What’s a shame and what is not you’ll never quite discern.
We South Africans say, “Shame” no matter what we learn.
“Eish!(8) Elsie Botha has a daughter.
”Oh, no-o-o! Shame! What is her name?
En Miemps en Wiellie hulle trou
(9) Jisslaik (10)! Shame, that’s good to know.
Ag shame, my gra’ma passed away
roun’ midnight, Gramps did sadly say.
Gran left her big-big bucks to Roy,
her dronklap (11), won’t-work mummy’s-boy
Agh, shame, it isn’t one bit funny!
He’s ginne (12) drink up all that money!
That oke (13) nex’ door acts like a larney
(14)... He an’ his missus had a barney!
Bliksem! Donner (15)! Shame, ou pal,
Curse and yell just raising hell.
I tell you, chum, a nasty scandal.
Shame, being a larney’s hard to handle.
More skinner (16), let me pass it on:
Ooh, shame, the cops found Mikey’s farm!
What looks like mealies from the road,
Hides dagga (17) that he sells per load!
Wifey’s lingo! Whoo-oo, hoo-oo, hoo-oo-oo!
My frien’, their neighbours all turned blue.
Agh, shame, it isn’t one bit funny!
To ruin lives to make your money!
Another lekker (18), dainty bite:
they raided Sienna’s shabs (19) last night.
an’ shame, the cops took all their booze,
Footnotes:
(8) An exclamation (aysh)
(9) And Miemps and Willie are getting married
(10) Gee whizz! Exclamation.
(11) Drunkard
(12) Gonna; going to
(13) Bloke or guy
(14) Lah-di-dah person
(15) Exclamations of fervour in the face of the excitement 16 Gossip; scandal
(17) marijuana
(18) Nice; choice
(19) Shebeen – a house where liquor is sold illegally
Author Bio:
Natisha Parsons started writing when she was a little girl, tutored by her ex-teacher mother. She in turn tutored her siblings who came after. Her first publication was a story about a class hike up Mount Currie Mountain, Kokstad, when she was at high school there. She sent it to the children’s club, Uncle Bill – Sunday Tribune (Durban) – when she was fourteen years old. That motivated her to become a writer one day.
Her writing has a Christian worldview; she has a passion for her country and its people, and is interested in her culture-grounded bi-racial roots: European (British and German) and isiXhosa. She, however, follows the general South African Bible-based Christian-style culture.
She became a school teacher and is now retired. She likes to say that when she was young and foolish she taught school; now she’s older and wiser, she lives a laid back life, writing and reading. Most of her books are of a spiritual nature: beginner books for young Christians (non-fiction). She has a few published short stories and a poem.
We South Africans say, “Shame” no matter what we learn.
“Eish!(8) Elsie Botha has a daughter.
”Oh, no-o-o! Shame! What is her name?
En Miemps en Wiellie hulle trou
(9) Jisslaik (10)! Shame, that’s good to know.
Ag shame, my gra’ma passed away
roun’ midnight, Gramps did sadly say.
Gran left her big-big bucks to Roy,
her dronklap (11), won’t-work mummy’s-boy
Agh, shame, it isn’t one bit funny!
He’s ginne (12) drink up all that money!
That oke (13) nex’ door acts like a larney
(14)... He an’ his missus had a barney!
Bliksem! Donner (15)! Shame, ou pal,
Curse and yell just raising hell.
I tell you, chum, a nasty scandal.
Shame, being a larney’s hard to handle.
More skinner (16), let me pass it on:
Ooh, shame, the cops found Mikey’s farm!
What looks like mealies from the road,
Hides dagga (17) that he sells per load!
Wifey’s lingo! Whoo-oo, hoo-oo, hoo-oo-oo!
My frien’, their neighbours all turned blue.
Agh, shame, it isn’t one bit funny!
To ruin lives to make your money!
Another lekker (18), dainty bite:
they raided Sienna’s shabs (19) last night.
an’ shame, the cops took all their booze,
Footnotes:
(8) An exclamation (aysh)
(9) And Miemps and Willie are getting married
(10) Gee whizz! Exclamation.
(11) Drunkard
(12) Gonna; going to
(13) Bloke or guy
(14) Lah-di-dah person
(15) Exclamations of fervour in the face of the excitement 16 Gossip; scandal
(17) marijuana
(18) Nice; choice
(19) Shebeen – a house where liquor is sold illegally
Author Bio:
Natisha Parsons started writing when she was a little girl, tutored by her ex-teacher mother. She in turn tutored her siblings who came after. Her first publication was a story about a class hike up Mount Currie Mountain, Kokstad, when she was at high school there. She sent it to the children’s club, Uncle Bill – Sunday Tribune (Durban) – when she was fourteen years old. That motivated her to become a writer one day.
Her writing has a Christian worldview; she has a passion for her country and its people, and is interested in her culture-grounded bi-racial roots: European (British and German) and isiXhosa. She, however, follows the general South African Bible-based Christian-style culture.
She became a school teacher and is now retired. She likes to say that when she was young and foolish she taught school; now she’s older and wiser, she lives a laid back life, writing and reading. Most of her books are of a spiritual nature: beginner books for young Christians (non-fiction). She has a few published short stories and a poem.
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