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Ngelusuku lwekushisa kakhulu kwelilanga ngengcibelo ntsambama
Ngomunye Umgqibelo Ntambama Kushisa
Ngenye Imva Kwemini Eshushu Yangomgqibelo
One hot Saturday afternoon
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Bekuyintsambama
yangemgcibelo leshisa kakhulu,
enyangeni yengongoni. Wonkhe
umuntfu bekanyukubele.
“Bontle, Mpho na Lerato,
Hambani niyodlala
ngaphandle!” kwasho unina.
“Angifuni niloku nilandzelana
nami.”
Ngu Mgqibelo ntambama, ilanga lalikhipa inhlanzi emanzini.
Yayiyeyona mvakwemini eshushu kakhulu ngoMgqibelo kuDisemba.
It was a very hot Saturday afternoon in December.
Sagijimela ngaphandle.
“Asambeni siye emfuleni,”
kwasho Lerato. “Phela kupholile
emfuleni.”
“Kepha make wasitjela kutsi
singabogeza emfuleni,” kwasho
Bontle.
“Angeke sibhukushe,”
kuphendvula Lerato.
“Sitawumane sidlale emtfuntini
losedvute kwemanti.
“Zanele, Nosipho no Sanele. Phumani niyodlala ngaphandle.” Kusho umama. Nangempela saphuma silandelana.
Wonke umntu wayequmbile. “Bontle noMpho noLerato phumani phandle niyokudlala!” Umama watsho kuthi. “Andinifuni endleleni yam.” Sabaleka saphuma endlwini.
“Bontle and Mpho and Lerato, go out and play!” Mme said to us. “I don’t want you under my feet.” We ran out of the house.
Kepha kudlala elangeni
kubanga kushisa, nanobe udlala
emtfuntini losedvute nemfula.
Kwekucala sakhumula ticatfulo
tetfu, kepha besiloku sikuva
kushisa. Sabuye sakhumula
emahembe etfu netiketi. Kepha
bekungekho umehluko, sikuva
kushisa.
Khona manjalo kwezwakala uSanele ethi, “Masihambeni siyodlala ngasemfuleni, kupholile lapho.” “Hhayi-bo! Umama wasitshela kahle ukuthi singayi ukuyobhukuda emfuleni.” Kulanda uZanele. “Ngeke sibhukude, sizozidlalela emthunzini eduze namanzi,” kuphendula uSanele.
“Masiyeni emlanjeni,” watsho uLerato. “Kupholile phaya.” “Kodwa utata wasixelela ukuba singaqubhi emlanjeni,” watsho uBontle. “Asiz’ukuqubha,” waphendula uLerato. “Siza kudlala nje emthunzini ecaleni kwamanzi.”
“Let’s go to the river,” Lerato said. “It’s cooler there.” “But Mme told us not to swim in the river,” said Bontle. “We won’t swim,” answered Lerato. “We’ll just play in the shade next to the water.”
Safaka tinyawo emfuleni kuze
siphole.
Sase sitselana ngemanti.
Ngemva kwaloko, besesihleti
ekhatsi emantini.
Kodwa nokudlala nako, kufakelana ukushisa noma ungahlala emthunzini eduze nomfula. Saqala ngokukhipha izicathulo kodwa ukushisa kwathi ngikhona. Sakhumula amahembe neziketi, kodwa sasisezwela ukushisa.
Kodwa ukudlala ‘ulibeke’ ngumsebenzi obilisayo, nokuba uphantsi kwemithi ecaleni komlambo. Okokuqala sakhulula izihlangu zethu. Kodwa sasiseshushu. Saza sakhulula iziketi neeblawuzi. Kodwa sasiseshushu.
But playing libeke is hot work, even when you’re under the trees next to the river. First we took off our shoes. But we were still hot. Then we took off our shirts and skirts. But we were still hot.
“Hheyi buyani! Asibhukusheni,”
kwasho Mpho. “Make angeke ati
ngaloko.”
Sabhukusha sabhukusha, sate
sakhohlwa ngesikhatsi.
Ngokushesha safaka izinyawo zethu emfuleni ukuze sizipholise. Sathelana ngamanzi. Kwagcina ngokuthi sibe manzi te!
Safaka iinyawo zethu emlanjeni ukuzipholisa. Saza satshizana, ngokukhawuleza saba manzi tixi ngamanzi.
We put our feet in the river to cool off. Then we splashed each other. Soon we were soaked with water.
Lilanga beseliyoshona, sesicala
kuva emakhata. Besitibeke
kuphi timphahla tetfu?
“Kumnandi bakithi masivele sibhukudeni. Umama ngeke azi,” kusho uNosipho. Sangena emanzini, sashaya amadamudamu sibhukuda kumnandi. Sakhohlwa.
“O-o! Yizani! Masiqubheni,” watsho uMpho. “Utata akasoze ayazi.” Saqubha, saqubha, salibala ngexesha.
“Oh come on! Let’s swim,” said Mpho. “Mme will never know.” We swam and swam and forgot about the time.
Sibuke phansi kwetihlahla.
Sabuka emahlatsini.
Sabuka yonkhe indzawo.
Lashona ilanga, saqala sagodola. “Ziphi izingubo zethu?” sibuzana sodwa. Sabheka, sabheka, do!
Ilanga laqalisa ukuya ezantsi, saziva sigodola. Zaziphi iimpahla zethu?
The sun started to go down, and the day began to cool. Where were our clothes?
Bekunetinkhomo eceleni
kwemfula, tititika ngetjani
lobunongotelako.
Bontle wabuka etulu, “Buka
leyankhomo! Yini lesemlonyeni
wayo?
“Idla imbali lebovu,” kwasho
Lerato. “Akusiyo imbali lebovu,”
kumemeta Mpho. “Lihembe
lakho!”
Safuna phasi kwezihlahla. Ngubo wawula! Safuna esikhotheni, do! Sabheka yonke indawo.
Sakhangela phantsi kwemithi. Sakhangela emahlahleni. Sakhangela kwindawo yonke.
We looked under the trees. We looked on the bushes. We looked everywhere.
Sabuka lenye Inkhomo
lebeyihlafuna lokuluhlata
kwesibhakabhaka.
“Siketi sami lesa!” kumemeta
Bontle.
Eduze nomfula kwakunezinkomo zizidlela, ezinye zizetshisela utshani zinanela ubumnandi botshani. Kwathi lapho uZanele ebheka phezulu, “Hhabe! Yini le esemlonyeni wenkomazi?” USanele waphendula ngokunganaki, “Idla imbali ebomvu.” Ngokushesha uNosipho wamemeza, “Hehehe! Bhekisisa, akuyona imbali, ihembe lakho!”
Kwakukho iimazi zeenkomo kufutshane nomlambo, zonwabele ingca enambithekayo. UBontle wajonga phezulu, “Jonga kulaa mazi yenkomo! Yintoni esemlonyeni yayo?” “Itya intyantyambo ebomvu,” wakhwaza uMpho.
There were some cows near the river, enjoying the sweet grass. Bontle looked up, “Look at that cow! What’s in her mouth?” “She’s eating a red flower,” said Lerato. “It’s not a red flower,” shouted Mpho. “It’s your shirt!”
Saya ekhaya ngemaphenti,
sichucha. Hhayi ngoba
bekupholile kuphela.
“Bekungenca yetinkhomo,”
sakhala. “Letinkhomo tidle
timphahla tetfu.”
Ingabe make
utasikholwa?Masinyane nje
tibunu tetfu tatfola kufutfumala.
Loku bekungasiko loko
kwelilanga.
Thushu! Nansi enye inkomo, nayo yayihlafuna okuluhlazana okwesibhakabhaka. “Isiketi sami!” kumemeza uZanele.
“Yiblawuzi yakho!” Saza sajonga kwenye imazi yenkomo. Ihlafuna into eblowu. “Sisiketi sam!” watsho uBontle.
We looked at another cow who was chewing something blue. “That’s my skirt!” shouted Bontle.
Written by: Nombulelo Thabane, Tessa WelchIllustrated by: Wiehan de JagerTranslated by: Joyce Ngomane, Zinhle Msibi
