Ndima dzeNhetembo · Poem Stanzas 💡 Click any stanza or line to listen

Ndima 1

Katsi yangu chena inorara pachoto,

My little white cat dozes happily by the hearth fire,

Inoti ‘mnyawu’ ichidziya moto.

Purring ‘meow’ as it bathes in the warm glow.

Mbeva ikabuda ichinonga tsanga mudura,

When a little mouse creeps out to nibble grain in the granary,

Katsi yodongorera meso oita marangangwa!

Cat peeps up wide-eyed, ears perked like saucers!

Ndima 2

Mbeva yakamuka yakadzika mugomba,

The nimble mouse darts into its bolt hole in a flash,

Katsi yasara ichinanzva muromo.

Leaving lazy cat blinking and licking its whiskers.

Usazvidze mudiki ane unyanzvi hwake,

Never despise the small one who possesses quick wits,

Mbeva yakapona nokuti yakangwara!

For the tiny mouse survived because it was alert and clever!

Dzepfunde! · Learn Shona

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Mashoko Anokosha · Key Poetic Vocabulary

Tap any word to listen to its pronunciation and definition

Pachoto

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🗣️ pah-CHOH-toh

Beside the hearth fire / cooking fire

Tsanga

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🗣️ TSAH-ngah

Grains, corn kernels, seeds

Marangangwa

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🗣️ mah-rah-NGAH-ngwah

Wide open, highly alert round eyes

Unyanzvi

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🗣️ oo-nyahn-ZVEE

Clever skill, dexterity, ingenuity

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Ongororo yeNhetembo · Literary & Cultural Insights

📌 Dingindira Guru (Main Theme):

Cleverness over size, humor, quick thinking, and observing animal antics.

🎨 Zvirungamutauro (Metaphors & Imagery):

“Meso marangangwa” illustrates heightened alertness; the mouse proves that wisdom outruns raw power.

🌱 Chidzidzo cheHupenyu (Life Lesson / Moral):

🇿🇼 Kuve mudiki hazvirevi kushaya simba; pfungwa nekungwara zvinoponesa.

🇬🇧 Being small is no handicap; alertness, agility, and wit outsmart raw brawn.

Katsi Yangu neMbeva