Niongoze, Bwana Mungu

Representative Text

1 Niongoze, Bwana Mungu, ni msafiri chini;
Ni mnyonge, nguvu sina; nishike mkononi;
U Mkate wa mbinguni, nilishe siku zote,
Nilishe siku zote.

2 Kijito cha maji mema kitokacho mwambani,
Nguzo yako, moto wingu, yaongoza nyikani;
Niokoe Mwenye nguvu; nguvu zangu na ngao,
Nguvu zangu na ngao.

3 Nikikaribia kufa, sichi neno lo lote,
Wewe kifo umeshinda, zinawe nguvu zote,
Tutaimba sifa zako, kwako juuu milele.
Kwako juu milele.

Source: Nyimbo Za Imani Yetu #18

Author: William Williams

William Williams, called the "Watts of Wales," was born in 1717, at Cefn-y-coed, near Llandovery, Carmarthenshire. He originally studied medicine, but abandoned it for theology. He was ordained Deacon in the Church of England, but was refused Priest's Orders, and subsequently attached himself to the Calvinistic Methodists. For half a century he travelled in Wales, preaching the Gospel. He died in 1791. Williams composed his hymns chiefly in the Welsh language; they are still largely used by various religious bodies in the principality. Many of his hymns have appeared in English, and have been collected and published by Sedgwick. His two principal poetical works are "Hosannah to the Son of David," and "Gloria in Excelsis." --Annotati… Go to person page >

Translator (English): Peter Williams

(no biographical information available about Peter Williams.) Go to person page >

Translator (Swahili): Anonymous

In some hymnals, the editors noted that a hymn's author is unknown to them, and so this artificial "person" entry is used to reflect that fact. Obviously, the hymns attributed to "Author Unknown" "Unknown" or "Anonymous" could have been written by many people over a span of many centuries. Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Niongoze, Bwana Mungu, ni msafiri chini
Title: Niongoze, Bwana Mungu
English Title: Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah
Author: William Williams
Translator (English): Peter Williams
Translator (Swahili): Anonymous
Language: Swahili

Tune

CWM RHONDDA

The popularity of Williams's text ("Guide me, O thou great Jehovah") is undoubtedly aided by its association with CWM RHONDDA, composed in 1905 by John Hughes (b. Dowlais, Glamorganshire, Wales, 1873; d. Llantwit Fardre, Wales, 1932) during a church service for a Baptist Cymanfa Ganu (song festival)…

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Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 3 of 3)
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Mwimbieni Bwana #317

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Nyimbo Za Imani Yetu #18

Nyimbo za Imani Yetu #18

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