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Seven II

12/11/2007 by Nikita

As you know, I was tagged by Meghna ….…to do a meme! Read what a meme is….(pronounced like in “dream”)…on a post of 2 days ago……OK, it was REALLY very difficult to decide WHERE to start first, as my time is now very little after starting an IT course today! So, I had to think quickly what I will post, as there are so MANY things I could write about!!, but to limit it to only SEVEN! That was very difficult….I made a list, crossed out, started with another, crossed out again…and then just started with what jumped to my mind!!I will have to do another one and another and another and another and…..wow….
First of all, I do LOVE teaching, as I see teaching as a CALLING and not just a job…(like I heard some teachers saying that here in London..) for me it is NOT  just a job!……..My great grandad left Holland to teach in South Africa and I think the teaching -blood is running through my veins! Click
here to see pictures of the current school. The link will open in a new window. The old school, which was in his very own house, is about 2 km from the current school.
I used to teach Primary and don’t think I ever want to teach Secondary……but if I have to…..It will have to be a subject like ICT only, as I do like IT and to incorporate ICT in any aspect of my teaching.


I love reading, I LOVE books…not just “like” it….I have about a library packed away in South Africa and have slowly started to build one again. Children’s books….adult books…If I’m teaching, you will always find me in a bookshop, leaving with many books! A book as a present to me…and you will make my day! I also like writing stories. During secondary school, I used to get good marks for creative writing…what we also call “composition”….and I was always eager to get homework in composition….I just loved to let my mind flow….one of my favourite books is “The Pearl” by John Steinbeck. Another book by him…”Of mice and men”…read at the bottom of my post about a play…

Poetry!!! On this picture you can see a famous and well-known South African poet…Totius…(pen name) …..J D du Toit….he wrote some fantastic poems, some of them very moving, like the one about the death of his own child, killed by lightning….really an emotional poem! His daughter stood by an open window, when lightning struck and he was there to witness everything…as his poem tells us…read my translated version of his poem at the bottom of the post…

South Africa!!! ……..I love my country to bits! I have a passion for South Africa.  South Africa will always be THE place to be!! No other country is as beautiful as South Africa. People who want to differ…they haven’t been there….and if they still do after being there…then they haven’t seen South Africa!!! On this picture you can see Simonstown…Cape Town…Read the blog…anamericaninpretoria.blogspot.com – and you will see why she loves South Africa too. One reason why I LOVE my country and will always do, no matter what!

And…….of course……..if you don’t know it by now…you will NEVER know! CHESS! I never played it at school. During Primary at the age of about 10, my brother taught me…I got my first chess book at the age of 12 from my one sister…..with Fischer/Spasski games in the back….I do like Bobby Fischer’s games…..I played them through as a child as I had no one to play with! No one in my family wanted to play chess…then at Secondary…it was always just BOYS when we were called to play chess…and I felt intimidated by them…no other girls! And the boys…always giving you the “look”…as if they wanna say…”hey…a girl playing chess!! how is that possible!”…I really started to get into chess when at my second school, the Headteacher asked me to start chess…….and I was over the moon! My kids really did well….I left at that school with two teams, each team…. 10 players and two reserves and a lot of Junior children…in South Africa they are Gr1-Gr3 (7-9 year old) kids in line to join the teams later… (If you click on this pic, you will see a good checkmate position, this player’s rating is a bit low, he only started playing quite recently, but has picked-up very quickly and sometimes, I really have to be very careful with my moves! We play friendlies and while playing, I try to help him with the closing of his games, as this is where his problem lies at the moment.)

I like the colour red ….although purple-pinkish is also one of my favourites…This top is a beautiful top!

…CATS!! I’m a catlover! Cats are peaceloving animals! They have personalities of their own and they have their own language to speak to you!! Listen to your cat!! and try to understand its language!!
The poem that follows now, is the one Totius wrote about his child. Read my English Translation further down….and I hope you enjoy it…although it’s a very sad poem!

John Steinbeck may have written “Of Mice and Men” as a novella, but he always had theatrical aspirations for it. After the book launched his literary celebrity in 1937, he turned it into a play, which began a respectable Broadway run later that year, and a critically acclaimed film followed. More stage and screen versions have been attempted, but no matter how good the dramatization, “Of Mice and Men” will always be that slim junior-high classic that (despite the teacher’s harping on foreshadowing) unlocked the gripping power of narrative storytelling…

O die pyn-gedagte

Totius….(JD du Toit)
O Die pyn-gedagte: My kind is dood! . . .
dit brand soos ‘n pyl in my.
Die mense sien daar niks nie van,
en die Here alleen die weet wat ek ly.

Die dae kom en die nagte gaan
die skadu’s word lank en weer kort;
die drywerstem van my werk weerklink,
en ek gaan op my kruisweg voort.

Maar daar skiet aldeur ‘n pyn in my hart,
so, dat my lewe se glans verdwyn;
Jou kind is dood met ‘n vreeslike dood!
En – ek gryp my bors van die pyn.

O Die bliksemgedagte! . . . Ja, lieflingskind,
een straal het jou skone liggaam verskroei,
maar bliksemstrale sonder tal
laat my binneste brand en bloei.

Sy was so teer soos ‘n vlindertjie,
sy’t lugtig omheen geswerf;
‘n asempie wind kon haar vlerkies breek
en – kyk watter dood moes sy sterf!

Hoe weinig die kinders wat so moet sterf,
dis een uit die tienduisend-tal,
en ag, dat dit sy was, en ek moes sien
dat sy dood in my arms val!

O Die pyn-gedagte: My kind is dood! . . .
dit brand soos ‘n pyl in my;
die mense die sien daar niks nie van,
en die Here alleen die weet wat ek ly.

Update…..as I promised…my own translation of the poem!

Oh the painful thought

Oh the painful thought: my child is dead!
It burns like a dart in my flesh…
People don’t see anything….
Only God knows my suffering!

Days come and nights go
Shadows grow tall and short
Behind me, the echo of my work’s moving spirit;
and I… continue my way to the cross

But then, a pain poked through my heart!
so much, the brilliance of my life disappeared;
Your child is dead; died a horrible death!
And I clenched my chest due to the pain…

Oh the thunderbolt-thought!….yes, beloved child!
One flash of lightning scorched your tender body,
but numerous thunderbolts burnt my heart
and left it …. bleeding

She was so tender, like a butterfly …
She glided lightly about;
A breath of wind could damage her tiny wings
and…what a death she died!

Few children die like this
only one in ten-thousand!
and oh!…It’s my little girl..
witnessed by me…. and died in my arms!

Oh the painful thought: my child is dead!
It burns like a dart in my flesh…
People don’t see anything…
Only God knows my suffering!
translated by….©~~Nikita



Die Vierkleur…Wikipedia

Die Vierkleur
DIE VIERKLEUR IS WEER IN GEVAAR . . .

Kom, burgers, trek die perde reg;
Nou vrou en kind goeien – dag geseg!
Jongkêrels, los die nôi se hand;
En seuns, verlaat jul moeders, want
Daar gaan ‘n strydroep deur die land!
Gryp nou die teuels bymekaar –
Die vierkleur is weer in gevaar!

Die regterhand gryp die visier,
Die bors oorkruis ‘n bandolier;
Die spore in die sonskyn blink,
Stiebeuels teen mekaar weerklink,
Die ketel aan die saal rinkink.
Kom, burgers, hou nou bymekaar –
Die vierkleur is weer in gevaar!

Laat aan die trippelaar sy pas,
Maar hou die vuurge hingste vas.
Die agterstes moet ingalop
Tot binne – in die ruiter – trop,
Die ponie en die bossie – kop.
Kom burgers, ry so bymekaar-
Die vierkleur is weer in gevaar!

Trek burgers, almal nou geteld,
Al voort maar deur die wye veld,
En of jul al omlaag verdwyn,
Of op die heuwels weer verskyn –
Wys altyd weer die slingerlyn.
Kom, burgers, trek so bymekaar –
Die vierkleur is in gevaar!

En moet jul val, val dan met eer,
Met die oog die vyand toegekeer;
Val op die grense, man en perd,
Die oue vierkleur is dit wêrd,
En die eerkroon wenk al uit die vert.
Val burgers, val dan bymekaar –

Totuis
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maar een Suid-Afrika
Gee my ‘n roer in my regterhand,
Gee my ‘n bok wat vlug oor ‘n rand –
En ‘n flukse perd om hom weg te dra:

Gee my Suid-Afrika.

Gee my ‘n kamp waar bossies groei,
Gee my ‘n fraai volstruis wat broei –
En ‘n Boerseun wat baie wa:

Gee my Suid-Afrika.

Gee my ‘n koppie om op te staan,
Gee my die Swartland met al sy graan –
En nooit of te nimmer hoor jy my kla:

Gee my Suid-Afrika.

Gee my ‘n vlakte ruim en wyd,
Gee my die veld se oneindigheid –
En die lekker geur wat die lug daar dra:

Gee my Suid-Afrika.

Uit: Gedigte
A.D. Keet
(1888-1972)

KOMAAN! Woorde: JAN F.E. CELLIERS
Musiek: DIRKIE DE VILLIERS

Wees sterk! Daar’s ‘n nasie te lei,
daar’s ‘n stryd te stry, daar’s werk!
Daar’s nie na guns of eer te kyk,
daar’s nie na links of regs te wyk,
daar’s net te swyg en aan te stryk–Komaan!

Wees trou! Daar’s ‘n volk te leer
om homself te eer, te bou;
om God en God alleen te vrees,
aan aard en taal getrou te wees,
gesond en waar van hart en gees–Komaan!

Wees fier op ‘n voorgeslag waard,
in wil en in daad gespier!
Hul lewensweg het ons gewys
om trou te wees aan waarheidseis.
Wie laak mag laak, wie prys mag prys–Komaan!

51.633000 -0.550000

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Posted in Afrikaans, Afrikaans poems, Die Vierkleur, gedigte, Jan FE Cilliers, JD du Toit, John Steinbeck, Komaan!, Maar een Suid-Afrika, meme, O die pyngedagte, Of Men and Mice, Oh the painful thought, poems, Poetry, poets, Suid-Afrikaanse gedigte, Totius | Tagged AD Keet, Afrikaans, Afrikaans poems, Afrikaans poetry, Afrikaans poets, Afrikaanse digters, Afrikaanse gedigte, Afrikaanse skrywers, books, Die Vierkleur, digters, gedigte, Jan FE Cilliers, JD du Toit, John Steinbeck, Komaan!, Maar een Suid-Afrika, meme, O die pyngedagte, O die pyngedagte my kind is dood, Of Mice and Men, Oh the painful thought, poems, Poetry, South Africa, South African poems, Suid-Afrikaanse digters, The Pearl, Totius, Translated poems from Afrikaans to English, Vierkleur vlag | 24 Comments

24 Responses

  1. on 13/11/2007 at 00:54 Dan

    Could you translate?


  2. on 13/11/2007 at 07:11 Nikita

    Hello Dan…will try when time allows….;)


  3. on 13/11/2007 at 10:00 MyKopOp

    Very interesting information about yourself! I’d like to see your translation of the poem, e.g. how wil you translate “pyngedagte”? My English is not good enough, I’d never translate into English… er… I just remembered I once translated an Afrikaans song into English, I’ll blog it some time!


  4. on 13/11/2007 at 21:18 Nikita

    Hi Kop!Sien my probeerslag!! kom, kom! laat jy jou deeltjie ook hier doen….:)


  5. on 13/11/2007 at 23:40 Nikita

    Hi Dan…dunno if it is 100%…would like Chris and Bib/Skoor to post their views too…


  6. on 13/11/2007 at 23:36 Dan

    Thank you for the translation. It was a very moving piece.


  7. on 14/11/2007 at 06:22 skoor

    Nee wat, jy’t dit heeltemal goed gedoen! Is die kindjie nie dood toe hy besig was met die vertaling van die Bybel nie? Ek wil my so iets verbeel.Soek bietjie ‘waar ruwe rotse’ – ek dink, en nou dink ek diep, dis CM vd Heever. Net so moving. Maar daai ou het net donker ink gebruik as hy skryf, want sy goed is als so swaaaaar.


  8. on 14/11/2007 at 15:27 Boer

    Ek dink ons het baie gedeelde belangstellings. Baie geluk met jou vertaling van Totius. Ek het nie aanvanklik besef JY het dit actually vertaal nie. Well done! Jy het bloubloed in jou are! Nou nog net 1 vragie: Is dit Jy in daardie rooi top….?


  9. on 14/11/2007 at 18:15 Nikita

    Hi Boer..dankie vir jou kommentaar…mens weet nie altyd of jy dit beter kon gedoen het nie…nee, dis nie ek in die top nie, maar ek’s darem amper net so slank..er… as dit is wat jy wou weet! 🙂

    @Skoor! Ek gaan dit bietjie opsoek! Baie dankie vir die titel/digter, dit klink na ‘n gedig wat mens moet lees!


  10. on 14/11/2007 at 21:42 Dan

    Your final revision flows very smoothly. Hard to read without crying.


  11. on 14/11/2007 at 22:50 Nikita

    Aan Kop..dankie vir die voorstelle, ek het die woord “damage” behou, dis vir my bietjie meer kragtig as “break”…ek weet nie wat jy dink nie, die verandering van die “people don’t see”…is vir my beter en ek het ook ‘n paar ander woorde weggelaat, ek dink hy lees nou regtig beter, soos Dan ook hier in Engels se…————————–Hi Dan…thanks for your comments—————————-Hi Angelle…glad to see you around…yes, I know about the suffering you went through…many times…”God only knows”…


  12. on 14/11/2007 at 22:35 Angelle

    Hi…thought I’d check in to see what you were posting and saw this poem. It brings tears to my eyes, because as you personally know, I’ve been through this more than once. Gavriella comes to mind, and a few others over the years. Yes, only God knows my suffering, agony and anguish of heart, not once, not twice, not three times, but way too many times, way too many times.


  13. on 15/11/2007 at 11:10 MyKopOp

    Thanks for accepting some om my changes! I find rythm in poetry quite important. I think it’s very readable now, if you should try to get the same rhyme pattern as well, it becomes very hard!Hey Boer! Wat loer jy?


  14. on 15/11/2007 at 21:09 Nikita

    Hi Kop! Yes, I agree that “the people don’t see anything”….was really a big improvement on my “people see nothing”…as it got the rhythm more like i wanted it…i wasn’t happy with the poem from the start and edited it about 10 times! I wondered how many times did I tell Dan that he can check again…and Tony…:))…and what do you think about damage/break?I don’t mind that much about rhyme in poetry….I like to write my own and some of them have no rhyme…but rhythm is quite important to me…~~~~~ Boer….wie loer kry niks! lol…..


  15. on 24/02/2008 at 18:43 My Five Favourites « Chessalee

    […] On Seven II you will find a poem which I translated. Read what it is about, a very sad incident in one of our […]


  16. on 21/03/2008 at 17:03 World Poetry Day « Chessalee

    […] poem… and I translated two Afrikaans poems too…. You can read one translated poem HERE written by Totius… one of our best poets! This poem is about the death of his own little […]


  17. on 28/09/2008 at 16:53 Wipneus!

    Hierdie inskrywing is baie nice! Baie goeie vertaling!


  18. on 28/09/2008 at 17:28 Nikita

    🙂 Bly jy het dit geniet! Jy kan ook op my gedigte-page gaan loer as jy ‘n kansie het.


  19. on 25/11/2008 at 18:51 Deon

    Pragtig oorvertaal! So lê ek innie bed en dink aan iets wat ek vir my vriendin kan sê wat verlede week haar dogter (20 jr) verloor het, en so onthou ek hierdie gedig. Het gou op die internet kom kyk wat die presiese woorde is, want ek het die presiese woorde presies vergeet. Jy het ‘n goeie job gedoen, mens. Doe zo voort!


  20. on 25/11/2008 at 19:00 Nikita

    hi Deon! Welkom hier en ek’s jammer om te hoor van jou vriendin se dogter! Dis darem so jonk nog!! Sterkte vir julle – en vir haar- en dankie vir jou mooi woorde!


  21. on 27/01/2010 at 23:45 Irma

    Dankie vir die Pyngedagte. Ek sit hier in NZ en my sus se seuntjie is deur die weerlig op 2 Desember 2009 doodgeslaan in Van der Bijl. Die woorde bring soveel troos en pyn, maar met tyd genesing!!! Dankie….


    • on 28/01/2010 at 22:41 Nikita

      Hi Irma, welkom hier op my blog! Die gedig is ‘n plesier. Ek is jammer om te hoor van julle terugslag met die seuntjie. Dit klink asof hy nog klein was. Dit is voorwaar ‘n pyngedagte!


  22. on 04/09/2011 at 18:54 Helena

    Hullo, baie dankie vir die gedig in Engels. Ek woon in Prague, Czech Republic, en my 16 jarige het ‘n gedig nodig wat in haar huistaal is en vertaal is in Engels. Goeie vertaling. Baie dankie.

    Helena


  23. on 04/09/2011 at 22:00 Nikita

    Hi Helena
    Dis ‘n plesier, bly ek kon so uithelp 🙂 Ek hoop die Onderwyser hou ook daarvan. 🙂 Groete en lekker bly in Czech!



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