VI. Poetry
VI.—42. B.
The Cat’s Song
Ha* ha ha,
Ha ha,
I am the one whom the Lynx derides,
I am the one who did not run fast;
For, the Lynx is the one who runs fast.
Ha ha ha,
Ha hi.
I am the one whom the Lynx derides.
γá γā γā,
γá γă,
I am the one whom the Lynx derides.
I am the one who could not run fast,
γá γă γă,
γá γă,
I am the one whom the Lynx derides,
“The Cat could not run fast.”
γá γā γā,
γá γă,
The Cat is the one whom the Lynx derides,
“It is the one who could not run fast,”
γá γā γā,
γá γă,
“The Cat is the one who could not run fast,
It was not cunning.
It did foolish things; For, the Lynx is one who understands, The Cat does not understand.” The Cat (nevertheless) is cunning.
γá γā γā,
γá γă.
The Cat is the one about whom the Lynx talked. “It is the one who could not run fast.”
It had to be cunning.*
For, the Lynx is one who is cunning.
Hággla † hággla hággla
Hágglă hággla,
Héggle héggle héggle,
Hégglí,
Héggli hégglĭ hégglĭ
Hégglĭ ń!
VI.—44. B.
The Song of the Caama Fox
Crosser of the Spoor, Crosser of the Spoor,†
Crosser of the Spoor, Crosser of the Spoor!
Cross the Caama Fox’s spoor,
Cross the Caama Fox’s spoor! *
Cross the Caama Fox’s spoor,
Cross the Caama Fox’s spoor!
VI.—45. B.
The Songs of the Blue Crane
1.
It is the Blue Crane’s story which it sings; it sings(about)its shoulder, namely, that the “krieboom” berries are upon its shoulder; it goes along singing—
“The berries are upon my shoulder,
The berries are upon my shoulder,
The berry it It is upon my shoulder,
The word ǀgára is the same in the singular and plural, viz., ǀgára (or ǀgára tsaχáu) ā ǃkwāĩ, “one ǀgára berry,” and ǀgára (or ǀgára tsaχaiten) ē ǁkwāiya, “many ǀgára berries.” The ǀgára is a part of the ǁnā, or “krieboom”, the berries of it, as far as I can understand. They are said to be round, white, and “hard” (i.e., they have something hard inside them). The outside flesh is sweet. They are eaten by the Koranna and the Bushmen. The women go to the “krieboom”, pick the berries, put them into
a bag and take them home to eat, first mixing them with other
berries. They do not eat them unmixed, on account of their teeth,
as they fear that the sweetness of the berries might otherwise
render their teeth unfit to chew meat well.
The berries are upon my shoulder. The berries are up here (on its shoulder),*
Rrrú are up here;
The berries are up here,
Rrrú are up here,
Are up here;
The berries rrú are put away (upon)it(its shoulder).”
2.
(When running away from a man.)
A splinter of stone which is white,†
A splinter of stone which is white,
A splinter of stone which is white.
3.
(When walking slowly, leaving the place [walk of peace].)
A white stone splinter,
A white stone splinter.
4,
(When it flaps its wings.)
Scrape (the springbok skin ‡ for) the bed.
Scrape (the springbok skin for) the bed.
Rrrru rrra,
Rrru rrra,
Rru rra!
VI.—46. B.
THE OLD WOMAN’S SONG. First Version
(Dictated, in September, 1871, by ǀaǃkúnta.)
The old Woman sings; goes singing along; sings as she goes; the old Woman sings as she goes along about the Hyena—
“The old she Hyena,
The old she Hyena,
Was carrying off the old Woman from the old hut;
The old Woman in this manner,
She sprang aside,
She arose,
She beat the Hyena.
The Hyena, herself,
The Hyena killed* the Hyena.”
Second Version
The old she Hyena,
The old she Hyena,
Was carrying off the old Woman,
As the old Woman lay in the old hut.†
VI.—82. L.
A Song Sung by the Star ǃGãunu, and Especially by Bushman Women
(Dictated, in December, 1875, by Díäǃkwāin, who heard it from his paternal grandmother, Ttuóbbŏ-ken ǃkaúkn̆.)
Does the ǁgárraken* flower open?
The ǂkũ-γam † is the one which opens.
Dost thou open?
The ǂkũ-γam is the one which opens.
VI.—83. L.
Sirius and Canopus
(Given, in June, 1879, by ǀhańǂkass’ō.)
My (step)grandmother, Ttuãĩ-ań, was the one who used to rejoice about Canopus. She said—
“Sirius!
Sirius!
Winks like
Canopus!
Canopus
Winks like
Sirius!
Canopus
Winks like
Sirius!
Sirius
Winks like
Canopus!”
While my grandmother felt that food was abundant.*
VI.—91. L.
The Song of the Bustard
(Related, in March, 1879, by ǀhańǂkass’ō.)
My younger brother-in-law,
Put my head in the fire.†
My younger brother-in-law,
My younger brother-in-law,
Put my head in the fire.
When we startle it up, it flies away; it (cries): “Wára ǁkhāu, wára ǁkhāu, wára ǁkhāu, ǁkhāu ǁkhāu, ǁkhāu, wára ǁkhāu, wára ǁkhāu, ǁkhāu, ǁkhāu, ǁkhāu, ǁkhāu!” When it stands on the ground, it says: “Ă wă, ă wă, ă wă, ă wă!” when it stands on the ground.
VI.—101. L.
The Song of the Springbok Mothers
(Dictated, in June, 1879, by ǀhańǂkass’ō, who heard it from his mother, ǀχábbi-ań, from her mother, ǂkammi, and from his stepgrandmother, Ttuãĩ-ań.)
The Springbok mothers sang (soothing their children)—
“A-a hn,
O Springbok Child!
Sleep for me.
A ha,
O Springbok Child!
Sleep for me.”
VI.—106. L.
ǁKábbo’s Song on the Loss of His Tobacco Pouch.*
(Dictated, in January, 1878, by ǀhańǂkass’ō.)
Famine it is,
Famine it is,
Famine is here.
Famine it is,
Famine it is,
Famine is here.
Famine [‘tobacco-hunger” is meant here]—he did not smoke, because a dog had come in the night (and) carried off from him his pouch. And he arose in the night, he missed his pouch. And then he again lay down, while he did not smoke. And we were early seeking for the pouch. We did not find the pouch.
VI.—108. L.
The Broken String
(Dictated, in July, 1875, in the Katkop dialect, by Díäǃkwāin, who heard it from his father, χãä-ttiń.)
People were those who
Broke for me the string.
Therefore,
The place became like this to me,
On account of it,
Because the string was that which broke for me.*
Therefore,
The place does not feel to me,
As the place used to feel to me,
On account of it.
For,
The place feels as if it stood open before me,
Because the string has broken for me.
Therefore,
The place does not feel pleasant to me,
On account of it.
VI.—109. L.
The Song of ǃNŬǃNumma-ǃKwíten
(Dictated, in June, 1879, by ǀhańǂkass’ō, who heard it from his maternal grandfather, Ts’ātsĭ.)
ǃnŭǃnumma-ǃkwíten * formerly said (sang)—
“Hǹ-ṅ,
I kill children who cry;
Hǹ-ṅ,
I kill children who cry;
Hǹ-ṅ,
I kill children who cry.”
A beast of prey (he, ǃnŭǃnumma-ǃkwíten) is. My grandfather used to say (that) ǃnŭǃnumma-ǃkwíten formerly said—
“Hǹ-ṅ,
I kill children who cry;
Hǹ-ṅ,
I kill children who cry.”
When my grandfather wished that we should leave off making a noise,† he said that ǃnŭǃnumma-ǃkwíten formerly used to say—
“Hǹ-ṅ,
I kill children who cry;
Hǹ-ṅ,
I kill children who cry.”
“A man who eats great (pieces of) meat, he cuts them off, he puts them into his mouth. I think that eggs are white; therefore, I think that his name seems to be ‘White-Mouth’.”
“ǃnŭǃnumma-ǃkwíten is a beast of prey. A man was the one who gobbled eggs, swallowed down eggs. Therefore, he was [his name was] ǃkótta-kkōë.” Reference is here made to a man of the early race, who swallowed ostrich eggs whole, and is the chief figure in a legend related by ǀhańǂkass’ō (V.—56. 1.).
And (when) he hears a little child crying there, he follows the sound to it, while the little child is crying there, he, following the sound, goes to it, approaches it stealthily, approaching stealthily, reaches the hut, in which the little child is crying. He springs, springs into the hut. He catches hold of the little child, he springs, taking it away. He goes to swallow it down. He departs.