I
Mphiwafela ke lefeela
Ge o ntšha lekgolo la diponto go šala sono
Ka mokutwaneng gago poto
Ka mafuri moeta o ribegilwe
Dithoko le maše di timetšwa ka mare
Ge e le meetse a pšhile
Makgolo o kgotsa diphoofolo
Ka ge a be a nwešana natšo ka sedibeng setee
—ditlogolo/lwana di hlanotše direthe
Go thwe ‘makgolo ke moloi’
Makgolo ke motšofe
O tšofetše le go hlagala
Re bona ka dipounama go roromela
O sepela ka maoto a mararo
Mahlo a fedile bogale, ke kgale a bona dikoma
O bonetše bagale
Ba re go galefa, ba mo gaya ntakana ka legare
Diatla ke makgwakgwa le hlogo ya makgwalepa
Direthe go palega tše nkego wa lefase mmepe
Tshipi e feditšwe ke mohlwa
‘Sa gagwe ke go hwa’, ge e le rena re tla šala le bohwa
II
Makgolo o tšofetše
Maloba pele ga ge a tla ntshwara ka letsogo
O ile a hlwerenya le go phumola boreku ka seatla
Ya ba sa ka seatla se kgamathetše ka boreku bja motšoko wa dinko
Ka lentšu la go roromela, a re: o fihlile ngwana-ngwana-ngwanaka
A realo a nkotla ka tladimolongoana
Ke kwele ka tete ge e ntšidifatša lerama
Ruri ge nkabe meno a sa le gona legaong lagwe
Nkabe marinini a se a šitwa go ageletša
III
Mokgalammakapa!
—o ile ke noka binika kganthe o ra jiki
Lehulo le tletše legano
Mahlo a gotlogile le go hwebila
Mala a duma boka letlametlu
Ditšhika di thadile phaatla
Lehlotlo le mo hlapa diatla
Ruri maloko a kgophile methuhlwana le metsogwana
Jonnaa… o hwile makgolo wa rena khukhu!
Glossary:
The poem confronts rural challenges, water shortage, social behavior and how those affect our grannies down in the villages especially of the North.