Ikliphu Yevidiyo
Ingoma
Strumming my pain with his fingers
– Ukubetha intlungu yam ngeminwe yakhe
Singing my life with his words
– Ukucula ubomi bam ngamazwi akhe
Killing me softly with his song
– Undibulala kancinci ngengoma yakhe
Killing me softly with his song
– Undibulala kancinci ngengoma yakhe
Telling my whole life with his words
– Ukuxelela ubomi bam bonke ngamazwi akhe
Killing me softly with his song
– Undibulala kancinci ngengoma yakhe
I heard he sang a good song
– Ndeva ingoma emnandi
I heard he had a style
– Ndamva style
And so I came to see him
– Ngoko ndeza kumbona
To listen for a while
– Mamela nje ixesha elide
And there he was this young boy
– Kwaye kwakukho le nkwenkwana
A stranger to my eyes
– Umntu wasemzini emehlweni am
Strumming my pain with his fingers
– Ukubetha intlungu yam ngeminwe yakhe
Singing my life with his words
– Ukucula ubomi bam ngamazwi akhe
Killing me softly with his song
– Undibulala kancinci ngengoma yakhe
Killing me softly with his song
– Undibulala kancinci ngengoma yakhe
Telling my whole life with his words
– Ukuxelela ubomi bam bonke ngamazwi akhe
Killing me softly with his song
– Undibulala kancinci ngengoma yakhe
I felt all flushed with fever
– Ndandiziva ndinomkhuhlane
Embarrassed by the crowd
– Iintloni kwisihlwele
I felt he found my letters
– Ndaziva ndifumene iileta zam
And read each one out loud
– Kwaye ufunde nganye ngokuvakalayo
I prayed that he would finish
– Ndathandazela ukuba agqibe
But he just kept right on
– Kodwa waqhubeka nje
Strumming my pain with his fingers
– Ukubetha intlungu yam ngeminwe yakhe
Singing my life with his words
– Ukucula ubomi bam ngamazwi akhe
Killing me softly with his song
– Undibulala kancinci ngengoma yakhe
Killing me softly with his song
– Undibulala kancinci ngengoma yakhe
Telling my whole life with his words
– Ukuxelela ubomi bam bonke ngamazwi akhe
Killing me softly with his song
– Undibulala kancinci ngengoma yakhe
He sang as if he knew me
– Wahlabelela njengoko wayesazi
In all my dark despair
– Into my darkness into my darkness
And then he looked right through me
– Emva koko wandijonga ngqo emehlweni
As if I wasn’t there
– Ingathi andikho apho
And he just kept on singing
– Kwaye waqhubeka ecula
Singing clear and strong
– Ukucula kucacile kwaye kunamandla
Strumming my pain with his fingers
– Ukubetha intlungu yam ngeminwe yakhe
Singing my life with his words
– Ukucula ubomi bam ngamazwi akhe
Killing me softly with his song
– Undibulala kancinci ngengoma yakhe
Killing me softly with his song
– Undibulala kancinci ngengoma yakhe
Telling my whole life with his words
– Ukuxelela ubomi bam bonke ngamazwi akhe
Killing me softly with his song
– Undibulala kancinci ngengoma yakhe
Oh, oh-oh
– Owu, owu-owu
Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh
– Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
La-la-la, la-la
– La-la, la-la
Oh-oh-oh, oh, oh-oh
– Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
La, ah-ah, ah
– La, ah-ah-ah
La, ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah
– La, ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah
Strumming my pain with his fingers
– Ukubetha intlungu yam ngeminwe yakhe
Singing my life with his words
– Ukucula ubomi bam ngamazwi akhe
Killing me softly with his song
– Undibulala kancinci ngengoma yakhe
Killing me softly with his song
– Undibulala kancinci ngengoma yakhe
Telling my whole life with his words
– Ukuxelela ubomi bam bonke ngamazwi akhe
Killing me (Softly)
– Mandibula (Mandibula)
He was strumming my pain
– Wayebetha iintlungu zam
Yeah, he was singing my life
– Ewe, wahlabelela ubomi bam
Killing me softly with his song
– Undibulala kancinci ngengoma yakhe
Killing me softly with his song
– Undibulala kancinci ngengoma yakhe
Telling my whole life with his words
– Ukuxelela ubomi bam bonke ngamazwi akhe
Killing me softly
– Mandibule softly
With his song
– Ngengoma yakhe
