“Mamma” kan ek nie sê nie
Jelleke Wierenga
1. Ek onthou die engel I remember the angel that kicked me from
2. het my van die rand the edge of making her decision
3. van wik en weeg
4. afgeskeep in jou in kicked off into your womb
5. onmoontlik sê hulle unlikely they say, to know about something
6. om te weet van that happened before you were born
7. voor tyd se tyd
8. maar ek het geweet but I know now what I already knew back
9. Wat ek nou weet : then
10. as jy na my kyk when you look at me I am not in your eyes.
11. is ek nie
12. in jou oë nie.
Titel van die gedig (blue = english translation)
- In die titel van ““Mamma” kan ek nie sê nie” is die woord “Mamma” beklemtoon deur inversie.
In the title of “Mom” I cannot say the word “mom” is emphasised through inversion.
- Die titel moet eintlik lees “Ek kan nie “Mamma” sê nie”.
The title should actually read “I cannot say “mom” ” .
- Selfstandige naamwoord “Mamma” is variasie of formele “moeder”.
Noun “mom” of the formal “mother”.
- Digter plaas ook woord “Mamma” in aanhalingstekens.
Poet puts mom in inverted commas.
- Digter verwys hier na spesifieke “Mamma” : in die geval verwys sy na haar eie ma.
Poet refers to a specific mother : in this instance it is her own mom.
, - Woord impliseer ‘n intieme band van liefde tussen ma-en-kind, maar dat sy nie as kind die band
met haar ma gevoel het nie.
Word implies the intimate bond that a mother & child should share but this bond doesn’t
show between the poet & her mom.
- Sy is dus die spreker.
The poet is the speaker in the poem.
Strofe 1
Die Ek-spreker en die Engel (the poet and the angel)
- Ek-spreker “onthou” (r.1) dat sy nie seker wat of sy gebore wou word nie ; sy was op die rand van
wik-en-weeg.
Poet “remembers” that she wasn’t sure whether she wanted to be born or not ; she was on
the edge of making her decision.
- Onthou dat daar ‘n engel was wat haar “gehelp” het om te besluit deur haar “af te skop” to
binne-in ma se baarmoeder.
She remembers that there was an angel that “helped” her to decide by kicking her out of
heaven and into her mom’s womb.
- Engel het dus vir haar die besluit gemaak (en haar uit die hemel gewerp).
The angel made the decision for her by throwing her out of heaven.
Ek, die Digter (I, the poet)
- Persoonlike voornaamwoord “ek” (r.1) dui op die teenwoordigheid van ek-spreker
(eerstepersoonsverteller).
Personal pronoun “I” shows that it is a personal poem.
- Plaas onmiddellik fokus op spreker.
Places immediate focus on the poet.
- Sy is dogter : die een wat haar ma “Mamma” kan noem nie.
She is the daughter : the one that cannot call her mom “mom”.
Ek onthou … (I remember)
- Werkwoord “onthou” (r.1) beteken om ‘n prentjie of idee van gebeure, plekke & mense uit
die verlede “op te roep”.
Verb “remember” creates an image of the idea of the happenings, places & people in the
past.
- Spreker onthou “die engel”.
Poet remembers the angel.
Jelleke Wierenga
1. Ek onthou die engel I remember the angel that kicked me from
2. het my van die rand the edge of making her decision
3. van wik en weeg
4. afgeskeep in jou in kicked off into your womb
5. onmoontlik sê hulle unlikely they say, to know about something
6. om te weet van that happened before you were born
7. voor tyd se tyd
8. maar ek het geweet but I know now what I already knew back
9. Wat ek nou weet : then
10. as jy na my kyk when you look at me I am not in your eyes.
11. is ek nie
12. in jou oë nie.
Titel van die gedig (blue = english translation)
- In die titel van ““Mamma” kan ek nie sê nie” is die woord “Mamma” beklemtoon deur inversie.
In the title of “Mom” I cannot say the word “mom” is emphasised through inversion.
- Die titel moet eintlik lees “Ek kan nie “Mamma” sê nie”.
The title should actually read “I cannot say “mom” ” .
- Selfstandige naamwoord “Mamma” is variasie of formele “moeder”.
Noun “mom” of the formal “mother”.
- Digter plaas ook woord “Mamma” in aanhalingstekens.
Poet puts mom in inverted commas.
- Digter verwys hier na spesifieke “Mamma” : in die geval verwys sy na haar eie ma.
Poet refers to a specific mother : in this instance it is her own mom.
, - Woord impliseer ‘n intieme band van liefde tussen ma-en-kind, maar dat sy nie as kind die band
met haar ma gevoel het nie.
Word implies the intimate bond that a mother & child should share but this bond doesn’t
show between the poet & her mom.
- Sy is dus die spreker.
The poet is the speaker in the poem.
Strofe 1
Die Ek-spreker en die Engel (the poet and the angel)
- Ek-spreker “onthou” (r.1) dat sy nie seker wat of sy gebore wou word nie ; sy was op die rand van
wik-en-weeg.
Poet “remembers” that she wasn’t sure whether she wanted to be born or not ; she was on
the edge of making her decision.
- Onthou dat daar ‘n engel was wat haar “gehelp” het om te besluit deur haar “af te skop” to
binne-in ma se baarmoeder.
She remembers that there was an angel that “helped” her to decide by kicking her out of
heaven and into her mom’s womb.
- Engel het dus vir haar die besluit gemaak (en haar uit die hemel gewerp).
The angel made the decision for her by throwing her out of heaven.
Ek, die Digter (I, the poet)
- Persoonlike voornaamwoord “ek” (r.1) dui op die teenwoordigheid van ek-spreker
(eerstepersoonsverteller).
Personal pronoun “I” shows that it is a personal poem.
- Plaas onmiddellik fokus op spreker.
Places immediate focus on the poet.
- Sy is dogter : die een wat haar ma “Mamma” kan noem nie.
She is the daughter : the one that cannot call her mom “mom”.
Ek onthou … (I remember)
- Werkwoord “onthou” (r.1) beteken om ‘n prentjie of idee van gebeure, plekke & mense uit
die verlede “op te roep”.
Verb “remember” creates an image of the idea of the happenings, places & people in the
past.
- Spreker onthou “die engel”.
Poet remembers the angel.
