Joko Ya Hao e Bobebe Lyrics Meaning in English Translation

This is the Sesotho hymn titled ‘Joko Ya Hao e Bobebe’ : Its composers and time of origin have eloped with time, but the hymn’s meat is timeless for anyone who chooses to meditate deeply. This hymn is called “Your Yoke Is Easy” in English and through the text, it makes people feel the comfort, the safety, and hope for eternity.

The first line of the hymn is that ‘The Lord’s yoke is easy,’ is the kind of assurance that speaks immediately to the weary; which is to say, it speaks of God who comes to increase our burdens but rather to lessen them. ‘E nkgatholola pelo’ (it soothes my heart) bears testimony to the comfort that the faithful find in the religion, and this is reinforced by the Biblical assurance that Jesus consoles the troubled conscience.

Earlier in the hymn, faith is depicted as a mirror—“Yan le cana”, and as the hymn goes further, faith is described to be a shield—“Tumelo ho nna ke thebe”. This imagery is powerful; it gives the picture of faith as a shield that protects a believer from the hardships of life and the state of spiritual dying, this goes a long way in depicting how much strong and true faith can have in a christian’s life.

The line, ‘‘Ha ke hlahelwa ke dillo’’ (When trials come) brings in the message of endurance and mercy. The lyrics specifically stress on the fact that in helplessness and tribulation, God is not far from His people but is rather closely compassionate on them. This part of the hyme seeks to console the faithful that God is always beside them and encouraging them along the lines of the scripture that says that God is a help to the troubled.

In the last couple of stanzas, the hymn scours on the prospect of moving from the terrestrial realm to the celestial realm which it likens to the translation of Elijah in a whirlwind into the heavens. This imagery—“Ho tla ba jwang ha ke siya Kobo ena e bolang” (What will it be like when I depart)— sums up a victory from suffering in this life for which there is no eternal reward to arrive in the heavenly kingdom where there will be more than enough clapping of hands and shouting of ‘Hallelujah.’

Joko Ya Hao e Bobebe Lyrics in English

1. Joko ya hao e bo bebe
   (Your yoke is gentle)
   E nkgatholola pelo
   (It brings comfort to my heart)
   Tumelo ho nna ke thebe
   (Faith to me is a shield)
   Etla mphemisa lefu
   (It will guard me from death)
   Nyakallo ke e fumane
   (I have discovered true joy)
   Tseleng ya hao Morena
   (On your path, Lord)
   Dira ho nna di qhalane
   (Foes before me have dispersed)
   Ke hloletswe ke wena
   (I am victorious through you)
2. O re ho’na ke lelale
   (You say to me, do not weep)
   Ke tshephe lehodimo
   (Trust in the heavens)
   Moeti ha a kgathale
   (The traveler shall not tire)
   O pepjwa ke Modimo
   (Is upheld by God)
   Efela o dutse jwale
   (Indeed, He remains unchanged)
   E sa le o nthatile
   (Still, you have cherished me)
   O mphodisitse matswalo
   (You’ve soothed my anxieties)
   ‘Me jwale ke thabile
   (Now, I am filled with happiness)
3. Ha ke hlahelwa ke dillo
   (When I am faced with sorrows)
   O ntekola ka mosa
   (You encircle me with kindness)
   O ntlela ka di polelo
   (You comfort me with words)
   Tse phakisang ho nthusa
   (That indeed offer me salvation)
   Ha ke re: ke mofutsana
   (When I declare: I am destitute)
   O re: Che, o’na lenna
   (You say: No, I am with you)
   Ha ke re: Kgoro ya hana
   (When I doubt my entry through the gate)
   O re, che, o tla kena
   (You assure me: No, you shall enter)
4. Ho tla ba jwang ha ke siya
   (What will it be like when I depart)
   Kobo ena e bolang
   (This ailing body)
   Ke be jwalo ka Eliya
   (To be like Elijah)
   Ka koloi e fofang?
   (In a soaring chariot?)
   Ke tla opa ka diatla
   (I will applaud with my hands)
   Ke tla re: Haleluya
   (I will proclaim: Hallelujah)
   Halleluya ho senatla
   (Hallelujah to the Mighty One)
   Se nkenyang ho Jehova.
   (Who alone brings me to Jehovah)

“Joko Ya Hao” has been performed by various artists, each bringing their unique interpretation to this beloved hymn. Here are some notable performances available on YouTube:

I.P.C.C. – Joko Ya Hao

This version was released under the album “Mehleng Ya Bofelo” in 1980 by Gallo Record Company.

TLO-TLO – Joko Ya Hao

A rendition of the hymn by TLO-TLO.

Joyous Celebration – Joko Ya Hao (Live in Johannesburg)

Performed live in Johannesburg at the Civic Theatre in 2002. This performance was released by Sony Music Entertainment Africa (Pty) Ltd/Joyous Celebration Foundation.

Did You Know?

Joko ya hao e bo bebe song was written with so much relevance to the bible.

Here’s how the Sesotho lyrics from “Joko ya hao e bo bebe” can be connected to relevant Bible verses:Here’s how the Sesotho lyrics from “Joko ya hao e bo bebe” can be connected to relevant Bible verses:

• Joko ya hao e bo bebe (Your burden is light): This is similar to the verse in Mathew; 11:30 Jesus said, For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light The song and the verse are saying it is easier and lighter to believe in God rather than ton struggle for everything in the world.
• E nkgatholola pelo (It soothes my heart): Strangely enough, one might imagine that Psalm 23:3 might apply here: ‘He restores my soul.’ The reference to rock ‘n’ roll clearly speaks of rejuvenation in terms of the mind’s spirit, further supported by the allusion in the phrase from the song lyric, God restores my soul.
• Tumelo ho nna ke thebe (Faith is a shield): This line was derived from Ephesians 6:16, ‘In all circumstances take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one’.
• Ho tla ba jwang ha ke siya Kobo ena e bolang (How will it feel like when I finally leave this perishable flesh): This lyric is an allusion to 1 Corinthians 15:54 where it states that when mortality has been raised with immortality and death has been conquered, then, the scripture that has been written will be fulfilled which says – ‘O death, where is your victory?’ Both the scripture and the song lyric, talk about the change from mortality to immortality, triumph over death.
• O re ho’na ke lelale (He told me not to cry): This line can be traced to Revelation 21:4: ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ Like the verse, the lyric relates the promise of an end to suffering.