Tien haikoes vir die Vredefortkoepel – Hans du Plessis
Ten haikoes for the Vredefort dome
1 Meteoriet 2 Wind
Meteorite Wind
Deur die donker klief ʼn Asem jaag oor
Through darkness flies a A breath races over
ʼn klipvuis en klap lewe yslike nagte en vee
fist of stone and knocks life out icy nights and sweeps
uit die aarde uit. ons winternis weg.
of the earth. away our winter.
3 Water 4 Grond
Water Soil
Jy maak so silwer Vang reën en son in
Without a dry word Catch rain and sun in
sonder droë woorde sin die bakhand van jou lyf waar
you make such silver sense the hollow of your body
wat my skoon verstom. lewe kliphard klop.
leaving me speechless. where life’s rhythm beats.
5 Boom 6 Mens
Tree Man
Veerlig dwarrel herfs Toe staan stof uit stof
Lightly autumn flutters Then dust from dust appears
van kil takke los en broei en oorheers die aarde op
from cold branches and hatch overruling the earth
nog ʼn lente uit. grond van sy bestaan.
yet another spring. on grounds of his existence.
20
,7 Wêrelderfenis 8 Besoedeling
World heritage Pollution
En ons koepel skeur Nou moet dier en duif
And our dome tearsmiddle through Now deer and dove
al langs perforasies van hees van die rook en roet vir
all along perforations of coughing smoke and soot must
mens-dom middeldeur. byl en treksaag boet.
stupid man’s humanity. pay for axe and chainsaw.
9 Dankgebed 10 Tien
Thank you prayer Ten
Heer, ons paaie lê Vuis van swael en vuur
God, our roads lay Fist of sulphur and fire
uitgeteer oor brûe met gaan duskant ons Groot Ekskuus
paved out over bridges with will take a breath this side of
water onderdeur. weer kom asem haal.
water underneath. our Day of Pardon.
21
, Background
Hans du Plessis is known for his Greek hymns. He worked as a teacher and
lecturer. He is now retired and lives in Vredefort on a farm.
What is a haiku?
This is a rhyming poem.
It is of Japanese origin.
It consists of THREE lines.
Each haiku has 17 syllables, e.g.
o Verse 1: 5 syllables:
o Verse 2: 7 syllables:
o Verse 3: 5 syllables:
It captures a special moment.
It reflects the poet's feeling at that moment.
o A haiku wants to allow the reader to look at the world differently from
the normal person.
This poem describes the Vredefort Dome by 10 haiku.
Each haiku represents an episode in the creation and destruction of the
heritage area.
The Vredefort Dome is discussed from its inception to its end.
What is the Vredefort Dome?
A dome is a structure of rock layers that runs from a central point to the top.
Drop a drop of water into a puddle of water. (See what happens).
o In slow motion you will notice that a dip first forms in the liquid,
followed by a crown-shaped splash (crater) around the place where
the drop hit the water.
o Then the crown falls back and shoots the liquid right in the middle
like a pillar (obelisk / pillar) into the air. (Google maize stalk - nice
example of this)
The Vredefort Dome is located in Vredefort in the Free State and is one of
the largest impact craters on Earth.
2000 million years ago a meteorite / a large rock / object as big as Table Mountain
came from space and plowed into the earth with brute force that shook our entire
planet. The collision caused a crater that is about 400 kilometers in diameter and
has a radius of 190 km.
Geologists then discovered that the area's small hills and valleys, which are in the
shape of a dome, then formed.
The area was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2005 because it is one
of the most important evidences of the planet's geological history. Currently, the
water in the dome is polluted by sewage. Developers wanted a hotel in
22
Ten haikoes for the Vredefort dome
1 Meteoriet 2 Wind
Meteorite Wind
Deur die donker klief ʼn Asem jaag oor
Through darkness flies a A breath races over
ʼn klipvuis en klap lewe yslike nagte en vee
fist of stone and knocks life out icy nights and sweeps
uit die aarde uit. ons winternis weg.
of the earth. away our winter.
3 Water 4 Grond
Water Soil
Jy maak so silwer Vang reën en son in
Without a dry word Catch rain and sun in
sonder droë woorde sin die bakhand van jou lyf waar
you make such silver sense the hollow of your body
wat my skoon verstom. lewe kliphard klop.
leaving me speechless. where life’s rhythm beats.
5 Boom 6 Mens
Tree Man
Veerlig dwarrel herfs Toe staan stof uit stof
Lightly autumn flutters Then dust from dust appears
van kil takke los en broei en oorheers die aarde op
from cold branches and hatch overruling the earth
nog ʼn lente uit. grond van sy bestaan.
yet another spring. on grounds of his existence.
20
,7 Wêrelderfenis 8 Besoedeling
World heritage Pollution
En ons koepel skeur Nou moet dier en duif
And our dome tearsmiddle through Now deer and dove
al langs perforasies van hees van die rook en roet vir
all along perforations of coughing smoke and soot must
mens-dom middeldeur. byl en treksaag boet.
stupid man’s humanity. pay for axe and chainsaw.
9 Dankgebed 10 Tien
Thank you prayer Ten
Heer, ons paaie lê Vuis van swael en vuur
God, our roads lay Fist of sulphur and fire
uitgeteer oor brûe met gaan duskant ons Groot Ekskuus
paved out over bridges with will take a breath this side of
water onderdeur. weer kom asem haal.
water underneath. our Day of Pardon.
21
, Background
Hans du Plessis is known for his Greek hymns. He worked as a teacher and
lecturer. He is now retired and lives in Vredefort on a farm.
What is a haiku?
This is a rhyming poem.
It is of Japanese origin.
It consists of THREE lines.
Each haiku has 17 syllables, e.g.
o Verse 1: 5 syllables:
o Verse 2: 7 syllables:
o Verse 3: 5 syllables:
It captures a special moment.
It reflects the poet's feeling at that moment.
o A haiku wants to allow the reader to look at the world differently from
the normal person.
This poem describes the Vredefort Dome by 10 haiku.
Each haiku represents an episode in the creation and destruction of the
heritage area.
The Vredefort Dome is discussed from its inception to its end.
What is the Vredefort Dome?
A dome is a structure of rock layers that runs from a central point to the top.
Drop a drop of water into a puddle of water. (See what happens).
o In slow motion you will notice that a dip first forms in the liquid,
followed by a crown-shaped splash (crater) around the place where
the drop hit the water.
o Then the crown falls back and shoots the liquid right in the middle
like a pillar (obelisk / pillar) into the air. (Google maize stalk - nice
example of this)
The Vredefort Dome is located in Vredefort in the Free State and is one of
the largest impact craters on Earth.
2000 million years ago a meteorite / a large rock / object as big as Table Mountain
came from space and plowed into the earth with brute force that shook our entire
planet. The collision caused a crater that is about 400 kilometers in diameter and
has a radius of 190 km.
Geologists then discovered that the area's small hills and valleys, which are in the
shape of a dome, then formed.
The area was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2005 because it is one
of the most important evidences of the planet's geological history. Currently, the
water in the dome is polluted by sewage. Developers wanted a hotel in
22
