Draaikewers

Geniet/Enjoy Laurika Rauch met ‘n gedeelte van Lisa se klavier/Lisa’s piano. Draaikewers is a poem from “Joernaal vir Jorik”…”The Journal of Jorik” which is really one of my many favourite-Opperman poems. “Man met flits” (“man with a torch”) is one which we discussed/studied at  School.
 

We have wonderful friends in South Africa and they visited us a couple of months ago…about Feb/March. They don’t go  on holiday very often due to business, but when they do go, they go to all the awesome places in South Africa and sometimes Botswana. This is one of their pictures. They were on holiday in SA and straight from there they went to Finland and then London, so all their wonderful pictures were still on their cameras when they visited us and they downloaded a few on my pc…and I’ve thought to share this beautiful pic with you. It’s actually much larger, this is only about half of the image. I also have it now on my desktop as a wallpaper image. I think you have to agree with me that this is really a fantastic shot! And I’ve said many times and I want to say it again, South Africa is the best place for your sunset pics! You want to disagree? I’ve got a fantastic poem here too..if you can’t read it, it’s Afrikaans…enjoy the picture! The poem’s title in English is “Whirligig beetles” – see the image at the bottom and you can read here more about this beetle. The link will open in a new window. The poem is not about the beetle itself, but about time that is running out in this relationship… like the beetle’s movement…in circles. If you’re Afrikaans, you may want to read my “reply” to “Draaikewers” on my “Gedigte-My Poems” page..I’ve done it for the fun and I quite like it…I used the other half of this lovely sunset Pic…so if you want to enjoy the pic only, feel welcome…

D J Opperman…painted by Philip Terblanche.
See more paintings and sculptures of South African writers here. The link will open in a new window.

Diederik Johannes Opperman, (1914 – 1985) was one of the best-known Afrikaans poets.

He was born on 29 September 1914 in Dundee in Natal, where he grew up. He went to school in the towns of Estcourt and Vryheid, and afterwards received an M.A. degree from the University of Natal. He taught at schools in Pietermaritzburg and Johannesburg, and later on became editor of “Die Huisgenoot”. In 1949 he became a lecturer at the University of Cape Town. During this period he completed one of his most important publications – “Digters van Dertig” (Poets of the thirties) – in 1953.

From 1960 to 1975 he was a professor of Afrikaans at Stellenbosch University, where he also served on the editorial board of the publication “Standpunte” (“points of view”). He died in 1985 in Stellenbosch.

He won the coveted Hertzog prize for poetry in 1947 for his collection “Heilige beeste” (“Holy cattle”). He also wrote “Negester oor Ninevé” (“Nine star over Niniveh”), “Joernaal van Jorik” (“The Journal of Jorik”), “Engel uit die klip” (“Angel from the stone”), “Blom en baaierd” (“Flower and Chaos” or perhaps “Flower and rubble”), “Dolosse” (“Knucklebones”), “Kuns-mis” (“Artificial manure”), “Edms. Bpk” (“Pty. Ltd”) en “Komas uit ‘n bamboesstok” (“Comas from a bamboo pole”).

His three verse plays, “Periandros van Korinthe” (“Periandros of Corinth”), “Vergelegen” (a place name, lit. “faraway”) and “Voëlvry” (“Outlaw”; lit. “bird-free”) appeared in 1954, 1956 and 1968.

His collected essays on literature were published as “Wiggelstok” (“Wiggle-stick”), “Naaldekoker” (“Dragonfly”) and “Verspreide opstelle” (“Spread-out essays” – the direct opposite of “Collected essays” in Afrikaans).

He won four Hertzog prizes (in 1947, 1956, 1969 and 1980), four Hofmeyer prizes (in 1954, 1956, 1966 and 1980), two CNA Prizes (in 1964 and 1980), a prize from the “Drie-Eeue Stigting” (“Three Centuries Foundation”) in 1956, the Louis Luyt-prize in 1980 and the Gustav Preller prize for literary criticism in 1985.

The South African composer Cromwell Everson wrote music for some of Operman’s poems e.g. “Kontraste” and “Nagstorm oor die see”.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D._J._Opperman

Image: xymara.com

Man met flits

In die klein wit kol
van my wete stol

bruin en skerp ’n klip
soos ’n bok wat skrik,

staan, vinnig weghol
uit die klein wit kol.

Aan ’n takkie hang
twee ogies wat bang

uit die klein wit skyn
van my flits verdwyn.

Oor waters wat glip
soek ek klip na klip

maar ’n duister land
bedreig my alkant.

D. J. Opperman

Image: fireflyforest.net

Image: mieliestronk.co.za

Image: – whirligig beetle…bugguide.net

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