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Khalai ulabandika kuzisyango
Khalai talks to plants
Khalai alitemwa ifilimbwa
Ursula Nafula
Jesse Pietersen
Chester Mwanza
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Oyu ngu Khalai. Ulijisi myaka iliciloba. Izyina lyakwe ipandulula kuti ‘mubotu’ mucishobo cakwe, Lubukusu.
This is Khalai.
She is seven years old.
Her name means ‘the
good one’ in her
language, Lubukusu.
Uyu ni Khalai. Ali nemyaka cinelubali. Mu Cibemba, Ishina lyakwe lipilibula “umuntu umusuma”.
Khalai ulabuka akubandika kucisamu camafuleenke. “Ndakukomba ocisamu camafuleenke, kokomena ukatupe mafuleenke manji apide.”
Khalai wakes up and
talks to the orange tree.
“Please orange tree,
grow big and give us
lots of ripe oranges.”
Lyonse Khalai nga ashibuka alalaanda ku cimuti cama cungwa ati: “Wecimuti cama cungwa, napapaata kula, utwaale namacungwa ayeengi, utupeleko tulyeko.”
Khalai uleenda kuya kucikolo. Munzila, Khalai ulabandika abwizu. “Ndakukomba obwizu, kokomena ukabe nyanzabili a kutayuma.”
Khalai walks to school.
On the way she talks to
the grass. “Please
grass, grow greener
and don’t dry up.”
Khalai nga aleenda lyonse pakuya kusukuulu alalaanda kufyani ati: “We cani, napapaata moneka uwayemba elyo kabili wilauma.”
Khalai wainda a maluba amushokwe. “Ndakomba nomaluba, kamutolelela kukomena ketegwa kandimibika mumasusu angu.”
Khalai passes wild
flowers. “Please
flowers, keep blooming
so I can put you in my
hair.”
Khalai nga asaanga amaluba yampanga nayo alayeba ati: “Mwe maluba mulebaluula bwino bwino pakuti ndeswako nokufwala mumutwe wandi.”
Kucikolo, Khalai ulabandika azisamu. “Ndakukomba ocisamu, kokomena akubika mitabi inji kutegwa katubala munsi acinvwule cako.”
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.”
Khalai nga afika kusukulu, lyonse alalaanda kucimuti icabeela pakati kalubansa lwesukulu ati: “Wecimuti, napapaata kula utwale nemisaambo iyakutupeela icintelelwe icakuti tuleikalamo pakubeleenga.”
Khalai ulabandika kuzisyango zizungulukide cikolo. “Ndakomba, amukomene akulesya bantu babi kunjila mukati.”
Khalai talks to the
hedge around her school.
“Please grow strong
and stop bad people
from coming in.”
Elyo kabili, Khalai alalaanda kulupango lwesukulu ati: “We lupango ube uwakosa saana pakuti ulelesha ifipondo ififwaya ukwingila mukati ke sukuulu lyesu.”
Kuti wapiluka kuzwa kuciko, Khalai ulaunka kucisamu camafuleenke. “Hena mafwulenke akapya kale?” wabuzya Khalai.
When Khalai returns
home from school, she
visits the orange tree.
“Are your oranges ripe
yet?” asks Khalai.
Khalai nga ainuka lyonse, alaya mukupempula icimuti camacungwa nokucipuusha ati: “Bushe amacungwa yobe nanoomba tayalapya?”
“Mafuleenke acili nyanzabili.” “Ndiyakubola kukubona junza ocisamu camafuleenke.”
“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!”
Aaaa! Amacungwa yacili ayabishi! Nkesa kumonako nakabili mailo. Limbi nkasangako nangu icungwa limo nalipya.
Written by: Ursula Nafula
Illustrated by: Jesse Pietersen
Translated by: Chester Mwanza
