When reading this poem about the moth…it reminded me about the poem written by one of our best poets/writers: C J Langenhoven. he also wrote “The Call of South Africa” our National Anthem. (You can listen to it in Afrikaans and English, it is somewhere on my blog…). If you know the Dutch language, or even Flemish, you would be able to follow it in Afrikaans, as Dutch is the “Mother” language of Afrikaans. Read more about Afrikaans HERE …
The Moth
The moth toward the orb he flew,
In ever ascending spirals.
And in his harmonic mind there grew,
A feeling of sad tranquility.
For the destination was in sight,
As the ending of the day.
And even as his mind it merged,
so the atmosphere his body purged,
Until he faded and became one,
Unknown and unnoticed by each,
But not all.
—Phil
Read more about Langenhoven here.
DIE MOT EN DIE KERS
(the moth and the candle)
~~CJ Langenhoven
Die ander motte is dom en dwaas,
maar ék sal ver van die kers af bly.
Hier uit die skemerte sal ek kyk,
want hier is dit veilig en kyk is vry.
Maar ek hoef nie van een kant af net te kyk,
ek vlieg ‘n wye sirkel om,
dan weet ek van alkant af hoe hy lyk,
om beter te sorg om nie nader te kom.
My sirkel was skeef en ingebuig,
My sirkel was skeef en ingebuig,
maar daar ook waar ek die naaste was,
het niks gebeur,
ek maak verniet
my sirkel so groot en so ver van die as.
Die wieletjie draai al vinniger om,
die lig en die gloed word al groter genot.
Die velling word nouer al rondom
die die end van die wiel,
is die as van ‘n mot!
The moth in this poem basically thought he won’t be so foolish like the other moths. He would stay away from the flame. But, then he narrows his orb and goes faster and faster…..and all that was left…some ashes!
Chessalee 