Khale ka khaleni, a ku ri na Hosinkulu leyi a yi vuriwa Kayanja. A yi tshama exigodhlweni na nkosikazi na nhwanyana wa vona, Hosikazi Apenyo. Nganakana Apenyo a a ri wansati lontsongo wo saseka loyi wanuna un’wana na un’wana a lava ku n’wi teka. Kambe Hosinkulu Kayanja u lavile leswaku ntsengo wa mutekiwa wu va wa le henhla ka nganakana.
Long, long ago there was a king
called Kayanja. He lived in a palace
with the queen and their daughter,
princess Apenyo.
Princess Apenyo was such a
beautiful young woman that every
man wanted to marry her. But king
Kayanja demanded a very high
bride price for the princess.
Kusuhi na muti wa Hosinkulu Kayanja a ku tshama hosi leyi a yi vuriwa Aludah Lonkulu. A yi vuriwa “Lonkulu” hikuva un’wana na un’wana eka vuakelani a byi n’wi yingisa. A kariha swinene eka un’wana na un’wana loyi a tlula milawu ya yena! Nsati wa Hosi Aludah wa ha ku hundza emisaveni hi mavabyi ya malariya naswona a yi lava nsati wun’wana.
Near king Kayanja’s palace lived a
chief called Aludah the Great. He
was called “the Great” because
everybody in the neighbourhood
obeyed him. (He was very violent to
anyone who disobeyed him!)
Chief Aludah’s wife had recently
died of malaria and he wanted
another wife.
Hiloko hosinkulu ya ku nyuhela ya ku dyuhala yi ya eka Hosinkulu Kavanja ku n’wi nyika rifuwo ra yena leswaku yi kuma hosikazi leyitsongo. Loko vavanuna lavambirhi va ha kanela hi ntsengo, hlonga Kakembo a twa mavarivari ya bulo ra vona. Hlonga Kakembo a kumana swinene na Hosikazi Apenyo.
So the fat old chief went to king
Kayanja to offer bride wealth for the
young princess.
While the two men were discussing
the price, the maid Kakembo
overheard their conversation. Maid
Kakembo was very close to princess
Apenyo.
Hosi Adulah u pfumerile ku nyika Hosinkulu Kayanja hafu ya rifuwo ra yena, ku katsa nereta, leyi na yona a yi ri xiphemu xa ntsengo wa mutekiwa. Mikunguhato ya nkuvo wa vukati exikarhi ka Hosi Aludah na Hosikazi Apenyo yi endliwile exihundleni. Hosinkulu a yi swi tiva leswaku nhwanyana wa yona a nge tsaki hi xiboho lexi.
Chief Aludah agreed to give half of
his wealth to king Kayanja,
including a needle, which was also
part of the bride price.
Preparations were made in secret
for the wedding between chief
Aludah and princess Apenyo. The
king knew that his daughter would
not be happy with this decision.
A ku sale vhiki ku nga si fika siku ra nkhuvo entsindza, hlonga Kakembo u tihlanganisile na Apengo. “Hosikazi munghana wa mina, bava wa wena u lulamisile nkhuvo wa vukati wa wena na Hosi Aludah, naswona wu ta va kona endzhaku ka vhiki,” ku vula Kakembo.
One week before the royal wedding
day, maid Kakembo approached
Apenyo.
“My dear princess, your father has
organised your wedding with Chief
Aludah, and it will take place in one
week,” said Kakembo.
Hosikazi Apenyo swi n’wi chavisile swinene naswona xo sungula a nga tivi leswaku u fanele ku endla yini. Endzhaku hiloko a ehleketa a ku, “A ndzi nga pfuki ndzi tekiwile hi Hosi Aludah mukhalabye wo nyuhela. A nge pfuki! Ndzi fanele ku hatlisa ndzi ya eka Trevor ku vona leswaku yena a nga endla yini nkarhi wu nga si famba.” Trevor i xigangu xa Hosikazi Apenyo.
Princess Apenyo was shocked and
at first didn’t know what to do. Then
she thought, “I will never marry
chief Aludah, that fat old man.
Never! I must hurry to Trevor and
see what he can do before it’s too
late.”
Trevor was princess Apenyo’s
boyfriend.
Hi vusiku byebyo Apenyo u ngungumerile a huma exigodhlweni. Loko bava wa yena a lo swi kuma leswaku u ya kwihi a ta hlundzuka swinene. U tsutsumile a humelela hi xihatla hi le ka xihlahla xo tlhoma ehenhla ka maribye na magungu, ku kondza a fika eka Trevor wa yena. Loko a fika endlwini ya yena a a karhele, a khomiwile hi ndlala na torha.
That night Apenyo crept out of the
palace. If her father discovered
where she was going he would be
very angry.
She ran through the thick, dark
forest over rocks and shrubs, until
she finally reached her Trevor. When
she arrived at his house she was
tired, hungry, and thirsty.
“Murhandziwa, hikokwalaho ka yini u fambile rendzo leri ro leha u ri wexe naswona eka nkarhi lowu wa vusiku?” ku vutisa Trevor. U n’wi kele mati na ku n’wi pfumelela leswaku a wisa. Trevor a nga kalangi a tshama ehansi loko a ha yimele Apanyo leswaku a vulavula.
“My love, why have you run all this
long distance alone and at such a
time of night?” asked Trevor. He
fetched drinking water for her and
allowed her to rest.
Trevor could not settle down while
he waited for Apenyo to talk.
“Hosikazi ya mina leyi rhandzekaka, xana xiphiqo i yini?” ku vutisa Trevor. Apenyo a hefemulela ehenhla ivi hi gome a ku, “Bava wa mina u lava leswaku ndzi tekiwa hi Hosi Aledula, Lonkulu. Kambe a ndzi nga swi koti ku tekiwa hi wanuna luya wo chavisa. Trevor, ndzi lava ku tekiwa hi wena hambiloko u ri xisiwana. Ndzi tiyimiserile ku hlupheka. Ndza ku rhandza.”
“My dear princess, what is the
problem?” asked Trevor.
Apenyo breathed heavily and said
sadly, “My father wants to marry
me off to chief Aludah the Great.
But I can’t marry that horrible man.
Trevor, I want to marry you even if
you are poor. I am ready to suffer. I
love you.”
“Kambe hosikazi, a ndzi na nchumu xo xi hakela tanihi mali ya ku lovola, wa swi tiva leswaku ndzi xisiwana xa mufana,” ku rila Trevor. Apenyo a hlamula a ku, “Ndza swi tiva, kambe ntsena hi wena loyi ndzi nga kotaka ku tekana na yena.” U ehleketile nkarhinyana kutani a ku, “A hi yi eka Kategga, mutlutaxikepe ku hi tluta ku ya entsungeni wa nambu. Hi ndlela yaleyo hi ta kota ku baleka naswona bava a nge pfuki a hi kumile.”
“Kodwa manje nkosazana, mina anginalutho, ukukhokhela ilobolo lakho. Wazi kahle, ngimpofu,” kuzikhalela uThando. UNaledi wamphendula wathi, “Ngiyakwazi loko, kodwa nguwe kuphela engingakugana.” Wake wathula isikhashana, wabe esethi, “Nginecebo, masigijimele ku Kwanda, indoda le yesikebhe asiweze sibalekele ngale komfula. Ngaleyo ndlela singeqa, ubaba angasitholi.”
“But princess, I have nothing to pay
as your bride price, you know I’m a
poor boy.” cried Trevor.
Apenyo replied, “I know, but it’s
only you I can get married to.”
She thought for a while and said,
“Let’s go to Kategga the boat man
to sail us to the other side of the
river. That way we can escape and
my father will never find us.”
Endzhaku exigodhlweni, Hosinkulu Kayanja u kumile leswaku Hosikazi Apenyo u nyamalarile kutani a lerisa vanhu va yena ku n’wi lava kun’wana na kun’wana etikweni. Varindzi va hosinkulu, masocha na munhu un’wana na un’wana va lavile, kambe a va swi kotangi ku kuma Hosikazi Apenyo. Va tlhelerile endzhaku eka hosinkulu kutani va n’wi byela leswaku a nga kumeki. “Hikokwalaho ka sweswo yanani ekhwatini kutani mi ya lava,” ku lerisa Hosinkulu Kayanja. Hosinkulu a yi nyenyetsekile ngopfu.
Back at the palace, king Kayanja
had discovered Princess Apenyo’s
disappearance and ordered his
subjects to search for her
everywhere in the village.
The king’s guards, soldiers, and
everyone else searched, but they
couldn’t find Princess Apenyo.
They went back to the King and told
him Apenyo was nowhere to be
seen. “Then go to the bush and
search,” King Kayanja ordered. He
was very annoyed.
Loko Hosikazi Apenyo na Trevor va hatlisela ku ya eribuweni ra nambu, mapapa ya ntima ma sungule ku hlengeletana empfukeni. Bubutsa ra matimba a riri eku teni.
As Princess Apenyo and Trevor
hurried to the riverbank, dark
clouds began gathering in the sky. A
heavy storm was coming.
Kategga, mutlutaswikepe a ri eku boheni ka xikepe xa yena loko varhandzani lavantsongo va ya eka yena. Trevor u kombele Kategga ku va tluta va tsemakanya nambu. Kategga u arile ku amukela, a hlamusela leswaku bubutsa ra matimba ri hatla ku hlangana, hikokwalaho ku ta va khombo lerikulu swinene.
Kategga the boatman was mooring
his boat when the young couple
approached him. Trevor asked
Kategga to row them across the
river.
Kategga refused to accept,
explaining that a heavy storm was
fast approaching, and it would be
too dangerous.
Trevor u sindzisile na ku hlamusela Kategga leswaku hikokwalaho ka yini va fanele ku tsemakanya. Endzhaku ka sweswo hiloko a humesa mali yo nyawula exikhwameni xa yena na ku humesa mafurha a swi nyika Kategga. Loko Kategga a yingisela mhaka ya vona na ku vona rikatla ro saseka, hiloko a va twelavusiwana. U pfumerile ku va tluta va tsemakanya nambu hambileswi maxelo a ma bihile.
Trevor insisted and explained to
Kategga why they must cross. He
then put his hand deep in his
pocket and took out a cowrie shell
to give to Kategga.
When Kategga heard their story and
saw the beautiful shell, he felt sorry
for them. He agreed to row them
across the river in spite of the
weather.
Kategga u kokile xikepe ku ya ekusuhi na ribuwa kutani a va byela leswaku va nghena endzeni. Endzhaku ka sweswo u tekile mhandzi ya yena yo tlutisa xikepe kutani a sungula ku tluta. Loko Hosinkulu Kavanja na Hosi Aludah va fika eribuweni, va vonile vanhu vanharhu endzeni ka xikepe. Va swi vonile leswaku varhandzani se va balekile.
Kategga pulled the boat near the
bank and told them to get in. He
then picked his oars and began
rowing.
When king Kayanja and chief
Aludah reached the bank, they saw
the three people in the boat. They
realised that the young lovers had
escaped.
Moya wa matimba wu hlaserile xikepe ivi Kategga a nga ha koti ku xi lawula. Hosinkulu Kavanja u huwelerile a ku: “Apenyo, ndzi kombela u vuya! Ndzi ku rivalerile naswona a ndzi nga ku xupuli wena kumbe Trevor.” Kambe se a hlwerile swinene. Xikepe xi voyamele ehenhla ku tlula mpimo kutani vanhu lavaya vanharhu va hlantiwile endzeni ka mati yo chavisa. Hinkwavo va dyiwile hi mati. Endzhaku ka siku rero, un’wana na un’wana evukosini bya Hosinkulu Kayanja a a teka un’wana na un’wana lava va va lavaka, xifumi kumbe xisiwana.
Heavy winds rocked the boat and
Kategga could no longer control it.
King Kayanja shouted: “Apenyo,
please come back! I have forgiven
you and will never punish you or
Trevor.”
But it was too late. The boat tipped
over and the three people were
thrown into the wild water. They all
drowned.
After that day, everyone in king
Kayanja’s kingdom could marry
anyone they wanted, rich or poor.
