“Bontle, Mpho na Lerato, fambani mi ya tlanga!” ku vula mhani wa vona. “A ndzi mi lavi ehansi ka milenge ya mina.” Hi humele ehandle ka yindlu hi xihatla.
“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.
“A hi yeni enambyeni,” ku vula Lerato. “Ka titimela le.” “Kambe mhani va hi byele leswaku hi nga khidi enambyeni,” ku vula Bontle. “A hi nga khidi,” ku hlamula Lerato. “Kambe hi ta tlanga endzhutini kusuhi na mati.”
“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.”
Kambe ku tlanga i ntirho wo tika, hambiloko u tlanga ehansi ka mirhi kusuhi ni nambu. Xo sungula hi hluvula tintangu ta hina. Kambe a hi kumeka ha ha twa ku hisa. Endzhaku hi hluvula tihembe ta hina na swikete. Kambe a hi tama ha ha twa ku hisa.
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.
Hi nghenisile mikondzo ya hina endzeni ka mati ku yi titimeta. Endzhaku ka sweswo hi haxanile hi mati. Hi nkarhi wutsongo a hi tsakamile hi mati.
We looked under the trees. We looked on the bushes. We looked everywhere.
A ku ri na tintswele tin’wana kusuhi na nambu, ti tiphina hi byanyi byo nandziha. Bontle u langutile, “Languta ntswele liya! Xana i yini lexi nga enon’wini wa yona?” “Yi dya xiluva xo tshwuka,” ku vula Lerato. “A hi xiluva xa rihlaza,” ku huwelela Mpho hi rito ra le henhla. “I hembe ya wena!”
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!”
Hi langutile eka ntswele leyin’wana leyi a yi ri eku ncakunyeni ka xin’wana xa muhlovo wa wasi. “Lexiya i xiketi xa mina!” ku huwelela Bontle hi rito ra le henhla.
“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.
Hi yile ekaya hi ambarile swirhangisi swa hina, hi karhi hi rhurhumela. Kambe ku nga ri hikokwalaho ka ku titimela. “A yi ri mhaka ya tintswele,” hi ririle. “Tihomu ti dyile swiambalo swa hina.”
