1. die storms woed weer in ons huis vandag
the storms are raging again in our house today
2. maar vol durf klim ek op die tou
but full of courage I climb on the rope
3. voetjie vir voetjie skuifel ek vorentoe
step by step I shuffle forward
4. verby die verwyt-winde van
past the resentment/reproachful-winds of
5. het jy al weer
did you again
6. ek het mos gesê
I mos told you
7. wat het jy gedoen
what did you do
8. gekwelde oë kyk vir my van doer onder
worried eyes look at me from far below
9. ver verwyder van my kollig-balanseertruuk
far removed from my spotlight balancing trick
10. my tou web tussen
my rope webs between
11. mure en deurhandvatsels
walls and door handles
12. familiefoto’s en almanakke
family photos and calendars
13. blitsende tv-beelde en internetkonneksies
flashing tv-images and internet connections
14. tot by die tuinhek
to the garden gate
15. ek is hoog bo die grond
I am high above the ground
16. weg van alles behalwe die wind
away from everything except the wind
17. maar ek dink nie daaraan nie
but I do not think about that
PROPERTY OF M SOUNES NO COPYING, SHARING OR DISTRIBUTION ALLOWED 1
, 18. ek hou my oog op die tou
I keep my eye on the rope
19. ek balanseer my lewe
I balance my life
20. en voet vir voet skuif ek vorentoe
and foot by foot I move forward
21. deur die storm
through the storm
Line by line analysis of poem
1. die storms woed “die storms” = this is a
weer in ons huis metaphor (metafoor) for the
vandag problems in his life and the
arguments (argumente) that
take place (neem plaas)
between (tussen) the
narrator and his parents.
“storms” = an example of
connotation (konnotasie)
and not denotation
(denotasie) as these are not
storms that take place
(plaasvind) in nature (die
natuur), but which represent
(verteenwoordig) the
conflict (konflik) between
the parents and the narrator.
“woed” = strong (sterk) verb
indicating (wat aandui) that
these arguments are quite
unpleasant
(onaangenaam/sleg).
“weer” = showing that this is
not the first argument they
are having – it happens
PROPERTY OF M SOUNES NO COPYING, SHARING OR DISTRIBUTION ALLOWED 2