The most amazing moment I experienced at Saturday's Tri-Nations game between the Springboks and the All Blacks wasn't when South Africa scored points or even the fact that we won, it was singing the national anthem along with 45000 people and raising the roof doing so. Even the television commentators commented afterwards that they didn't think they have ever heard the anthem sung like that. A close second was when the South African supporters drowned out the feared All Black Haka singing "Olé olé olé!" Yesterday I picked up a clip on YouTube featuring both the national anthems and the haka and it is really worth watching.
The South African National Anthem
Nkosi sikelel’ iAfrika (Xhosa)
Maluphakanyisw’ uphondo lwayo, (Xhosa)
Yizwa imithandazo yethu, (Zulu)
Nkosi sikelela, thina lusapho lwayo.(Zulu)
Morena boloka setjhaba sa heso,
O fedise dintwa le matshwenyeho,
O se boloke, O se boloke setjhaba sa heso,
Setjhaba sa, South Afrika.
(Entire verse is performed in Sesotho)
South Afrika!
Uit die blou van onse hemel,
Uit die diepte van ons see,
Oor ons ewige gebergtes,
Waar die kranse antwoord gee,
(Entire verse is performed in Afrikaans)
Sounds the call to come together,
And united we shall stand,
Let us live and strive for freedom,
In South Africa our land.
(Entire verse is performed in English)
That brings tears to my eyes and I'm not even from South Africa. Beautiful! Thanks for sharing. And Go Bokke!!!
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me of when the Canadian anthem was sung before this hockey game... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meLpuF9UMvk
... wish I was there....
ReplyDeleteYes, we could hear the united spirit when the National Anthem was sung over the tv on Saturday. And yes, what a roar over the haka! Thanks for sharing. Greetings, Jo (Kenya)
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