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Lyrics
Chorus
Impilo yami ngiyinika wena
(My life I give unto you)
Impilo yami ngiyiletha kuwe
(My life I bring to you)
Ngob’ akekho omunye
(For there’s no one else)
Ongangiphathela yona
(That can care for it as you do)
Chorus (Repeat)
Nguwe wedwa sihlangu sami
(You alone are my shield)
Nguwe wedwa siphephelo sami
(You alone are my refuge)
Ngob’ akekho omunye
(For there is no one else)
Ongangiphathela yona
(That can care for it as you do)
Credits & Song Information
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
“Impilo Yami (My Life)” is a Zulu worship song performed live by Spirit of Praise with Nothando Hlophe. The chorus is a prayer of surrender, with each Zulu line followed by an English translation: “My life I give unto you,” and “My life I bring to you.”
The reason is stated in the next lines: there is no one else who can care for the singer’s life as God does. This is close to 1 Peter 5:7, which invites believers to cast their cares on Him because He cares for them, and to Psalm 31:5, where the psalmist commits his spirit into God’s hand.
The second part of the chorus calls God a shield and a refuge, using the language of Psalm 18:2 and Psalm 91:2. Because the lyric is brief and repeats in two languages, a congregation can sing it without much explanation, and the prayer stays simple and trusting. The message is that life is safest when it is placed in God’s hands, with the singer relying on Him alone.
Related Scripture
- 1 Peter 5:7 Casting all cares on Him because He cares
- Psalm 31:5 Into Your hand I commit my spirit
- Psalm 18:2 The Lord as rock, shield, and refuge