Translating Gendered Moral Instruction in Xitsonga Popular Songs: A Case Study of the Song N’waGezani by Eckson Maluleke
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25159/2663-6697/22172Keywords:
translation as a mediation, gender, repetition, morality, communal authorityAbstract
This article examines the translation of gendered moral instruction in Xitsonga popular music, using Eckson Maluleke’s song N’waGezani as a case study. The song presents a narrative in which a woman is repeatedly warned by her relatives and the wider community for neglecting familial obligations in favour of a new romantic relationship. Through these repeated warnings, the song constructs communal moral authority and reinforces gendered expectations of care, loyalty, and social accountability. Methodologically, the article adopts a qualitative textual approach, involving the transcription of the original Xitsonga lyrics and a comparative analysis of their English translations. Drawing on translation studies and gender discourse analysis, the article examines how moral judgement, repetition, and an advisory tone are linguistically encoded and negotiated in translation. The findings demonstrate that translation is not a neutral process, as certain gendered meanings and moral intensities embedded in the Xitsonga text are either softened or reconfigured in English. The article argues that translating Xitsonga song lyrics requires sensitivity to culturally embedded communal moral discourses that disproportionately position women as bearers of social responsibility. The article contributes to scholarship on African popular music, gender representation, and translation studies.
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Accepted 2026-07-10
Published 2026-07-22
