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Poetry
Ek en Jy
A poem about my first love in Afrikaans.
My goal tonight was to write a poem in Afrikaans. I met a friend for dinner that reminded me so much about my first love as a wee teenage lad.
Needless to say, I was moonstruck and infatuated and walked around in a hazy cloud dreaming of never-ending love.
I translated the poem into English in the second part of this post. I found it a bit challenging to translate some of the Afrikaans’ metaphors and symbolism into English. I chose English phrases or words that convey the symbolic meaning of the Afrikaans words and the symbolism of the poem.
Ek en Jy
Sommer net ek, en jy,
wat hier in ons huisie bly.
Ons klein kasteel,
met n reukie van pypkaneel.
Die melktert in die oond
laat my weet jy gee om.
Die kers se flikerende liggie
sê fluister sag — storms kom en gaan
maar ons liefde bly staan.
Jou stem streel my siel en gees
my nekhare rys n tja-tja van plesier.
Ek wil altyd by jou wees.
Elke minuut en uur
— ons sin, nou en altyd.
