Blog
Rosa Keet - 'n private ding | a private thing
Fri, 21 September 2018
'n private ding
vir Ann
en as ek dan nóú moet doodgaan
begrawe my op 'n sandduin
tussen bossies met 'n uitsig oor die see
'n liter coke 'n karton sigarette
en 'n boek of twee
ek is nie baie windmakerig nie
maar 'n donskombers en 'n opblaasmatras
sal ook welkom wees
en anders as in die massagrafte by ur of dachau
(waar hulle die plek volprop)
dink ek 'n graf is 'n private ding
en ek is boonop te egosentries
vir 'n grafskrif soos:
hier lê piet en jan en alleman en sy vrou ensovoorts ensovoorts
buitendien kan ek, wanneer ek eensaam voel
altyd by iemand as gás gaan spook
Rosa Keet
(Uit: Hier kan ons asemhaal, 1978, Human & Rousseau, Kaapstad)
*
a private thing
and if I had to die now
bury me on a sand dune
between bushes with a view of the sea
a litre coke a carton of cigarettes
and a book or two
I am not very flashy
but an eiderdown and a blow-up mattress
would also be welcome
and differently from the mass graves at ur or dachau
(where they cram the place full)
I think a grave is a private thing
and besides I am too egocentric
for an epitaph such as:
here lies pete and john and the world and his wife etcetera etcetera
besides when I feel lonely I can
always go and haunt someone as a guest.
Rosa Keet
(Tr. by Tony Ullyatt)
vir Ann
en as ek dan nóú moet doodgaan
begrawe my op 'n sandduin
tussen bossies met 'n uitsig oor die see
'n liter coke 'n karton sigarette
en 'n boek of twee
ek is nie baie windmakerig nie
maar 'n donskombers en 'n opblaasmatras
sal ook welkom wees
en anders as in die massagrafte by ur of dachau
(waar hulle die plek volprop)
dink ek 'n graf is 'n private ding
en ek is boonop te egosentries
vir 'n grafskrif soos:
hier lê piet en jan en alleman en sy vrou ensovoorts ensovoorts
buitendien kan ek, wanneer ek eensaam voel
altyd by iemand as gás gaan spook
Rosa Keet
(Uit: Hier kan ons asemhaal, 1978, Human & Rousseau, Kaapstad)
*
a private thing
and if I had to die now
bury me on a sand dune
between bushes with a view of the sea
a litre coke a carton of cigarettes
and a book or two
I am not very flashy
but an eiderdown and a blow-up mattress
would also be welcome
and differently from the mass graves at ur or dachau
(where they cram the place full)
I think a grave is a private thing
and besides I am too egocentric
for an epitaph such as:
here lies pete and john and the world and his wife etcetera etcetera
besides when I feel lonely I can
always go and haunt someone as a guest.
Rosa Keet
(Tr. by Tony Ullyatt)
