Close Menu
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Poem Collections
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Poem Collections
    Home » In Praise of the Ancestors by Mazisi Kunene
    Poem

    In Praise of the Ancestors by Mazisi Kunene

    Updated:January 16, 20261 Min Read

    Even now the forefathers still live
    They are not overcome by the power of the whirlwind.
    The day that sealed their eyes that did not conquer them.
    Even the tall boulder that stands over them
    Casts only a humble shadow over their resting place
    They are the great voice that carries the epics

    The Ancestors have come to listen to our songs,
    Overjoyed they shake their hands in ecstasy.
    With us they celebrate their eternal life.
    They climb the mountain with their children
    To put the symbol of the ancient stone on its forehead.

    We honour those who gave birth to us
    With them we watch the spectacle of the moving mists.
    They have opened their sacred book to sing with us
    They are the mystery that envelopes our dream.
    They are the power that shall unite us.
    They are the strange truth of the earth.
    They came from the womb of the universe
    Restless they are, like a path of dreams,
    Like a forest sheltering the neighbouring race of animals.

    Yes, the deep eye of the universe is in our chest
    With it we stare at the centres of the sky.
    We sing the anthems that celebrate their great eras.
    For indeed life does not begin with us.

    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Telegram WhatsApp Copy Link
    Previous ArticleTuvalu, Tuvalu by Iftikhar Ayaz
    Next Article Poetic terms

    Related Posts

    My Mother by Ann Taylor: Feel the Power of Motherhood

    Climbing Long-View Mountain’s Highest Peak by Meng Hao-jan

    Animal Crackers by Richard de Zoysa

    The Sun Rising by John Donne themes, literary devices

    Poem by the Emperor by Emperor Yūryaku

    Trapped in a Puddle by Amin Kassam

    To his Wife by Decimius Magnus Ausonius

    Promise by Arthur Nortje

    I am like a slip of comet by Gerard Manley Hopkins

    Recent Posts
    • My Mother by Ann Taylor: Feel the Power of Motherhood
    • Climbing Long-View Mountain’s Highest Peak by Meng Hao-jan
    • Animal Crackers by Richard de Zoysa
    • What is a poem analysis?
    • The Sun Rising by John Donne themes, literary devices
    Categories
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Contact Us
    • About Us
    © 2026 ThemeSphere. Designed by PoemCollections.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.