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Khalai akakanaya n’ebirimwa
Khalai talks to plants
Khalai azungumza na mimea
Ursula Nafula
Jesse Pietersen
Amos Mubunga Kambere
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Ono ni Khalai. Awithe myaka musangyu. Erina liwe omwalhulimi lwiwe, o’Lubukusu, limanyisaya “omubuya”.
This is Khalai. She is seven years old. Her name means ‘the good one’ in her language, Lubukusu.
Khalai ni msichana mwenye umri wa miaka saba. Jina lake lina maana ya ‘aliye mzuri’ katika lugha yake ya Lubukusu.
Khalai akabuka omwathulho neryo inyakania nomuthi we mintsungwe athi, “kyisi muthi wemitsungwe, kulha lhubalhuba wangathuhererya ebighuma by’emitsungwe”.
Khalai wakes up and talks to the orange tree. “Please orange tree, grow big and give us lots of ripe oranges.”
Khalai anaamka na kuongea na mmea mchanga wa Mchungwa, “Tafadhali mti wa Mchungwa, kua mkubwa uzae machungwa mengi mabivu.”
Khalai akaghenda omwabisando akayasoma. Neryo akabugha nebithi athi, “kyisi bithi, mukule, kandi muleke eryuma”
Khalai walks to school. On the way she talks to the grass. “Please grass, grow greener and don’t dry up.”
Khalai anaenda shuleni na njiani anaongea na Nyasi, “Tafadhali Nyasi, kua kijani zaidi na zaidi na wala usikauke.”
Khalai akalhaba okwa bimole “kyisi bimole, musanzulhaye neryo nangabahira omwa muthwe waghe”
Khalai passes wild flowers. “Please flowers, keep blooming so I can put you in my hair.”
Khalai anayapita Maua ya mwituni na kusema, “Tafadhali Maua, endelea kunawiri ili niweze kukuweka kwenye nywele zangu.”
Okw’Isomero, Khalai akabwira omuthi athi, “kyisi muthi iwe kulhaya emithahi minene thwangatunga ekitsutsu”
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.”
Akiwa shuleni, Khalai anazunguumza na Mti ulioko katikati ya shule, “Tafadhali Mti, toa matawi makubwa ili tusome chini ya kivuli chako.”
Khalai akabwira olhughuthu lw’okwisomero athi, “kyisi lhughuthu ubye namani wangaleka abandu babi erithendithwingirira.
Khalai talks to the hedge around her school. “Please grow strong and stop bad people from coming in.”
Khalai anazunguumza na ua unaoizingira shule yake, “Tafadhali ua, kuwa mwenye nguvu ili uzuie shule yetu kutokana na watu wabaya.”
Neryo Khalai akabya akalhwa okw’isomero akayalebaya omuthi wemitsungwe. “emitsungwe yaghu siyiriyanera kwehi?”
When Khalai returns home from school, she visits the orange tree. “Are your oranges ripe yet?” asks Khalai.
Anaporudi nyumbani alasiri, Khalai anautembelea mti wa Mchungwa kuangalia kama machungwa yameiva.
“Emitsungwe yikine makuke” uhmm… “ngendisyakulebya omungya muthi w’emitsungwe”. Khalai akabugha athia. “Obundi lero ukendisyabya n’omutsungwe owerire.”
“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!”
“Machungwa bado mabichi,” Khalai anashusha pumzi. “Nitakuona kesho, we mti wa machungwa. Labda utanipa chungwa bivu wakati huo.”
Written by: Ursula Nafula
Illustrated by: Jesse Pietersen
Translated by: Amos Mubunga Kambere
