Religieuse Hoogmoed
10/01/00
Maar in die begin was daar niks
geen bekende gesigte
wat smalend jou gerusstel
dat more ware hartstog ophel
geen herinnering
snyende onthou
en vergeet
wat jou aan iets verbind
en vreugde vure haas verslind
Toe was daar uit die niet
'n god van sogenaamde lief
wat selfvoldaan jou kop opfok
en gisters nare pyn oopkloof
al die gedagtes
versteurde vreugde
en seerkry
wat jou in pyn omarm
en lewens vrede hels verwarm
Met die kom die kerk
waar mense in die naam van liefde
jou tot ewige verderf verdoem
met vandag se beklemmende nuus
die wel en weë
soete geluk
en liefde
wat jou aan iets laat glo
beredder met wraaksugtige oorloë
... en dan meneer
staan jy kop onderstebo voor my
en sê jy kan my na die hemel lei
hoor my hart
my vriend
jou woorde ongegrond
en onverdiend
kan jy neem en in stilswye
aan die vis in die see verkondig
en hulle sielle met jou snert
versondig
Die groot on thou
10/01/00
Tyd neem sy gang
en gons luidkeels op die drumpel
van weleer
terwyl die alombekende hersinskim
sy intrek kom neem
in die onverpande siel
van my verslae minnaar
Ons het daarin gefaal
my lief
om die skimme te verjae
en op ongerepte strande
- ver van die karige boulevard -
in mekaar se arms
te ontsnap
en ja, tyd neem nog steeds sy gang
kerf diep kepe deur gedagtes
die onthou
wat my alleen aan jou
verbind
Problems are for Monday
mornings
10/01/00
On Friday morn
I open mine eyes
and greet yet a day
with abundant surprise
I pull to awaken
from stories 'bout bacon
and yawn to the dawn
of a day.
My being gets shaken
as when I awaken
mine problems forsaken
me not;
I beckon my friends
nicotine and caffeïne
for a dance in a
trance ridden room
I reach for sunflower
and draw there my power
I sing in my mind
'bout the sound of a
round-a-bout lullaby
train
as sunset arises
and sunbeams subsides
and music speaks softly
the truth
I realize the problems
and worries that bounds us
sleeps well until Monday
arrives.
Heimweë
10/02/00
Ondeursigtig
blyk die land te wees
maar naderskoue
deur boegoe gras
bleek nagtblomme
- en mis se skouer
teen my wang
kloppend
tergend -
vermomde figure
bekleë deur kleur
niksseggend
weerspreekte weerklank
belemmer die nagson
en flikker-kristal
in die nag se rok
verkleur kronkelende voetpaaie
in
oujaars grys
sing die treurlied
van verlangendheid
na niemandweet-land
Laaste Rusplek
posted on 11/24/00
'n Skouspel van kleur
en hemelruim in soet vergeur
geel madeliefies
akkerboom neute
trotse rooi kannas
aronskelke
almal eens dat
grond en water
- lewens gewers -
die tuiste van ons stof sal wees.
Translated to English
Final Resting Place
A spectacle of colour
and sweetly scented hemisphere
yellow daisies
oak-tree nuts
gallant red cannas
arum-lillies
all in agreement that
earth and water
- givers of life -
the home of our dust will be
Arend Veer
12/14/00 10:17 PM
Veer van seer
jammer dat ek nie kon keer
dat jy saam met die klip
en bruin-rooi sand
die perdehoef en koerant-uitknipsels
(wat bakens in my
dor-woestyn-bestaan
verteenwoordig)
beland het nie
en bo het jy gesweef
laag het jy geduik
hard het jy geval
dood het jy gegaan
en in die klipperige sand
kort duskant vaal platteland
het jy stekelrig die wind bevoel
en vir my gelê en wag
Reborn
12/14/00 10:26 PM
Take me back
to myself
where I long to be
guiding my footsteps...
enclosed in darkness
sometimes...
burning desire
sometimes....
relentless freedom
always...
Safe fom harm
I'll never be
I suppose
for my door is open
to
dreams
fears
people
my guard unchecked
doors unlocked
back turned
fearless
me
Jy kan maar
02/23/01
Jy kan my maar verstoot
verneder...
my folter
treiter en
verwoes
maar kom die dag
wat jy my soek
sal jy boggerall vind
ek sal aan jou geen oormag gee nie
ek sal vir jou geen onreg wys nie
ek sal vir jou bewys
dat ek kan...
:-)
Translation by Adele
02/24/01
Here's a rough translation - hope it has kept
the feel of your poem. The afrikaans words are so
specifically descriptive that the English
actually steals away their feeling. But well here
goes:
You can reject me
degrade me ...
torment
taunt and
destroy me
But come the day
when look for me
you'll find buggerall
I will not give you any power over me
I will show you no injustice
and I will prove to you
that I can.
At work
03/12/01
At work now...
hate it now...
love it now...
work right now...
routine dripping
repetitive skipping
hardcore whipping
benchmark slipping
I need in
and out
of this madness
and sadness
that eats me
from inside
and outside
it beats me...
work
work
work
Eyes
03/21/01
forever this emotion...
lingers
longer on the lips
cast a spell of
tenderness
and fills me with
the sweet caress..
and all of this
my love, my heart
is written in
the blue and green
the black and white
that looks through me
uplift me
scares me
and empowers me....
onherroeplik verlore
03/27/01
Verduister die mag
wat weerklink uit die skag
waar lyke hulself
in die kerkhof
begraaf
teen die bitterkou klip
waar my lewe verstrik
in een kort reël
my hartstog verseël
sal die duister my vind
sal die onkunde blind
teen die donker-nag-gat
wegsink
en verdwyn
nes my lewe so klein
onherroeplik
onherstelbaar
WEG....
Translation by Adele
Irrevocably lost
Darken the powers
that echo from the shaft
where corpses themselves
in the graveyard
bury
against the bitter cold stone
where my life is entrapped
in one short sentence
my passion sealed
darkness will find me
ignorance will blind me
from the dark-night-hole
sink away
and disappear
just like my life so small
irrevocably
irrepairably
GONE...
Met permissie
04/04/01
en daarom
oom dominee
gaan ek nie skoommie
gaan ek nie buk
en carpet-burns kry'ie
gaan ek nie daagliks
my brood uitdeellie
ook nie net sommer
my vader respectie
my boetie gaan ookkie
sonner 'n klap gaan slaapie
want sie jy meneer
my knieë is al deur
my broodblik is leeg
my pappie die moer my
my boetie die soek my
en met Jesus se permissie
gaan ek nie die Bybel leessie
want jy sien
oom dominee
ek kannie meer bang wees
vir daarrie groot slang wees
ek kan nie meer honger
en seer
en alleen
innie bed klimmie
en dominee sien...
die Bybel hy is
net vir ander geskrywe
sonner sere op hul lywe
sonner sonde en
wonde
en ek is moeg
en ek is leeg
en ek is klaar
bakhand gestaan
vir Jesus se kleingeld...
Translation by Adele
Okay, the translation I
promised. However it's important to note that
this will never carry the true essence of the
poem. For Di et al, the poem's written in a Cape-coloured
Afrikaans type dialiect, so it's very very
difficult to hold that "feel" when you
switch over to English. Last thing. I don't feel
happy about this translation at all - perhaps
someone else wants to give it a shot?
That said:
With Permission
and therefore
uncle minister
i won't be afraid
i won't bend over
and get carpet burns
i won't hand out my bread daily
also won't just
respect my daddy
and my little brother also
won't go to bed without a slap
cause you see sir
my knees are already raw
and my breadbin is empty
my daddy's beating me
and my brother's looking for trouble
and with Jesus' permission
i won't be reading the Bible
cause you see
uncle minister
i can't be afraid anymore
of that big snake
i can't get into bed anymore, hungry
and sore
and alone
and you see minister
the Bible it is
only written for others
without sores on their bodies
without sins and
wounds
and i'm tired
and i'm empty
and i'm finished
with cupped hands i stand
for Jesus' smallchange ...
StarGazing
04/06/01
When you're searching for a star
crash your blanket on the tar
rest your head
upon his chest
and humm a dreamy
lullaby
as you're looking through the black
wrap his arms around your back
run your fingers
through his hair
and whistle happy
melodies
when you find the sparkling light
close your eyes in pure delight
rest a kiss
upon his cheek
and make a thoughtful
wish...
Opstaan tyd
sodra die son se strale
met ritmiese hale
my voordeur aanklop
en pers berge
geheimsinnig
bo-oor die
spottende, soekende, skares
verreis
kwyn ek gespanne
bewegingloos
tussen die lakens weg
want
vandag begin die
finale kleedrepitisie
vir
oordeelsdag
when the sunbeams
rhythmically knock
on my front door
and purple mountains
mystically rise
over
scolding, searching
crowds
I crawl back
stressed and motionless
between the sheets
because
today the
final dressrehearsal
for
the day of revelation
begins
free
04/30/01
Stop
just short
of the edge
and pledge
eternal
sacrifice
to
love's
sweet
embracing
conquering
freedom
then...
JUMP!
My vriend... Kaapstad
06/07/01
Voel jy ook die heimweë wurg
as uit die duister
versmet
versmore
jy met flonkerende dwerglig
vir my wuif
en ons die more saam begroet
verhewe bo jou straatmarkte
met swart teer are wat lewe
na jou hartklop voed
en op die groot grys dam
wat liggies aan jou voete kielie
dans sonstrale ritmies
en plons
langes spookskepe
wat rustend wag
om by jou poorte in te gly
- jou te bevrug -
en so ontwaak jy, my vriend
groet jy die dag
- soos eeue heen -
getrou
en wonder ek...
verlang jy ook na destyds?
This is a very rough translation for our
english readers. I've slightly changed it to make
more sense... Here goes...
My friend... Cape Town
Does nostalgia also strangle you
when from the darkness
smogged
suffocated
with flashing dwarflight
you wafe at me
and together we greet the day
risen above streetmarkets
with black tarr veigns, that feeds
life to your heartbeat
and on the big gray dam
that lightly tickles your feet
sunbeams rhythmically dance
and splashes
next to ghostships
that waits resting
to glide through your ports
- fertilizing you -
and so you wake, my friend
greeting the day
- like centuries past -
and I wonder
do you also long for yesterday?
All copyrights reserved,
2001.
Text and Poetry copyright of Spinnekop,
graphics and images copyright of Spring Rain.
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