KOONA (BEAT IT)
Mbade mumawanga nga ntabala
Njiga abaana bafune ku kyokulya
Nagukide eno muba cheru pe
Nebambuza kiki ekikulese
Ntunula angazi I had nothing to say
Nebambuza kukitundu jenva
Abantu bange babeera batya
Olulimi lwenjogera baluyita batya
Nembagumya nti temubanakutya
Otontoma okotya olwo bwosanyuka
Obo’tya ?
Verse translation
I have been in the world travelling
Hunting and working hard so the children can eat
I found myself in the land of white people
The authorities asked me why I was there
Dumbfounded I had nothing to say
They asked me what part of the world I was from
They asked me about the ways of my people
They asked me what strange language I was speaking
I told them to relax and have no fear
Then they told me they had heard about the poetry and stories
But what do we do when we are happy?
Koona ku ngoma nkulage bwebabibya
wesibe akaliba nkulage bwebabibya
Kubako mungalo nkulage bwebabibya
Nyenya ku ndege nkulage bwebabibya
Koona ku ngoma nkulage bwebabibya
wesibe akaliba nkulage bwebabibya
Kubako mungalo nkulage bwebabibya
Nyenya ku ndege nkulage bwebabibya
Chorus translated
Bang on the drum let me show you how we dance
Tie the fur around your waist I will show you how we dance
If you clap for me I will show you how we dance
Bring out the shakers let me show you how we dance
Bang on the drum let me show you how we dance
Tie the fur around your waist I will show you how we dance
If you clap for me I will show you how we dance
Bring out the shakers let me show you how we dance
Omusango gwo kusalimba naguziza
Cherupe omu yambuziza
Nti gwe ookuja wanno kabaka yakukiriza
Yambuziza nga alina obuyinza
Konze ebuganda jenva tetulina visa
Twelira tooke tetulina pizza
Ddoodo munyama mukibya netukoza
Suupu wa nakati netuwuuta
Abalunyanja ku mpuuta
Obudde bwebuziba embuggo netufungiza
Tuzina muwogola netuwomereza
Embuttu nezikuba kubuli saaza
Okukunganya abalangira nabakopi
Kinobe edibba lye nswaswa tolisa mpi
Okuba engalabi obula jabya
Kokubye engoma kankulage bwebabibya
Verse 2 translation
I pleaded guilty to trespassing illegally into their country
One white officer asked
Did your king give you permission to travel?
He asked me with the utmost authority
I answered him saying in my village we are free
To travel with no visa
We eat matoke and do not have pizza
We eat doddo and nyama
Where we dip into the calabash and feast
Thick healthy veggie soup to sip on
Everyday fishermen catch fresh water fish
And when it gets dark we knot the bark cloth
We dance to the muwogola rhythm
Melodies with flavor fill the air accented with a bang of drums
In every corner of the kingdom
We come together as one the royals and common men
Kinobe would be slapping on the monitor lizard hide
Beating on the drum like he was trying to kill it with rhythm
Now that you are beating on the drum too, let me show you how we dance
Koona ku ngoma nkulage bwebabibya
wesibe akaliba nkulage bwebabibya
Kubako mungalo nkulage bwebabibya
Nyenya ku ndege nkulage bwebabibya
Koona ku ngoma nkulage bwebabibya
wesibe akaliba nkulage bwebabibya
Kubako mungalo nkulage bwebabibya
Nyenya ku ndege nkulage bwebabibya