Page:A Treasury of South African Poetry.djvu/209

 "O white man! pity those grey hairs
 * Which grace my father's head;

He'll fight no more, let him die here;
 * Ah! soon he must be dead!

"O grant my prayer, and gratefully
 * I'll yield myself to thee;

I'll go with thee where thou dost go,
 * E'en o'er the fearful sea.

"I'll be thy slave, and toil alway,
 * And never long to come

Unto this lovely land again:
 * This land which is my home.

"But willingly I'll give up all!
 * And leave my father's side,

And leave my tribe, and leave my land,
 * And all thy will abide.

"Let him but live to hunt the deer
 * On Mancazana's hills;

Let him but live to quench his thirst
 * In Mancazana's rills."

Amazed, the father heard such speech:
 * "My daughter, speak not so;

What! dost thou think thy father then
 * Would ever let thee go,

"And suffer slavery and shame,
 * That he might dwell in peace?

Thou'rt mad, my child; come, come, we'll go—
 * This idle praying cease."