A poem in Afrikaans, English, isiXhosa and Sesotho in honour of Desmond Mpilo Tutu (7 October 1931 – 26 December 2021)

Krog, A.

English

KovsieJournals - University of the Free State (UFS)

46Published by the UFShttp://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/at© Creative Commons  With Attribution (CC-BY)A. KrogProf. A. Krog.  Extra-ordinary professor Department Afrikaans and Dutch. University of the Western Cape.  E-mail: akrog@uwc.ac.zaDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18820/23099089/actat.v42i2.5ISSN: 1015-8758 (Print)ISSN: 2309-9089 (Online)Acta Theologica 202242(2):46-53Date received:1 August 2022Date accepted:1 October 2022Date published:14 December 2022In Honour of:Desmond Mpilo Tutu(7 October 1931 – 26 December 2021)pryslied vir ’n vreeslose gewete1  (Antjie Krog)hy wat daardie verskriklike dag met   sy blindelingse vaart van aankomshomself bo-oor die liggaam van ’n   veroordeelde gegooi hetwat tussen siedende comrades, petrol   en vuurhoutjiesmet sy eie liggaam die liggaam van ’n   vertrapte bedek hetsodat op daardie oomblik die goeie in   die wêreld heilig worden gloei ten aanskyn van ’n land vol   ontmensliktesek glo nie in heiligmaking niemaar die ingrypende aantasting van   ’n ganse landdeur hierdie enkele mens laat my glo:nou is hy dood – hierdie gewete’n gewete wat nie bang was om alleen   te wees voor ’n skare nie’n gewete wat nie bang was om woedend   soos ’n leeuwyfie om te draaien die verkeerdes in die oë te   staar nie1 The Afrikaans and English versions of this poem was reprinted with permission of the author. It was first published in “Plunder”, Antjie Krog’s book published in 2022 with Human & Rousseau.Krog pryslied vir ’n vreeslose gewete47’n gewete wat nie bang was om alleen soos ’n skildvel te staanterwyl leuens en beledigings hom tref nie’n gewete wie se tong kon sprei soos die vlerke van ’n arendwat ’n skare mense kon optel en neersit anderkant die vlamme’n gewete wie se gebede die son kon laat stilstaanin die dal van bevoorregtingen die maan oor die velde van townships’n gewete wat daagliks gebede kon weefrondom die dubbele ruggraat van ’n landnou is hy dood – hierdie geweteeiehandig het hy aan ’n diepverdeelde land’n taal van ons-heid gemunthy wou dat ons woedend wees oor onreghy wou dat ons instem op die toonaard van omgeehy wou dat ons leef in solidariteit met uitdeelhy wou ons saambind in omarmende bondelshy wou beskuttings met ons bouhy wou groot en magtige dakke met ons pakhy wou ons omskep in stellasies van menslikheidnou is hy dood – hierdie geweteek prys die manwat groot ruimtes oor die aarde versprei hetsoos hy sy vel, sy liggaam, sy volkome wesetot met sy oudagselfloos oor ons uitgebrei hethy is ons eie onheilige heiligewat ons in die sleurstroom van die Goeie probeer hou hetons, wat hom gefaal het, eer hom: Desmond Mpilo Tutuons, in ons wanhoop, treur oor hom: Desmond Mpilo Tutuwant hy is dood nou – hierdie gewete48Acta Theologica 2022:42(2)praise song for a fearless consciencehe who that terrible day with his headlong arrivalthrew himself over the body of a condemned onewho amongst seething comrades, petrol and matchescovered the trapped body with his own bodyso that at that moment the good in the world became holyand blazed at the sight of a country filled with dehumanised soulsI don’t believe in sanctificationbut the interventionist assault on a whole countryby this one man makes me believe:now he is dead – this consciencea conscience that was not afraid to be alone before a crowda conscience that was not afraid to turn around like a furious lionessand stare the wrong ones in the eyea conscience that was not afraid to stand alone like a shieldwhile lies and insults struck hima conscience whose tongue could spread like an eagle’s wingsthat could lift up a crowd and set them down beyond the flamesa conscience whose prayers could make the sun stand stillin the vale of privilegeand the moon over the fields of townshipsa conscience that could weave prayers dailyaround the double backbone of a countrynow he is dead – this consciencesinglehandedly he coined a language of us-nessfor a deeply divided countryhe wanted us to be enraged by injusticehe wanted us to assent to the modality of caringhe wanted us to live in solidarity with distributionKrog pryslied vir ’n vreeslose gewete49he wanted to bind us together in embracing clustershe wanted to build shelters with ushe wanted to raise great and mighty roofs with ushe wanted to recreate us in frameworks of humanitynow he is dead – this conscienceI praise the manwho spread great spaces across the earthas he spread his skin, his body, his whole beinginto his old ageselflessly over ushe is our own unholy holy onewho tried to keep us in the slipstream of the Goodwe, who failed him, honour him: Desmond Mpilo Tutuwe, in our despair, mourn him: Desmond Mpilo Tutufor he is dead now – this conscience(translated by Karen Press)50Acta Theologica 2022:42(2)Sincoma iSazelanguye, uSazela weli lizwe ongoyiki ngakoyikiswaubhubhile nguye, owangena phakathi kwezivuthe-vuthe zamaqabane, wapheph’ipetroli nematshisi walikhuse ngowakhe umzimb’ ekhusela umzimba womntu owawunyhanyhathwe ngeenyawo khon’ ukuze lowo mzuzu ibe kukubona kwehlabathi ukujika kobuhle bube bubungcwele, obona buqaqawuli kubuso babagxeki nakoothob’ isidima sabantuAndikholelwa kubungcwalisa kodw’ uhlaselo olubi kwilizwe lonkengale ndoda lundenze ndanokholo: kufefe, nakokulungileyo uSazela weli hlabathi ubhubhileuSazela owayengoyik’ ukuba ngumth’ umzimele phambi kwenyambalala uSazela owayengoyik’ ukuba ngumth’ umzimele okwemaz’ engonyama ajamel’ emehlweni abenzi bokungendawo  uSazela owayengoyik’ ukuba ngumth’ umzimele okwekhaka lofelexenikwen’ edlakazwa ziimbumbulu zobuxoki nemikhonto yezithuko uSazela onteth’ isandi sithe saa okwamaphik’ okhozi omazw’ aphakamisa izihlwele az’ azihlalise phants’ okungaphaya kwamadangatye uSazela omithandaz’ ingamisa ngxi ilanga kwezo ntlambo zeelokishinenyanga kwezo ntsimi zobulungisa uSazela omihla ngemihl’ uthung’ imithandazw’ ejikeleze umqolo walo mhlaba eyedwa waziqingqela inteth’ ekhuthaz’ imbumba yobunyebelizw’ elitsha elineyantlukwan’ eyondeleyo wayefuna siyichas’ intswela-bulungisa wayefuna sibe yinxalenye yobuncwane bokunik’ inkathalo wayefuna sihlale simanyene, sabelane kwaye kwabiwe ngokutsha wayefuna ukusihlanganisa sibe yimbumba okwezithungu Krog pryslied vir ’n vreeslose gewete51wayefuna ukusibeka sibe luphahl’ olukhulu, olomeleleyo wayefuna ukusakha sibe ziindaw’ ezikhuselekileyo ezincinane ukuz’ asenz’ amanqwanqw’ okunyuk’ uluntu ah!, sincom’indoda eyavul’ inkitha yamathuba kumhlaba jikelele, walunwebela phezu kwethu sonke ufele, umzimba, nobuqu bakhe ngokuzinikezela kwade kwasekufeni enteth’ ivuth’ umlilo wamadangaty’ obulungisanaloo ntsini yobulungisa, ethandekayo ubengoyena msindisi weth’ongcwele ngcweleobesolok’ esigcine sithe qwa ekwenzen’oKuhle sithi, abamphoxileyo, mwongeni yena: uDesmond Mpilo Tutusithi, abamphoxayo, khathazekani ngaye: uDesmond Mpilo Tutusiyalambatha ngaphandle kwakhe, kwaye singamadlavuubhubhile ngoku ongoyiki ngakoyikiswa uSazela ongumhlanganisi - luntu luphela. (translated by Dr Nomfundo Mali)52Acta Theologica 2022:42(2)thothokiso ya mohale a tswang marolengyena eo ka letsatsi lela la mohlolo a fihlileng ka sefutho sa mohalea itahlela ho kgurumetsa mmele wa ya tjametsweng ke polao eo hara baitseki ba halefileng, ba fupere peterole le molloa kgurumetsa mmele wa ya tlanngweng ka mmele wa haehoo hanghang botle lefatsheng bo fetohileng kgalalelomme a tadima naha e tletseng meya e tlohileng bothoHa ke dumele kgalaledisongempa matla a monamodi naheng yohlea monna enwa a le mong a ntshokollela tumelong:jwale a se a ile boyabatho – maikutlo anamaikutlo a pudumo ya seema-nosi hara letshwelemaikutlo a sa tshabang ho puruma a potoloha jwalo ka tau e befetswengmme a tjamela ba fositseng kahara mahlomaikutlo a neng a sa tshabe ho ikemela jwalo ka thebeha a kalla mashano le mahlapamaikutlo a alang leleme la ona jwalo ka mapheo a phakwea ka phahamisang letshwele le ho le hwaramanya kamora kgabo ya malakabemaikutlo a dithapelo tse ka emisang letsatsi kgekgenenephuleng ya boiketloke kgwedi e aparetseng masimo a makeishenemaikutlo a ka lohang dithapelo letsatsi le letsatsiho potoloha naha e mekokotlo- mmedijwale a se a ile boyabatho – maikutlo anaka letsoho le le leng a bopa puo ya bo-ronamolemong wa naha e arohaneng ho tebilengo ne a batla hore re kgobohiswe ke tokao ne a batla hore re hahamalle mokgwa wa tsotellanoo ne a batla re phele bonngweng ka qhalakanoKrog pryslied vir ’n vreeslose gewete53o ne a batla ho re bopa ngatana ka mahlopho a matahanoo ne a batla ho aha diqhobosheane tsa botshabelo mmoho le ronao ne a batla ho emisa kgurumetso e kgolo ya botumo mmoho le ronao ne a batla ho re hlahisa botjha meralong ya bothojwale a se a ile boyabatho – maikutlo anaKe rorisa monna enwaya anetseng ka pharallo masabasaba a potolohang lefatshemoo a thakgisitseng lekoko la hae, mmele wa hae, le boyena bohle ho fihlela boqhekung ba haeka ho hloka boikabo hodima ronake mohalaledi wa rona wa mohloloya lekileng ho re boloka molatswaneng wa ho Lokarona, ba mo phoqileng, re a mo tlotla: Desmond Mpilo Tuturona, tsielehong ya rona, re a mo llela: Desmond Mpilo Tutuhobane a shwele jwale – maikutlo ana(e fetoletswe ke Thabiso Ntsielo)

pryslied vir ’n vreeslose gewete

https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/at/article/download/6945/4621

pryslied vir ’n vreeslose gewete

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

KovsieJournals - University of the Free State (UFS)