Kuyaura -- Suffering (1974)

Thomas Mapfumo

1. Kuyaura kweasina musha
It is the suffering of the homeless

Kuyaura kweasina musha iwe
It is the plight of the homeless

Kuyaura kweasina musha
It is the suffering of the homeless

Kuyaura kweasina musha iwe
It is the plight of the destitute

Kuyaura kweasina musha
It is the suffering of the homeless

Kuyaura kweasina musha iwe
It is the plight of the destitute

2. Vakuru vepano varipi vatiudze zano?
Where are the elders to give us advice?

Chembere dzekuno dziripi dzatiruma nzeve?
Where are the old women to bite our ears?

Harahwa dzekuno dziripi dzatibayire zanhi?
Where are the old men to prick the leaf?

3. Repeat verse 1

4. Baba vangu vakafa vachitambura
My father died a painful death

Amai vangu ndokufa vachiona pfumvu
My mother died suffering

Mukoma wangu akafa achitiza hondo
My brother died trying to escape the war

Hanzvadzi yangu ndokufa ichiona pfumvu
My sister died suffering

Kuyaura kweasina musha iwe
This is the suffering of the homeless

5. Vakuru vakati zano marairanwa -- repeat 3 times
Our elders said advice should be shared

6. Mhondoro dzekuno dziripi dzatitunagamirira?
Where are the guardian spirits to lead us?

Mashavi ekuno aripi atiruma nzeve?
Where are the spirits to bite our ears?

N'anga dzekuno dziripi dzatipa makano?
Where are the traditional herbalists to give us charms?

Kutipa makona toona kuuraya mhandu
To give us charms to kill the enemy.

Varoyi vekuno varipi vatipe zvitsinga?
Where are the witches to give us their evil powers?

Kutipa zvitsinga toona kutsingisa mhandu
To give us those powers to combat our enemy

Wakazvinzwa here kuti baba vakashaya?
Have you heard that father is dead?

Wakazvinzwa here kuti mvura haichanaya?
Have you heard that rain no longer falls?

Wakazvinzwa here kuti minda yakapera?
Have you heard that the fields vanished?

Wakazvinzwa here kuti mombe dzakaenda?
Have you heard that the cattle went away?

Kuyaura kweasina musha
This is the suffering of the homeless

7. Repeat verse 1

8. Tarisa uone nyaya dzauya kuipa--repeat three times
Look! the issues are getting bad

Kana zvakadaro vakomana kwogezwa ropa--repeat three times
If that is the case then, we will bathe in blood

9. VaParirenyarwa varipi vatitungamirire?
Where is Mr. Parirenyatwa to kead us?

VaChitepo varipi vatitungamirire?
Where is Mr. Chitepo to lead us?

Kuyaura kweasina musha iwe
It is the suffering of the destitute

10. Chembere dzekuno dziripi dzatipa makano?
Where are the old women to give us axes?

Kutipa makano toona kutemesa mhandu
We need the axes to chop the enemy

Harabwa dzekuno dziripi daztipa matemo?
Where are the old men to give us axes?

Kutipa matemo toona kutemesa mhandu
We need the axes to chop the enemy

Kuyaura kweasina musha
This is the plight of the homeless.

[from Alice Dadirai Kwaramba, Popular Music and Society: The Language of Chiumurenga Music: The Case of Thomas Mapfumo in Zimbabwe. Oslo: University of Oslo, 1997, pages 37-38. Available from Department of Media and Communications [[email protected]].