Enda Nasi

Reuben Kigame's “Enda Nasi,” sung in Swahili, is a prayer whose title means “go with us.” The first line asks the Lord's presence to go along, “Tunaomba uwepo wako uende nasi,” and the second addresses him as “Bwana wa majeshi,” Lord of hosts. The sharpest line follows: “Kama huendi nasi, hatutaki kutoka hapa,” meaning if you do not go with us, we do not want to leave this place.

The verses are a confession. The people call themselves “watu wa shingo ngumu,” a stiff-necked people, ask to be forgiven, and say they are unworthy to stand before God. They ask to be cleansed, to be shown his face, and they say they need his grace. A later verse offers to take off their ornaments and valuables, and brings their hearts instead, asking to be made holy so he can walk with them. The ending is a plea for his ways, “for you have called us by name.”

The song is a close retelling of Moses's prayer in Exodus 33:15-16: “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.” The stiff-necked description and the ornaments both come from the same chapter, and the request for cleansing recalls Psalm 51:10.