Day of the Ancestors

 

It is the first of November

It is the day of the ancestors

On that day the children of Tovera

Gather at the Great Zimbabwe, their eternal capital.

They go into the Enclosure and walk barefoot

And pray at the Conical Tower where Tovera is buried.

They pray through their ancestors to God Mwari,

They pray for guidance and protection,

They pray for forgiveness for their wrongdoings,

They pray for blessings and good fortune.

Let all the totem clans unite

Forget your petty squabbles

Rattle the hosho gourd shakers

Pummel the ngoma drums

Play the mbira hand piano

Beat the marimba instruments

Wear your totem symbols proudly

Stamp your feet on the ground

Sing the sacred songs of the Shona people

Dance the totem dances of your clan

Recite the tsumo proverbs

Sacrifice your fattest beasts to God and your ancestors

Pray to the God Mwari through the ancestral spirits.

Tovera is our intercessor to God 

Tovera our father and Mambo King

You reside in the Nyikadzimu hereafter

Your royal blood flows in our veins

Your ancient tsumo proverbs live in our minds

Your songs and ngano fables reside in our hearts

Intercede for us when we pray

Speak to the God Mwari on our behalf.

May we be wealthy.

May Mwari God bless us with riches

May our harvests be bountiful

May we be wise and righteous

May our lives be long

May our children be healthy.