Can any of our resident Zulu speakers translate this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx7KzuXz4AM

The Battle for RORKES DRIFT, January 22/23, 1879
British ; 8 officers, men 131 [35 were sick in the "hospital"}
Zulus : between 3000 and 4000
British casualties ; 17 men killed, wounded 1 officer and 7 men.
Zulu casualties ; an estimated minimum of 600
11 V.C.s awarded.

I've heard it is a funeral durge.

quote:

Originally posted by Code4:
I've heard it is a funeral durge.

I don't speak the language but I'd agree it is a funeral durge, but I think it is meant for the BRITTS!

Sounds like a death warent being delivered to me!

quote:

Originally posted by Scriptus:
The Battle for RORKES DRIFT, January 22/23, 1879
British ; 8 officers, men 131 [35 were sick in the "hospital"}
Zulus : between 3000 and 4000
British casualties ; 17 men killed, wounded 1 officer and 7 men.
Zulu casualties ; an estimated minimum of 600
11 V.C.s awarded.

Certainly a better result than how things played out at Isandlwana.

My internet connection is so slow I can only hear about 3 seconds worth before it stops and waits minutes before loading the next few seconds worth and I doubt my Zulu would be up to anything like a sensible translation anyway but (FWIW) if I remember correctly the film claimed (probably either by Caine or Baker) that they were saluting the bravery of the Brits.

Now here's a useless piece of information for you. The guy playing Chief Cetawayo at the beginning of the film was actually Chief Mangosuthi Bethelezi.

I reckon Caine especially was brilliant in that movie and the other film I think he was truly outstanding in, was 'The Man Who would Be King' which was originally a Kipling story.

Steve - too bad you can't hear it. It's just plain awesome.

I imagine it's part loyalty oath, part threat, and part battle cry, designed, I would guess, to embolden the warriors and strike fear into the enemy.

This was before the first attack. The salute came later.

By the way, if you're a Kipling fan, I've got a few of his letters for sale HERE

The victory at Rorkes drift is not that hard to understand if you do a military analysis of it.

Impressive as they were, the Zulu did suffer from fatigue and the impi (plural) that reached Rorkes drift had already covered far more than their normal daily quota of distance. IIRC there were segments of four different Impi and two of them had already fought that day. They were at the end of their endurance and had to face a prepared and rested defence.

I have been to Rorkes drift twice (1986 and 2008) and the mission is at the top of gently sloping ground. The kopji behind it is very close and the Zulu must have been shit marksmen not to have made better use of it.

The write up in the english press post event was pure spin doctoring to draw public attention away from the incompetance of Isandlwana.

The movie stays true to most of the events but is hopelessly romanticised.

My family did a tour of the mission in 2008 and got the Zulu version of events while I recovered from horrendous diahorrea in the hire car outside. I would have loved to have heard what they had to say.

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:

quote:

Originally posted by Scriptus:
The Battle for RORKES DRIFT, January 22/23, 1879
British ; 8 officers, men 131 [35 were sick in the "hospital"}
Zulus : between 3000 and 4000
British casualties ; 17 men killed, wounded 1 officer and 7 men.
Zulu casualties ; an estimated minimum of 600
11 V.C.s awarded.

Certainly a better result than how things played out at Isandlwana.

I would like to think that they were fast learners.

Found the entire film here: Zulu

The vid of the song was explained to me as a song , sung for the warriors their facing upon their deaths,great film remember seeing it at the drive inn

Very good movie.....lousy Shooting by Zulus with captured Brit firearms