Not much to say

WYS MY DIE PLEK

Wys my die plek waar ons saam gestaan het,
Eens, toe jy myne was -
Vroeër, voor jou liefde vir my getaan het,
Vroeër, toe jy myne was.
Kyk, dis dieselfde; die silwer see
Blink in die sonskyn, soos lang verlee
Dit eenmaal geblink het, 'n welkomsgroet
Vir ons liefde wat uithou en alles vergoed.

Wys my die plek waar ons saam gekniel het,
Eens, toe jy myne was -
Vroeër, toe een siel vir ons saam besiel het,
Vroeër, toe jy myne was.
Kyk, dis dieselfde; die hemel, blou,
Lag soos voorheen op my en op jou;
Dit skitter nog altyd 'n welkomsgroet
Vir ons liefde wat uithou en alles vergoed.

Wys my die plek waar ons saam geloop het,
Eens, toe jy myne was -
Vroeër, toe ons harte so veel gehoop het,
Vroeër, toe jy myne was.
Kyk, dis dieselfde! Net jy nie. Vra,
Wie van ons twee moet die meeste dra ?
Jy wat vergeet het - of ek wat boet
Vir my liefde wat uithou en alles vergoed ?

by C. Louis Leipoldt (ca. 1880 - 1947)


SHOW ME THE PLACE

Show me the place where we stood side by side,
Once, when you were mine -
Earlier, before your love for me died,
Earlier, when you were mine.
Look, it's the same, the silver sea
Shines in the sun's rays, just as before
It once shined, a welcoming
For our love that endured and everything enhanced.

Show me the place where we knelt together,
Once, when you were mine -
Earlier, when one soul possessed us,
Earlier, when you were mine.
Look, it's the same, the sky, so blue,
Smiles just as before on me and on you,
It continues to shine as a welcoming
For our love that endures and everything enhances.

Show me the place where we use to walk,
Once, when you were mine -
Earlier, when our hearts hoped so much,
Earlier, when you were mine.
Look, it's the same! Except for you. Ask,
Which one of us has the most to bear ?
You, who has forgotten - or me, that has to pay
For my love that endures and all enhances ?

My very own English Translation of one (there's many) of my favourite Afrikaans poems -
Wys my die Plek (Show me the Place) by C. Louis Leipoldt (ca. 1880 - 1947)

To represent Afrikaans humour there has been added the inimitable H. C. Bosman's classic story "In the Withaak's Shade". Though his work was originally published in English, Bosman is thoroughly Afrikaans in every other respect; characters, settings, situations, dialogue and the whole atmosphere of the stories are Afrikaans and could have been created only by one who felt, thought, and probably conceived his story through the medium of Afrikaans.
- taken from 'Verborge Skatte, Herman Charles Bosman'



Bosman also tried bridging the gap between English and Afrikaans by translating Afrikaans poems to English.
Here's an Afrikaans poem by Jan F. E. Celliers, 'Dis al', that Bosman translated.


Dis al

Dis die blond,
dis die blou:
Dis die veld,
dis die lug;
en n voël draai bowe in eensame vlug -
dis al.

Dis n balling gekom
oor die oseaan,
dis n graf in die gras,
dis n vallende traan -
dis al.

'Dis al'/ That's all

It's the yellow and the blue,
It's the veld and the sky,
And a lone bird above it
Flies slowly and high -
That's all.

It's an exile returned
O'er the ocean drear,
It's a grave in the grass,
It's a falling tear -
That's all.


"I take up my position on the soil of Africa.
I believe that Afrikaans has a great calling to portray the romantic inspiration of Africa in a powerful literature... The Afrikaner spirit is one with the spirit of Africa. And that is the spirit of romance" - Herman Charles Bosman

Ons liefde het gesterf met die oggendstond,
En ons het haar begrawe, bleek en stom;
teer lentegras en geurige voorjaarsgrond
bedek haar, sonder smuk van krans of blom.

Onthou jy haar?.... Sy was tingerig-fyn,
met vingers slank en lig, haar stem was sag,
en haar blou wonder-oë vreemd en rein.
Haar dood was vreedsaam, sonder rougeklag.

Ek mag nie om haar ween: haar stil vertrek
was beter as 'n kwynende bestaan
- maar, ag, ek wonder of jy ooit, soos ek,
'n oomblik by haar graf in mym'ring staan...