RDW's poems

Sesotho Sounds

Lumela ntate   Lumelang   Sala hantle
Nama and Papa   Ba rekisa moroho
Thaba Morena   Mohale and Quithing
Mokhotlong   Sehongkong   Semonkong   Maseru
Morena   Lerato   Thaba Tseka   Thaba Bosiu
Moshoeshoe and Letsie   Mokhehle   Lekhanya
Khotso   Makoenya   and Kea leboha

Kea leboha   Basotho of Lesotho
Lumela Ntate and ‘Me from Ha Sequate
Mafeteng   Matsieng   Morija   Malealea
Tiye and kofi and ke phela hantle
Leribe   Liphofung   Letseng-la-terai
Aloe polyphylla   Teyateyaneng
Lesea   Lesoha   and Kea leboha

A re eng   A re eng   Maseru and Roma
Tekisi or khombi: O dilemo tse kae?
Tsela tsweu   Tsela tsweu   Tekisi   Pidipidi
Ntatemoholo   ThabaNchu   O kae?
Ntshwarele   Tswarelo   Tlo o tlo nthusa
Le kae?   Sale hantle and Kea leboha
Kea leboha   Tsamaea hantle   Ke teng
Hello Sir   Hello to all of you   Stay well
Beef and Potatoes   They sell vegetables
Mt Snowden   Windermere and Newcastle
Birmingham   Bangor   Braintree   London
Brighton   Stoke   Ben Nevis   Hastings
Victoria and Albert   Gladstone   Churchill
Buns   Biscuits   and Thanks very much

Thanks very much   people of England
Hello Sir and Madam from (some tiny village)
Reading   Windsor   Winchester   Wincanton
Tea and coffee and may you journey well
Bath   Balmoral   Breacon Beacons
The old English Oak   Newcastly-under-Lyme
Infant   Bachelor   and Thanks very much

Let us go   Let us go   London and Cambridge
Taxi or van:  How old are you?
Safe journey  Safe journey  Taxi  Duck
My uncle   Mount Snowden  How are you(sing.)?
Excuse me   I beg your pardon   Come and help me
How are you(pl.)?    Go well and Thanks very much
Thanks very much  Go well  I’m fine

—— Roma, Lesotho March 2008

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