Bittereinder

Bittereinder, bittereinder, my people are broken in three.
 Each one with his impression of the enemy's oppression
 But a bittereinder I will be.
 One burgher was a "joiner", a man of no possessions,
 Everything to gain but nothing to lose.
 Then he swore allegiance to the British legions,
 Riding with the khakis was the life that he would choose.
 But another burgher, he was a "hensopper",
 Protection of his land was a promise from the crown
 But the promise was in vain, he took up arms again
 When they ravished his livestock and burnt his dwelling down.
 Bittereinder, bittereinder, my nation's now scattered çross the sea
 though we fought amongst each other,
 My brother's still my brother
 So bittereinder I will be.
 Could not live beneath their standard on another shore I landed,
 It's a land across the ocean far away
 But these hills are not my koppies, these folk are not my people,
 This plain is not my pasture and this swamp is not my vlei.
 But the years they have been flying, memories of the dead and dying
 are fixed in my mind but the bitterness has gone,
 now my land is once more mine through that healer they call time,
 The winners have lost and the losers have now won.
 Bittereinder, bittereinder, this nation is now made up of four
 Reconcilliation is what will build a nation
 So, bittereinder no more!
 Bittereinder, bittereinder, this nation is now made up of four
 Reconcilliation is what will build a nation
 So, bittereinder no more!