Yo ki Palisa. Lebizo la hae litalusa “mapalisa” mwa Silozi.
This is Khalai.
She is seven years old.
Her name means ‘the
good one’ in her
language, Lubukusu.
Kakusasana Palisa ubulelisa kota ya olenji. “Kota tuwe nikupa kuli unife ma olenji amañata.”
Khalai wakes up and
talks to the orange tree.
“Please orange tree,
grow big and give us
lots of ripe oranges.”
Palisa aya kwa sikolo. Mwa nzila abulela kwa bucwani, “Nikupa kuli uhuli ka butala hape usike uaoma.”
Khalai walks to school.
On the way she talks to
the grass. “Please
grass, grow greener
and don’t dry up.”
Palisa afita mwala mapalisa amwa mushitu. “Mina mapalisa, ni itumela kumina kamibala yeminde-nde-nde.”
Khalai passes wild
flowers. “Please
flowers, keep blooming
so I can put you in my
hair.”
Ali kwa sikolo, Palisa abulela kwa kakotana ali, “Kota tuwe uhule nimitahi yemituna kuli lunobalelanga mwa muluti wahao.”
At school, Khalai talks
to the tree in the
middle of the
compound. “Please
tree, put out big
branches so we can
read under your shade.”
Ali kwa sikoli Palisa abulela kwa kakotana ali.
Khalai talks to the
hedge around her school.
“Please grow strong
and stop bad people
from coming in.”
Palisa akutela kwa hae, apotela kota la olenji.
When Khalai returns
home from school, she
visits the orange tree.
“Are your oranges ripe
yet?” asks Khalai.
“Ma olenji yasali butala”, aikomokela Palisa. “Nikataha kamuso kakusasana mwendi nikatofumana ma olenji abuzwize!”
“The oranges are still
green,” sighs Khalai.
“I will see you tomorrow
orange tree,” says
Khalai. “Perhaps then
you will have a ripe
orange for me!”
