Siyahamba
Siyahamba (Written by Andries Van Tonder) is a South African hymn that became popular in North American churches in the 1990s.  The title means "We Are Marching" or "We are Walking" in the Zulu language.

History
"Siyahamba" originated in South Africa, probably as a Zulu folk song that was written by Andries Van Tonder, an elder of the Judith Church, and was passed on to his great grandsons, Andrew and Zachariah O' Tonder, from Ireland who now have the original paper that the song was written on. It was written in 1952, 3 years before Andries Van Tonder died.

In 1978, the Swedish choral group Fjedur toured South Africa at the invitation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of South Africa. It was during this tour that Fjedur's musical director, , heard and recorded "Siyahamba" at a girls' school in Appelsbosch, Natal. Subsequently, this song has been used around the world by schools in their prayers.

In 1984, Nyberg arranged "Siyahamba" for a four-voice setting and published it in a songbook and recording called Freedom is Coming: Songs of Protest and Praise from South Africa. In 1994, GIA Publications included the song (under the title "We Are Marching in the Light of God") in Gather Comprehensive, a hymnal widely used in American Catholic parishes. A year later, the United Church of Christ included the song, under the same title, in The New Century Hymnal. The Unitarian Universalist Association included the song in its 2005 supplemental hymnbook, Singing the Journey.

Today, "Siyahamba" is often performed by children's groups in both sacred and secular environments. Occasionally, the translated lyrics are modified for a secular performance: for example, the English translation "We are marching in the light of God" becomes "We are standing in the light of peace."

The song is extremely popular in churches all around the world.

Lyrics

The structure of the song is cyclic, rather than sequential: the lyrics consist of one phrase, repeated with permutations.  Hawn notes that cyclical forms tend to emphasize a spirit of community and allow for physical response during the performance.  This cyclical form, along with the meaning of the lyrics, may explain the song's popularity as a processional and offertory as well as a protest or marching song.

Afrikaans

Ons marsjeer nou in die lig van God,

Ons marsjeer nou in die lig van God.

Ons marsjeer nou in die lig van God,

Ons marsjeer nou in die lig van God.
[in die lig van God]

Ons marsjeer nou...  ooh
[Ons marsjeer nou, marsjeer nou, ons marsjeer nou, marsjeer nou,]

Ons marsjeer nou in die lig van God.
[in die lig van God]

Ons marsjeer nou...  ooh
[Ons marsjeer nou, marsjeer nou, ons marsjeer nou, marsjeer nou,]

Ons marsjeer nou in die lig van God.

(Alternative versions of the lyrics may alternate marsjeer with different verbs such as wandel.)

Zulu (original)
Siyahamb' ekukhanyeni kwenkos,
Siyahamba ekukhanyeni kwenkos'.

Siyahamb' ekukhanyeni kwenkos',
Siyahamba ekukhanyeni kwenkos'.

[ekukhanyeni kwenkos']

Siyahamba... ooh

[Siyahamba, hamba, Siyahamba, hamba]

Siyahamba ekukhanyeni kwenkos'.

[ekukhanyeni kwenkos']

Siyahamba... ooh

[Siyahamba, hamba, Siyahamba, hamba]

Siyahamba ekukhanyeni kwenkos'.

Swahili

Twatembea nuruni mwake,
twatembea nuruni mwake.

Twatembea nuruni mwake,

twatembea nuruni mwake.
[nuruni mwake]

Twatembea... ooh
[Twatembea, tembea, twatembea, tembea,]

Twatembea nuruni mwake.
[nuruni mwake]

Twatembea... ooh
[Twatembea, tembea, twatembea, tembea,]

Twatembea nuruni mwake.

English

Leader:We are marching in the light of God

Choir:We are marching in the light of God.

Leader:We are marching in the light of God,

Choir:We are marching in the light of God.
[in the light of God]

We are marching... ooh
[We are marching, marching, we are marching, marching,]

We are marching in the light of God.
[the light of God]

We are marching... ooh
[We are marching, marching, we are marching, marching,]

We are marching in the light of God.

(Alternative versions of the lyrics may alternate marching with different verbs such as walking, dancing, singing, living, or praying, holding up, or the word "God" for love in a less religious gathering.)

German

Wir marschieren im Lichte Gottes

Wir marschieren im Lichte Gottes.

Wir marschieren im Lichte Gottes,

Wir marschieren im Lichte Gottes.
[im Lichte Gottes]

Wir marschieren... ooh
[Wir marschieren, marschieren, wir marschieren, marschieren,]

Wir marschieren im Lichte Gottes.
[im Lichte Gottes]

Wir marschieren... ooh
[Wir marschieren, marschieren, wir marschieren, marschieren,]

Wir marschieren im Lichte Gottes.

(Where marching is not to be understood in the sense of a military march, but the meaning is here more in the direction of hiking.)

French

Nous marchons dans la lumière de Dieu,

Nous marchons dans la lumière de Dieu.

Nous marchons dans la lumière de Dieu,

Nous marchons dans la lumière de Dieu.
[dans la lumière de Dieu]

Nous marchons... ooh
[Nous marchons, marchons, nous marchons, marchons,]

Nous marchons dans la lumière de Dieu.
[dans la lumière de Dieu]

Nous marchons... ooh
[Nous marchons, marchons, nous marchons, marchons,]

Nous marchons dans la lumière de Dieu.

Spanish

Caminamos en la luz de Dios,

Caminamos en la luz de Dios.

Caminamos en la luz de Dios,

Caminamos en la luz de Dios.
[en la luz de Dios]

Caminando... ooh
[Caminando, vamos caminando, vamos]

Caminando en la luz de Dios.
[en la luz de Dios]

Caminando... ooh
[Caminando, vamos caminando, vamos]

Caminando en la luz de Dios.

Portuguese

Caminhando, na luz do Senhor,

Caminhando, na luz do Senhor

Caminhando, na luz do Senhor,

Caminhando, na luz do Senhor.
[com a luz do Senhor]

Caminhando... ooh
[Caminhando, eu vou caminhando, eu vou]

Caminhando, na luz do Senhor.
[com a luz do Senhor]

Caminhando... ooh
[Caminhando, eu vou caminhando, eu vou]

Caminhando, na luz do Senhor.

Icelandic

Við göngum í ljósi Guðs

já, við göngum í ljósi Guðs

Við göngum í ljósi Guðs

já, við göngum í ljósi Guðs

Við göngum,

já við göngum

Úww, já, við göngum í ljósi Guðs

Við göngum,

já við göngum

Úww, já, við göngum í ljósi Guðs

Notes