Poem
Adam Small
COME, LET US SING
Friends,let us open up the Good Book
and read from it –
o Mos Holy Spirit
let these words go right t our heart –
from the secon book a Mosas
from Ex’dus,
fourth chapter, firs an secon verse –
o God
make for us with these words a light as that of candles! –
an Mosas answered an he said: but what
if they don b’lieve me, don take up my words
if they say the Lord didn’t never appear t me at all?
but the Lord said: you shall lead your people
What is in your hand?
an Mosas said: a rod.
Now friends
twas all he had
this man o God
a rod
a great dead stick
an on top of that he was also a stamm’rer
but the Lord spoke with him at length
how with that stick he had stricken dead
the Egyptian
an Mosas let his great big head hang down
an
an sunly that selfsame rod was become a serpent!
Now friends
even unto me has the Lord brought
his wonderworks
he has asked me what is in my hand
an friends
in my hand is my guitar
come, let us sing
© Translation: 1997, Mike Dickman
From: The Lava of this Land: South African Poetry 1960-1996
Publisher: Triquarterly, Evanston, 1997
From: The Lava of this Land: South African Poetry 1960-1996
Publisher: Triquarterly, Evanston, 1997
Kô, lat ons sing
Kô, lat ons sing
Vrinnelat ons die Bybel oepeslaan
en lat ons daaryt lies –
o Allahoegste Gies
lat hierie woorde na onse harte gaan! –
yt die twiere boek van Mosas
yt die Exoras
yt die viere hoefstuk die ee’ste en die twiere verse –
o God
maak vi’ ons lig moet hierie woorde soes moet kerse! –
toe antwoord Mosas en hy sê: ma’ wat
as hulle my nie glo, nie aan my woorde vat
as hulle sê die Here het nie ga-appear aan my?
ma’ die Here sê vi’ hom: djy sal djou mense lei
wat’s in djou hand?
en Mosas sê: ‘n staf
nou vrinne
dit was al wat hy gahad het
hierie man van God
’n staf
’n dooie stok
en boenop het hy nog gahakkel ok
ma’ die Here het toe lank moet hom gapraat
oor hoe hy moet daai kierie doodgaslaat
het die Egiptenaar
en Mosas het sy groote kop lat hang
en toe
toe skielak was daai selfde kierie in sy hand ’n slang!
nou vrinne
die Here het gabring
aan my sy wonnerwerke oek so
hy het gavra wat’s in my hand
en vrinne
in my hand was my kitaar
kô, lat ons sing
© 1961, Adam Small
From: Kitaar My Kruis
Publisher: HAUM, Pretoria
From: Kitaar My Kruis
Publisher: HAUM, Pretoria
Poems
Poems of Adam Small
Close
COME, LET US SING
Friends,let us open up the Good Book
and read from it –
o Mos Holy Spirit
let these words go right t our heart –
from the secon book a Mosas
from Ex’dus,
fourth chapter, firs an secon verse –
o God
make for us with these words a light as that of candles! –
an Mosas answered an he said: but what
if they don b’lieve me, don take up my words
if they say the Lord didn’t never appear t me at all?
but the Lord said: you shall lead your people
What is in your hand?
an Mosas said: a rod.
Now friends
twas all he had
this man o God
a rod
a great dead stick
an on top of that he was also a stamm’rer
but the Lord spoke with him at length
how with that stick he had stricken dead
the Egyptian
an Mosas let his great big head hang down
an
an sunly that selfsame rod was become a serpent!
Now friends
even unto me has the Lord brought
his wonderworks
he has asked me what is in my hand
an friends
in my hand is my guitar
come, let us sing
© 1997, Mike Dickman
From: The Lava of this Land: South African Poetry 1960-1996
Publisher: 1997, Triquarterly, Evanston
From: The Lava of this Land: South African Poetry 1960-1996
Publisher: 1997, Triquarterly, Evanston
COME, LET US SING
Friends,let us open up the Good Book
and read from it –
o Mos Holy Spirit
let these words go right t our heart –
from the secon book a Mosas
from Ex’dus,
fourth chapter, firs an secon verse –
o God
make for us with these words a light as that of candles! –
an Mosas answered an he said: but what
if they don b’lieve me, don take up my words
if they say the Lord didn’t never appear t me at all?
but the Lord said: you shall lead your people
What is in your hand?
an Mosas said: a rod.
Now friends
twas all he had
this man o God
a rod
a great dead stick
an on top of that he was also a stamm’rer
but the Lord spoke with him at length
how with that stick he had stricken dead
the Egyptian
an Mosas let his great big head hang down
an
an sunly that selfsame rod was become a serpent!
Now friends
even unto me has the Lord brought
his wonderworks
he has asked me what is in my hand
an friends
in my hand is my guitar
come, let us sing
© 1997, Mike Dickman
From: The Lava of this Land: South African Poetry 1960-1996
Publisher: 1997, Triquarterly, Evanston
From: The Lava of this Land: South African Poetry 1960-1996
Publisher: 1997, Triquarterly, Evanston
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