"Victory" - by K-Denk
K-Denk is a popular South Sudanese artist currently based in Nairobi, Kenya. Born and raised in southern Sudan during the Sudanese Civil Wars, he ended up as a refugee in Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya. In Kakuma, he began to sing in a church choir, where his talent was first recognized. He then became involved with the UN and began to perform at events such the World Child Rights Day and World Refugee Day. In 2007, he returned to southern Sudan as a journalist and, the following year, recorded his first song, "This is Me," which shot to number one on the charts. In 2010, he recorded his first full album and has been working full-time in music ever since, recording, touring around the world, and running his own media empire, WangdunKon.
K-Denk composes in two main genres, Afrobeats and hip-hop. His preferred genre is hip-hop, since that is what he uses for his socially-conscious lyrics.
"Victory" falls into the socially-conscious hip-hop category. The song officially dropped in January 2019, though he had been performing it at refugee camps before then. K-Denk composed it in response to the South Sudanese conflicts, to encourage to those who have suffered from the violence and instability, and it is one of the most popular songs from his forthcoming album, Life is You.
Lyrics
Mi ci guä du ben
If your time arrives
Thiɛlɛ wäl mi deje pek
There is no sort of magic that can prevent it
Mi ci kuoth du liec
If God decides in your favor
Thiɛlɛ gok mi deje ŋak
There is no prophet that can block it
Ku widu cuoŋ nhial
Lift your head up
Ku guïc ni puar
And look up to the sky
Jiɛc ni widu nhial
Lift up your head
Ku guïc ni puar
And look up to the sky
Victory, victory
Wut mi Nuer
Nuer man
Buom de jɛn
Is strong
History, history
Rami mi raan
A true human being
Nei ti Naath
Real people
Verse 1
Kuic ŋuani
Ignorance
Ba ŋiec pɛl
Should be trained to be wise
Ŋäc ŋuani
If that person is wise
Ba tit
They should be honored
Well, well
Gaat ɛ mi la bɛh kɛ lɛm
Being young is only to grow more mature
Ŋuɛt ɛ mi la weh kɛ doŋ
To be mature is only to grow older
Cuit ni ɣɔa
The world’s obstacles
La nuar kɛ naa
Obviously weaken souls
Nyuän kɛ riŋ mä loc
It weakens flesh and heart
Bi cäär ku nuän
It limits your thinking
Kɛ buoth
Due to hunger
Ku tiäi puäny ro godh
The spirit is running out from the body
Ŋäc ni mɛ
Know this
Ram ken kon cuuc
A person that has never suffered
Kuɛ rɔ nyuany cuät
Can achieve nothing
Ram ci kon cuuc
A person that has suffered
Ŋäc rɔ kä run
Will plan for tomorrow
Gaa bɛc ɛ mi la beh kɛ guäth
Yo, pain is only for a season
Cuop wec ɛ mi la beh bɛ pek
Independence is forever
Ɛ loc du tɛth
Let your heart be happy
Ŋääny ni ɣä lɛc ti gɔu
Smile at me with your beautiful teeth
Kä muɔc jä mer
And give me a torch
Mer rɛ ɣä
Light me up
Gorä oh bä rap ɛ gɔa
I want to rap better
Kɛ oh biä kulɛ feel
So that you can feel me
Pain is temporary
Glory is forever
Love harder than any pain you ever felt
Wut mi Nuer kuɛ naa forgive in any way
A Nuer man easily forgives people in any way
Ŋäc nɛ guäth e tän nɛ thin
Let us be informed of where we were
Kɛnɛ guäth ɛ tän nɛ thin
And the place we’re at now
Liɛc ni wic muɔn demɔr piny
Look down to your brother’s grave
Bum rɔdu
Strengthen yourself
Cu locdu moc jɛth loac
Don't let your heart be sad
Verse 2
Ɣän de la refugee
How can I be a refugee
This can never be
Man, I must lead
Gäc, luär, diɛu, dhuäl
Poverty, giving up, self-doubt, disrespect
Kɛn tɔ ca nhɔk
People dislike them
Luäŋ, cuop, luth, mar
Power, independence, respect, relationships
Kɛn tɔ kua nhɔk
People like them
Mi riäŋ ŋi thiäk candu
If you are rich, you can easily become poor
Mi canni thiäk riäŋdu
And if you are poor, you can easily become rich
Kuale nenbe
Look and you can see it now
Tä piny kotdä wä nhial
I am down and now climbing high
Nhok mi luar aku thuar
Let the love flow more freely
Tek mi gɔa
Better life
Dhɔl kum kɛ ɣä kɛ buai
Brothers covering me with light
Jäl lä ɣɔu mi buoi ɛ tai
I’m traveling in a very peaceful world
La ka riäthä
I normally defeat them
Ɣän gat diäli
I am the true son of the land
La ka tiamä
I normally outnumber them
Tiɛdɛ guut riätni
Focus on my final words
Ɛ ŋut ku rual ci yäk mɛny
Let the women dance and celebrate, shouting loudly, for the dictator has now seen the wrath [of the victims]
Ɛ thiät ku biet
Let the coward keep quiet
Ci lony ŋɛny
The lion is furious
Dap ɛ la gat
You were born a child
Liu ni ɛ la duaŋ
So die only when you are old
Ben ɛ la can
If you are born poor
Lui ni ɛ ci riäŋ
Then die wealthy
You have struggled hard, so you have to achieve it all
Wangdunkon
We are your eyes
Empire
Wangdunkon
We are your eyes
Verse 3
Kuoth nhial
Heavenly father
Ce guän cuŋ kä bai
Does not fail to recognize the innocent
Jen ce yei cuuc bai
He does not fail to see the suffering souls
Ŋäc jɛ riek du
He knows your problems
Ŋäc jɛ lueg du
He knows how to help you in the best way possible
Somebody help [join] me
Ke lul tɛth kä loac
To cry the cry of happiness
Aku teh inono
Let it be just like that forever
Inono, inono
Forever, forever