translated from the isiZulu by Vusi Mchunu.
Irish-language transcreation and recording by Gabriel Rosenstock
Gáire i measc na mBocht
Ná ceapadh an taoiseach gur lúcháir
Atá i ngáire na mbocht
Aoir atá sa gháire chun cora crua an tsaoil a shárú
Dearúd a dhéanamh ar an nganntan is ar an ngátar
Laughter amongst the poor
The ruler should not fool himself
And see the laughter of the poor to mean joy
For laughter is satire to transcend harsh reality
And to forget want and need and lack of wealth
Uhleko alufani
Angazikhohlisi yena obusayo
Athi wena unjengaye ngokuba uyahleka uyajabula
Uhleka noma umpofu ehleke nasekuhluphekeni
Ke ukuba wena kawunangcebo engangeyakhe
An lá a cailleadh mo mháthair
Tamaillín roimh éirí na gréine
Nuair a chonaic mé an t-éan ag dul go hardaitheach sa
spéir
Deabhadh uirthi siar
Thuigeas-sa ag an nóiméad sin
Go rabhais-se–an droim daingean a d’iompraíodh mé–
Ar shlí na fírinne. Sall a d’imís
The day mother passed on
It was shortly before sunrise
When I saw the bird soaring through the sky
Hastening in flight to the west
And I knew at that moment
That you, you the firm back that carried me
You have passed on. You have crossed further on
Usuku lukamame
Ekuseni ilanga lingakaphumi
Ngabona inyoni ngayibona idabula amazulu
Ngabona yona ilibangise eNtshonalanga
Ngase ngazi ngawo lowo mzuzwana
Wena, wena mhlane wami omuhle obungibeletha
Usudlulile usuwemukile wemukela phambili
Im’ Cheap Magaidh ag Cách
Mhaígh an té ar theastaigh uaidh dochar a dhéanamh dom
Go réiteodh sé gaiste romham i gclais.
Agus lá éigin go mbeinnse gafa i mo dhaor aige
Céasfar mé ag na súile a bheidh ag dul thar bráid
Im’ cheap magaidh ag cách, agus déarfaidh siad
“Cad sa diabhal a bhí ar siúl aige,
Nár thuig sé go gcaithfidh an té atá lag a bheith aireach
Agus gan a bheith ag siúl thart i dtaibhreamh na súl
oscailte!”
Mocked by the living
The one who meant to harm me
Boasted that he will set a trap in a pit for me
And one day, he would catch and enslave me
And I will be tortured by the stares of passersby
I will be mocked by the living, saying
“What did he think he was doing,
Did he not know that the weak should be wary
That they may never walk as in a daydream!”
Isibhinqo sabaphilayo
Yena lowo ongicuphileyo
Wathi ngiyongena phakathi komwowane
Ngingene ngingazelele ngize ngibe ngowakhe
Kube ngamehlo abadlula ngendlela
Wona asayakungibhinqa athi,
”Yena ubethi wenzani
Ke ngokuba lowo ongakwazi ukuvika
Akahambi ebheke phezulu!”
Muiscít a raibh ocras uirthi
Tráthnóna amháin bhí rud éigin ag bogadh sa dorchadas
Amach liom. Chuas go dtí an réiteach
Ansin chuala mé muiscít do mo leanúint
D’fhiafraíos di cad a bhí uaithi
Tá ocras orm, arsa an mhuiscít, tá do chuid aibhneacha
dearga uaim
Ligeas di ól asam agus dúrt léi éirí as nuair a bheadh a
sáith ólta aici
“Ól do dhóthain anois, agus fág braon don chuid eile!”
The hungry mosquito
One evening I saw movement in the dark
I went outside, I went to the opening
Then I heard a mosquito following me
I asked what he wanted from me
Mosquito said she is hungry, hungry for my red rivers
I allowed it to drink, telling it to stop when full
“Drink your fill, and leave something for others!”
Umiyane owawulambileyo
Ebusuku ngabona ubusuku bunyakaza
Ngaphumela phandle ngaphumela ebaleni
Ngase ngizwa umiyane owawungilandela
Ngaze ngathi kuwo ngabe ufunani kimi
Wathi, ngilambile ngilambele imifula yakho
Ngase ngiwudedela ngase ngiwukhuza ususuthi
Sengithi phuza phela ushiyele abanye
"I did not choose to write in Zulu; I did not have to make a decision. In my tradition, you are actually inhabited by the spirits on your shoulders and they tell you what to do, what to say."
Mazisi Kunene, Southern African Review of Books, 1993
