LE GLAS A SONNÉ by TABU LEY (LYRICS and TRANSLATION)
INTRODUCTION:
This song was part of the Exil Ley album which Tabu Ley recorded while in political exile. He had to flee the Congo for his safety after he criticized then-President Mobutu Sese Seko much to the latter’s fury.This is a moving song in which Tabu Ley recounts the tribulations that his country, the Democratic Republic of Congo has gone through since independence.He talks about how the Congolese fought off Belgian colonialism. But instead of seizing the opportunity to build the country, the Congolese leaders turned against each other. As a result, the wealth of the nation was wasted especially be the selfish leaders who only looked out for themselves.He expressed shock at the suffering of the Congolese people amid poor schools, a lack of jobs, and inadequate health facilities. The oft-repeated phrase is Ngonga Ebeti, Tango Ekoki which means the bell is tolling and the time has come. It is an exhortation to the Congolese people to put their differences aside and work to build the country. The phrase is then followed by the ominous toll of a Church bell.Tabu Ley sings in reverence of the greatest leaders ever from the Congo: Kasavubu, Lumumba, and Tshombe who are politicians, Cardinal Malula, and Simon Kimbangu who are religious leaders, as well Kabaselleh and Franco Luambo, the pre-eminent musicians from the Congo. Most notably he does not mention Mobutu Sese Seko who was the president at the time. The snub was intentional.Tabu Ley then ends the song exhorting God with the phrase Oh Nzambe oh oh oh…………amid the wails of a funeral.
LYRICS and TRANSLATIONS
Ngonga ebeti, Tango ekoki
Ah Nzambe ngai naleli oh Tokomi solo suka
Pasi eleki na mboka bandeko Tokomi suka ya bomoyi
Mboka ezanga bakonzi
Ba Peuple bayebi epayi balela te
Oh Nzambe
The Bell is tolling. The time has arrived
Ah God am crying out
We have reached the end
The country is full of problems brothers and sisters
We have reached the end of our lives
The country has no leaders
The people don't know whom to cry out to
Oh God
Tobunda na mondele
Tolonga etumba ya colonie Tozuwaki lipanda ya peuple
Mpo bato babonga
Tolekisi ba tango nionso
Mpo na bakonzi kosuana
Bawelaka bibonga
Batiki ba peuple na nzala
We fought the Europeans
We won the battle against colonialism
We got independence for the people
So that people's lives could improve We wasted a lot of time
With our leaders insulting each other Having petty quarrels As the people starved
Mboka ebebi nsoni mokili mobimba
Mboka ya mbongo
Mboka etonda mosolo
Bakonzi ya mboka oyo
solo balingi mboka te
The country is in ruins
The country has shamed itself in front of the world
A wealthy country A country full of jobs and money
The leaders of the country do not love the country The Bell is tolling. The time has arrived
Kasavubu eh
Lumumba eh
Bolikango Ya Tshombe
He calls upon Political leaders of the past to intercede for the country
Joseph Kasavubu eh (The first President) Patrice Lumumba (The first Prime Minister) Jean Bolikango (Served twice as Deputy Prime Minister) Moise Tshombe (Former prime minister and secessionist)
Bombombani wapi
Bopesi Mboka mokongo
Bosenga na Nzambe Atala ba peuple balembi Tango ekoki
Where are you hiding?
You have turned your backs on the country Intercede for us with the most high So that he can look at his people
They are tired The time has arrived
Malula
Kimbangu
Kabaselleh
Ya Luambo
He calls upon cultural leaders of the past to Intercede for the country
Cardinal Malula (Archbishop who was a critic of Mobutu) Simon Kimbangu (Founder of the Kimbanguist church) Kabaselleh (Joseph Kabaselleh, father of modern Congolese music) Luambo (Franco Luambo, one of the greatest Congolese musicians)
Tosambwe tosambwe tolembi
Ngo Oh Nzambe
Tovanda tozela tolembi
Mpe Mpasi eleki
We have dishonoured ourselves, We are tired
We have lived and waited
But the problems keep increasing
Ba Peuple bazelaka mbula nionso
Kaka likambo moko
Baliaka na ntongo Balia na midi mpe na pokwa Ba tata Ba mama bakota misala na mboka eh Bato ya maladie bakuta Lopitalo bakisi etonda Wana tokoyoka na malembe
Bana bakendaka kelasi
Mpe ya mikolo nionso
The people wait and hope every year For one thing
That they have a meal in the morning A meal at midday and a meal in the evening
For their children to go to school everyday
For men and women to get jobs
For sick people to find enough care in hospitals
This will bring peace
Ngonga ebeti Oh Nzambe
The bell is tolling Oh God
Lumumba eh Bolikango Ya Tshombe
Kasavubu eh (The first President)
Lumumba (The first Prime Minister) Tshombe (Former prime minister and secessionist)
Bolikango (Served twice as Deputy Prime Minister)
La puissance et le pouvoir d'un pays C'est le peuple, et le dernier mot appartient au peuple
The power and power of a country It's the people, and the last word belongs to the people
Ba Nkoko Boyoka
Botika biso awa
Tobeba oh
Toyebi te soki tokobonga Topesi kaka na bino
Our ancestors please listen
You left us here
We are in pain
We don't know if things will improve We place our problems on you
Oh Nzambe Oh
Yokela biso mawa
Listen to our problems
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