I-“Waltzing Matilda”

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! E-AUSTRALIA

ICULO lase-Australia elithi “Waltzing Matilda” laziwa kabanzi emhlabeni wonke. Ukukhula kwesithakazelo okungalindelekile kuleli culo kubonakale ngonyaka odlule emkhosini wokugubha ikhulu leminyaka kusukela laculelwa umphakathi okokuqala ngo-April 6, 1895.

Kwenzeka kanjani ukuba leli culo elilula elinamazwi angacacile lithandwe kangaka, hhayi nje kulo lonke elase-Australia kuphela kodwa nasemazweni amaningi emhlabeni? Kunokulandisa okuphikisanayo ngomsuka wangempela waleli culo. Nokho, iningi likholelwa ukuthi umlobi wokuqala wamazwi alo kwakungu-A. B. (Banjo) Paterson, ozinkondlo zakhe zathengiswa kakhulu ukuzedlula zonke e-Australia ngasekupheleni kwawo-1800 nasekuqaleni kwawo-1900.

Amazwi e-“Waltzing Matilda” ayahlukahluka, kodwa indaba ephathelene nomhambuma (swagman) isobala. I-swag umgodla onezinto zomuntu siqu, futhi i-swagman yilowo othwala i-swag lapho ehamba. Kuleli culo umhambuma uye wakanisa eduze nomngenela omncane womfula, owaziwa ngokuthi i-billabong endaweni esemaphandleni ase-Australia. Njengoba ubilisa ishumbu, noma ibhodwe lawo emlilweni, kuqhamuka imvu eyondleke kahle, eyaziwa ngokuthi i-jumbuck, izophuza kuyo le-billabong. Umhambuma wayibamba, wayibulala, futhi wayifaka kuyi-tucker-bag yawo, isikhwama esisetshenziselwa ukuphatha ukudla. Akuthathanga sikhathi wenze lokho, kweza isifiki esingumninindawo sigibele ihhashi. (Izifiki kwakungabalimi abathole ilungelo lokuba abanikazi bezindawo “ngokuhlala ngokungemthetho” kuleyo ndawo. Kamuva, bakwazi ukubhalisa ngokomthetho lezo zindawo zabo ezingodedangendlale.) Lesi sifiki sasiphelezelwa amasosha amathathu, onongqayi. Lapho umhambuma oneshwa ubekwa icala lokweba imvu, futhi ngokungangabazeki ubhekene nokugqunywa ejele noma okungaphezu kwalokho, uyagxuma, ungena kuyi-billabong, futhi uyaminza.

Kungani lendaba engakholeki ikhanga kangaka? Enye incazelo ngekaBruce Elder esingenisweni sakhe encwadini kaRex Newell ethi Favourite Poems of Banjo Paterson. Usikisela ukuthi leli culo lingamazwi abonisa indlela abantu base-Australia abafuna ukuzibona beyiyo: “Lingaphezulu kakhulu kokuba indaba nje yomhambuma oweba imvu. Lizwakalisa ukungathandi kwethu ukukhahlanyezwa nabantu abanegunya. Lomhambuma umelela wonke umuntu wase-Australia ofuna ukusidelela njalo isisebenzi sikahulumeni esiphansi . . . Kungcono ukuziphonsa kuyi-billabong kunokuvumela laba bantu babuse ukuphila kwethu.” Kodwa kungakhathaliseki ukuthi isiphi isizathu sokuthandwa kwayo, i-“Waltzing Matilda” iye yaba iculo eliwuphawu lwase-Australia iminyaka engaphezu kweyikhulu.

Kusho Ukuthini Ukuthi “Waltzing Matilda”?

Leli culo linamavesi, noma izigaba ezimfushane ezine. Ngemva kwevesi ngalinye kulandela amazwi aphindaphindwayo, aqala ngemigqa ethi:

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda,

Uzokuza uzokwenza i-waltzing Matilda nami.

Lokhu kulandelwa imigqa emibili ephinda lokho osekushiwo evesini elandulelayo. Leli culo liqanjwe ngalamazwi aphindaphindwayo.

Kuye kwaba nokungaqiniseki, ngisho nokuphikisana, ngokuphathelene nokuthi yini ngempela i-“matilda” nokuthi ubani owenza i-“waltzing.” Incazelo elula enikezwa abanye abacwaningi ibonakala ingeyanelisa ukuzedlula zonke. Omunye umbhali uthi: “UPaterson . . . wayekhangwe yimihambima eyayihamba izindawo ngezindawo nazo zonke izimpahla zayo zihlohlwe ndawonye zayinqwatshana yomgodla ogoqiwe wase utshathwa ehlombe. Wayethanda ulimi oluvamile olwalusetshenziswa yilemihambima. Ukuthwala umgodla kwakwaziwa ngokuthi ‘ukuthwala umqingo emhlane,’ ‘ukutshatha isishuqulu,’ ‘ukuthwala isiqalekiso’ noma i-‘waltzing Matilda.’”

Incazelo efushanisiwe ye-waltzing matilda kaSydney May, encwadini yakhe ethi The Story of “Waltzing Matilda” ifundeka kanje: “Izingubo nezinto zomuntu siqu zazigoqwa ziqoqane bese zisongwa ngengubo eyendlaliwe. Ngemva kwalokho lengubo yayiboshwa ohlangothini ngalunye lwalenqwatshana ephakathi nendawo, bese igaxwa entanyeni ngendlela yokuthi amachopho engubo alengele ngaphambili ohlangothini ngalunye futhi ngokuvamile ingalo eyodwa yayibonakala ibambe uhlangothi olulodwa.”

Udumo Lwe-“Matilda” Luyasakazeka

USydney May uphetha ngokuthi ukuhamba ngomkhumbi kwamabutho ase-Australia eya kwamanye amazwe phakathi nempi yezwe yokuqala neyesibili okwenza ukuba iculo elithi “Waltzing Matilda” lithandwe kangaka ngaphandle kwezwe elasungulwa kulo. Unikeza lezi zibonelo: “Ngo-1941 eTel Aviv abaculi be-orchestra basesitolo sokudlela bayidlala ngesikhathi umuntu wase-Australia edlula emnyango waleso sitolo; iSigaba Sesi-9 sayicula lapho singena eBardia ngemva kokuba sesibuye sayinqoba; lapho umkhumbi wempi wase-Australia ujoyina iViyo Lemikhumbi Yempi laseBrithani, kudala ngo-1917, wamukelwa yiqembu labaculi loMkhumbi Wesikhulu Esilawulayo lidlala i-‘Waltzing Matilda’ futhi lapho umuntu wase-Australia ezokhuluma emsakazweni phesheya kwezilwandle wethulwa ngalamazwi ayinhloko aleli culo.” Phakathi kwezenzakalo ezikhetheke kunazo zonke eladlalwa kuzo leli culo kwakungenkathi kumashwa emkhosini wokuGcotshwa Kwabamelele amabutho ase-Australia eSigodlweni saseBuckingham, eLondon, phakathi nesonto elandulela ukugcotshwa kweNdlovukazi u-Elizabeth II.

Umbiko wephephandaba othakazelisayo nawo uveza umqondo wokuthandwa kwe-“Waltzing Matilda” abantu bezizinda ezihlukahlukene zokuphila. Lombiko ufundeka kanje: “Ngokunye ukuhlwa ngemva kokuba [iphini likamongameli wase-Australia] uMnu. Menzies esedlile eChequers [nephini likamongameli waseBrithani] uMnu. Churchill nomholi weQembu Elilwayo LaseFrance uJenene de Gaulle, basuka baya kwelinye lamanye amagumbi. UMnumzane uWinston wenza uphawu oluthile futhi kwadlalwa irekhodi le-‘Waltzing Matilda.’ Ecula ngamandla futhi edansa egcwala lonke igumbi, wama ukuze atshele uJenene: ‘Leli elinye lamaculo amnandi kunawo wonke emhlabeni.’”

Eqhubeka efakazela ukuthandwa kwe-“Matilda,” uRichard Magoffin encwadini yakhe ethi Waltzing Matilda—The Story Behind the Legend uthi: “Phakathi neMpi Yezwe Yesibili, iculo lama-billabong laqhutshekiselwa ezindaweni ezikude zomhlaba nangokwengeziwe, nomaphi lapho amasosha ase-Australia ayeya khona. Kwakuyiculo elalivusa kalula izinkumbulo zasekhaya futhi lalaziwa kahle njengelase-Australia.” Futhi ucaphuna umqondisi wamafilimu uKramer, owakhetha i-“Waltzing Matilda” ukuba ibe ngevelele efilimini ethi On the Beach. UKramer wathi: “Leli iculo elishintshashintsha ngokuphawulekayo. Lingadlalwa njengeculo lomdabu, lokumasha, lokudansa i-ballad noma libe yinoma iluphi olunye uhlobo lomculo, futhi siye salisebenzisa ngezindlela eziningi ezihlukahlukene njengomculo wefilimu ethi ‘On the Beach’. Nganquma ngogqozi ukuthi i-‘Waltzing Matilda’ kufanele ibe umculo ovelele kulefilimu.”

Ingabe Inomyalezo Othile?

Abanye bakholelwa ukuthi uBanjo Paterson wayethumela umyalezo kulabo ababefunda futhi bacule iculo lakhe. Ngokwesibonelo, uWilliam Power wabhala indaba encwadini ethi Yale Review e-United States eveza imibono ehlola inhliziyo ehlobene nalokho okungase kube umyalezo okuleli culo. Nokho, nakuba ngokusobala kungebona bonke abangavumelana nemibono yakhe, inkulumo yakhe inesiphetho esifanelekayo kulokhu kuhlaziywa okufushane kwe-“Waltzing Matilda.” Wathi:

“Abantu base-Australia akuzange kudingeke bahlushwe amandla emvelo nje kuphela, kodwa nawukushiyeka kobuntu. . . . Lezi zingcindezi zivezwa kuyi-‘Waltzing Matilda’, izimbangi kuyizinhlobo ezimbili ezihlukene ngokuphawulekayo, isifiki nomhambuma. Kulempikiswano, abaningi bangathi isifiki siyakufanelekela ukunqoba. Umnotho wase-Australia uxhomeke ngezinga elikhulu ekhonweni laso njengomfuyi wezimvu nezinkomo. Siyazikhandla, sinokwethenjelwa, sinesibindi; ukube besintula enye yezimfanelo esizihlobanisa nevulandlela, besingeke siqhubeke sihleli njengesifiki isikhathi eside. . . . Umhambuma nawo uwumuntu. . . . Nawo uyingxenye yomphakathi. Imihambima embalwa yabhukula yaba nezindawo; eyengeziwe yafinyelela izikhundla ezingaphansana kodwa ezanelisayo njengabalimi, izisebenzi zasemapulazini amakhulu, omakhenikha, izisebenzi zasedolobheni; eminye yaqhubeka ingenazindawo namakhaya kwaze kwaba sekupheleni kwezinsuku zayo, ishiya amathambo ayo emizileni yayo. Umphakathi ungase ufune ukuba isifiki siqhubeke sichuma kunomhambuma, kodwa amalungelo omhambuma njengomuntu akumelwe nanini alitshalwe.”

Manje, sekudlule iminyaka engaphezu kweyikhulu kusukela leli culo elilula lasemaphandleni labhalwa. UBanjo Paterson wayengacabangi ukuthi inkondlo yakhe eyenziwe umculo yayiyoba iculo lase-Australia elithandwa kangaka.