you see my depthless devotion?
Lead me
Feed me
Send me deeper and deeper
Until the day I meet death's reaper
Surely you are forever at my side
It's in you I confide
Spirit, take the lead
I plant this seed
From here on now, you are mine
I am yours
Together, we are spirit
Together, we take the lead

How do I beat loneliness?
It follows me around like a dark cloud.
It's dark and filled with sadness.
It makes no sound but it's really loud.

It brings me so many tears.
It leaves me feeling so worthless.
It's been so many years,
Filled with emptiness

No one sees me.
I seem to be invisible.
No one here, just me.
Loneliness seems to be invincible.

It's like I'm hardly living.
I'd choose death over this any day.
How can God be so unforgiving?
How can I live this way?

Please, how do I beat loneliness?
I'm slowly fading away into nothingness.
I am one with the emptiness.
"Hi, nice to meet you. I'm lonely"

I lost a part of me
Loved you more than I ever loved myself
Placed you on the highest pedestal, forgot about self
Yours was all I ever wanted to be
That is when I lost a part of me
Nothing else mattered if it was not you
Never have I ever been so loyal and so true
Your greatest love was all I ever wanted to be
Somehow, I loved and lost a part of me
The more I loved you, was the more I lost me
I could never find myself again
How could I ever be so insane?
I lost myself, all in vain
And now I suffer eternal pain
I bleed from my heart's core
I cry myself sore
It is as if, I will never find me again
Never love anyone or anything again
Not even myself
All that is left is fear and a hole in my heart
Never thought we would ever be apart
But here I am missing a part of me
And you are out there, living, not knowing that you took a part of me
I am curious, what do you do with it?
Do you even feel that it is there?
Does your new love see it?
In your eyes? In your smile?
Is it gone forever? Or is this just for a short while?
How do I get it back to myself once more?
I yearn to be whole once more
But if I have to see your face once more
To get back what you took from me once upon a time
Then I would rather you keep it until the end of time
I guess I will just grow it back
When I finally have the strength to love and not feel a strain on my back
From the fear of loving carelessly once again
From the terror of losing a part of me once again
It shall grow back
And I will be sure to never lose it again
I must be so foolish, and you must be so selfish
How can I let you walk away from me, and how can you just walk away from me,
With a part of me?
I need it back, that is my only wish

My brother, a slave to drug addiction.
I wish I could save you.
From the plague of perdition,
That you drag yourself through.

I pray for your salvation.
I hope to see your resurrection so long overdue.
I wish you freedom from substance suppression.
Liberation from the demons that torture you.

May you break free from the dark cloud of self-destruction.
I long to see the real you again.
Free from your tribulation, your affliction.
I wish you never again feel unbearable pain.

You put your body through endless torment.
You try to numb the agony you feel in your heart.
I wish you would choose to live each and every moment.
Whether ease or discomfort.

I find myself at a loss for words,
As I witness the hopelessness in our mother’s eyes.
It is as if we dwell in different worlds.
The sorrows you pile upon us tell no lies.

I wish I could save you.
I wish I could save our family from the shame.
I hope one day you will see what we see in you.
A cold-blooded monster. Surely, you are not to blame.

It is the reality we were forced to embrace, a misty dew of throes.
It could have been me,
Who surrendered to wreck and woes.
Without doubt, it could have been me.

I too, know the pain of feeling unworthy and unloved.
Surely, there is still hope in a mother's unconditional love.

Tell my mama that I am so sorry
I leave her with no glory
Shame killed me
Sorrow ended me
The dark cloud that follows me around
Finally left a fatal wound
To my friends,
I leave you with the happy moments we shared
To my lovers,
I leave you with the passion we felt
To my colleagues,
I leave you with the knowledge I taught
To my family,
I leave you with my love
Remember me for my smile and my pride
Do not dwell on the loss
Or the suffering that I perfected to hide
Remember me for my sarcasm
Remember me for my enthusiasm
My zeal for good food and wine
How no matter what, I always seemed fine
It is with a heavy heart that I cease my bright light
Sadly, I have lost the final fight
I leave you with no wealth
Only the sting of sudden death
I leave you with no tangible assets
Only failed success and bad debts
I shall rest now and at last meet with my creator
Farewell, I hope to see you later
Please, tell my mama that I am sorry