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Is There Something in the Air? (Kalanga)

The children's rhyme by Roberto Piumini translated into Kalanga

  |   TOPICS: Translators
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The children’s rhyme about the coronavirus Is There Something in the Air? (Che cos’è che in aria vola?), written by Roberto Piumini, one of Italy’s most beloved children’s authors, has been translated into Kalanga by Fletcher Sidingumuzi Dube.

A passionate and qualified multilingual translator with vast experience in English-Northern Ndebele and English-Kalanga translations, Fletcher is currently Team Leader in the Kalanga Bible Translation Project, was part of the team which translated The Zimbabwe Constitution from English to Kalanga and has been involved in a number of translation projects from English to Kalanga and from English to Northern Ndebele. Fletcher holds a Diploma in Bible Translation, a Certificate in Transport and Logistics Management and a BSC (Hons) degree in Operations Research and Statistics. 

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Kuna tjiyapo mu mhepo?

Bakahhalila zwikwele: Bakakutilani ikoko?                         

Imboli ludzini yatakafanila longa hhiho?

Nkhwinya wangu, Atitongozuwa nyana.

Bhukanana linonyandabadza banhu

loyi Khorona. Alita mambo nenguba

zina lalo libva “tjiyala”.

Ndizo ungabhuzwa: Ikunhu ludzini ikoku?

 

Iwhundi yatisingake tikabona.

Kutikinini kwazo sa kudze imi nawe

tikubone tobe tahingisa mayikhroskopu

whuluwhulu kwazo.

 

I buhungu guhhele hango gunomanikanya

hango yose, gu bhitipiti kakale

gwa andama hapa na hapeyaa nekulibilidza.

 

Akutekungana kakale kulelulelu koga kuna

bumboli kana kogwa tjoselele kuti kudze

kungine mundili ne mukuli.

 

 

Koga ingwa imi nawe ne bamwe

bose yatingakunda, ngobe kuna

zwinhu zwatingathama kudze tidzibilile

 whundi iyeyi ngina mutili.

 

 

Tjekutanga, hapa utshimuta, kumbula

hhalila neluboko kudze bugwele

gusi andame, kungatitjidza kwazo.

 

 

Hapa ungatongobhuda munzi,

utjambohanduka koga ibva wangula

maboko, kusi nasi koga mahhuba ose.

 

 

Uhingise vula njinji ne sepa, ungule

maboko kakale uwawomese.

Nayiyeyo zila noolita kuti lipedzisile

latjiba mugomba lisitjimukuli!

 

Hapa me natate beengina pankoba iba

nelebeswa kuti nayibo bo banothama bejalo,

ukotjiti “Mahinga!”, “Mata zwakanaka!”

“Mupamhe!” kuti kuzipe, senzano.

 

Manyala awo azanile kule nebuso.

Usikunhe nlomo kene meho kene zwimilo,

kudze uzwidzibilile, ngobe pawunobhata

ndipo palinoyenda.

 

Hapa uleyana nebamwe, pamunohangana

musisodzelelane, kube nenhambo pakati

kwenyu.

Ungamwemwetela ukabamilidzila luboko.

Akutohaka kuti udze ubabhate maboko.

 

Gumbatilana ne putana? Tisikuthame,

kwelubaka igogu, ileli dzudzu

dehlanana litjiyapo pakati kwedu.

 

Bamwe banombala mamaski hapa

beli muzila koga abazombalila tjebela

bamwe kene zwisumbika kene kuti

bamabhantinti anovimiwa nenlayo.

 

Iyeya maski ndeyekohola, kana hapa

bakazwina buso kodzibilila Korona

whuluka ihhala pose.

 

Koga hapa ileli dzudzu litjiyapo kakale

lakahalabvuka kuti lingakubadza,

lingatjinya kakale lingapaladza noziba

kuti ndolidzibilila tjini? Ndogala pasi, munzi, anditobhuda!

 

Unkumbulo wakana nkhwinya,

saku tisingake tika yenda ku kwele.

Kuswika bhukanana ileli lapela “Gala munzi!”

kwakafanila ba nlayo nkulu wedu.

 

Koga bakhwinya nehama ke, dzidzo nedzangu?

Bose bagele mumizi bo, bakadzibililika,

kakale tingagala tikunhana paludandi,

nayiyeyo zila banoba belipo patili.

 

Hapa uhaka lakidza kuti nobahuba kunazila

yabangaziba nayo.

Akutohakika kuti mudze muputane kene mugumbatilane:

unolakidza ngematama.

 

Matama izwipo, matama imbewu, izwipo zwatinazo

kakale hapa zwakanaka ndizo zwatinohaka,

hapa tili kule na kule, kudze tikule muludo.

 

Hapa imi nawe nebamwe bose tingatungamigwa

nenjele, bhatana, neludo, nekulibilidza tookunda

ngwa yatinayo nebhukanana ileli.

 

Tikagala takuthama tili toseni pamwe swiyo nhu

wose unoobona kuti tingadiyika yeta kuti hango

ibehine, ibe nebutjenjebvu, kundili nekukuli.

 

Roberto Piumini
Picture: Giovanna Scalfati

BCBFFIT
AITI
CEATL
STRADE

 

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