From To....
From bravery to cowardice, so quickly
From a force of arms, a sharp spear
Long assegai, protective shield of tough bull hide to ‘disarmed native’
From thick tough soles embalmed in protective sandal to soft Bata-shoed feet
From a tough stomach interior accommodating inkobe, roast meat, umqombothi
To runny cholera-ridden iphalitsha tummies.
From a proud uMthwakazi past, to a grovelling contemporary farm boy, mine boy, kitchen-boy.
I stare my fate straight in its eyes
I toy with my new freedom of short-wave wireless
I listen to the screech and screams and the beautiful BBC news-reader’s voice
I hear about a crushed revolution here and a failed guerrilla intrusion there,
I listen to the sad news of many dead ‘monkey men’
I hear about the sad loss in combat of few brave white men.
I strain my ears to hear that failed black uprising
I hear the loud announcement of British bravery.
From free men, free warrior, free suitor
To prisoner, to captive, to colonised, to acculturated.
From lad, regiment, maiden, lady,
To worker, garden boy, garbage man, factory worker.
From the king’s advisor, statesman and royalty,
To bass boy, slave driver, sell-out, jail warder, yes-man. © 2006, Jerry Zondo
© Translation: 2006, Jerry Zondo
Jerry Zondo is a lecturer in the Department of African Languages and Literature at the University of Zimbabwe. He lectures on Ndebele poetry, drama, oral literature, and philosophical thought, as well as the theory and practise of translation. He is also a protest poet but, interestingly, has only one published poem to his credit, ‘Awubuzanga Etsheni’ (You did not ask).
