Sproeireën deur D.J. Opperman
1. My nooi is in ‘n nartjie, 1. My beloved is in a tangerine
2. my ouma in kaneel, 2. my grandmother in cinnamon,
3. daar’s iemand … iemand in 3. there is someone … someone in
anys, anise,
4. daar’s ‘n vrou in elke geur! 4. there is a woman in every scent!
5. As ek ‘n nartjieskil 5. When I break or bend the skin of a
nectarine
6. tussen my vingers buig of knak 6. between my fingers,
7. breek uit die klein sproeireën 7. the small spray of fragrance bursts
out
8. wat geurend om my hand uitsak, 8. and fragrantly falls upon my hand
9. die boorde weer van Swartfoloos 9. the orchards again of the
Swartfoloos
10. en met die nartjies om my heen 10. and with the tangerines
surrounding me
11. weet ek hoe dat ‘n vrou kan troos. 11. I know the comfort a woman can
bring.
12. O my nooi is in ‘n nartjie, 12. Oh, my beloved is in a tangerine,
13. my ouma in kaneel, 13. my grandmother in cinnamon,
14. daar’s iemand … iemand in 14. there’s someone … someone in
anys, anise,
15. daar’s ‘n vrou in elke geur! 15. there’s a woman in every scent!
Analysis of the poem
1. My nooi is in ‘n nartjie, The use of the pronoun
(voornaamwoord) “My” indicates
(dui aan) that this is a first-person
narrator
(eerstepersoonsverteller) and he
is giving a personal recount
(persoonlike weergawe) of
women.
This speaker means (bedoel) this
figuratively
(figuurlik/konnotatief) as his
beloved is not literally found in a
tangerine. It refers to (verwys na)
the scent (reuk/geur) which he
associates (assosieer/koppel
PROPERTY OF M SOUNES NO COPYING, SHARING OR DISTRIBUTION ALLOWED 1
, aan) with her. This is rather
(eerder) an example of a
metaphor.
n-alliteration links to (hou verband
met) the idea of the tangerine
(nartjie).
2. my ouma in kaneel, Once again meant (bedoel)
figuratively as the speaker
associates cinnamon with his
grandmother. Cinnamon is also
usually (gewoonlik) associated
(geassosieer) with pancakes
(pannekoek) or even (selfs) milk
tart (melktert) and this is perhaps
(miskien) a scent (geur) which
evokes (roep op) that memory
(herinnering) for him.
Yet another metaphor.
His grandmother may have been
an important (belangrike)
person in his life as he only (net)
mentions (noem/verwys na) these
two women specifically
(spesifieke).
3. daar’s iemand … iemand in “daar’s” is an example of a
anys, contraction (elisie) as it was
supposed to (veronderstel om)
read “daar is” but this may have
been done due suit (pas) the
rhythm (ritme) of the stanza.
The lady he associates with anise,
is someone he cannot clearly
(duidelik) recall (oproep in sy
geheue).
The ellipsis (ellips) may be used
as confirmation (bevestiging) of
this along with (saam met) the fact
that the word “iemand” is
repeated (herhaal).
Anise is an example (voorbeeld) of
a spice (spesery) and it has a
very sharp (skerp) scent (geur).
4. daar’s ‘n vrou in elke geur! Repetition (herhaling) of
“daar’s” with the contraction
(elisie).
PROPERTY OF M SOUNES NO COPYING, SHARING OR DISTRIBUTION ALLOWED 2
1. My nooi is in ‘n nartjie, 1. My beloved is in a tangerine
2. my ouma in kaneel, 2. my grandmother in cinnamon,
3. daar’s iemand … iemand in 3. there is someone … someone in
anys, anise,
4. daar’s ‘n vrou in elke geur! 4. there is a woman in every scent!
5. As ek ‘n nartjieskil 5. When I break or bend the skin of a
nectarine
6. tussen my vingers buig of knak 6. between my fingers,
7. breek uit die klein sproeireën 7. the small spray of fragrance bursts
out
8. wat geurend om my hand uitsak, 8. and fragrantly falls upon my hand
9. die boorde weer van Swartfoloos 9. the orchards again of the
Swartfoloos
10. en met die nartjies om my heen 10. and with the tangerines
surrounding me
11. weet ek hoe dat ‘n vrou kan troos. 11. I know the comfort a woman can
bring.
12. O my nooi is in ‘n nartjie, 12. Oh, my beloved is in a tangerine,
13. my ouma in kaneel, 13. my grandmother in cinnamon,
14. daar’s iemand … iemand in 14. there’s someone … someone in
anys, anise,
15. daar’s ‘n vrou in elke geur! 15. there’s a woman in every scent!
Analysis of the poem
1. My nooi is in ‘n nartjie, The use of the pronoun
(voornaamwoord) “My” indicates
(dui aan) that this is a first-person
narrator
(eerstepersoonsverteller) and he
is giving a personal recount
(persoonlike weergawe) of
women.
This speaker means (bedoel) this
figuratively
(figuurlik/konnotatief) as his
beloved is not literally found in a
tangerine. It refers to (verwys na)
the scent (reuk/geur) which he
associates (assosieer/koppel
PROPERTY OF M SOUNES NO COPYING, SHARING OR DISTRIBUTION ALLOWED 1
, aan) with her. This is rather
(eerder) an example of a
metaphor.
n-alliteration links to (hou verband
met) the idea of the tangerine
(nartjie).
2. my ouma in kaneel, Once again meant (bedoel)
figuratively as the speaker
associates cinnamon with his
grandmother. Cinnamon is also
usually (gewoonlik) associated
(geassosieer) with pancakes
(pannekoek) or even (selfs) milk
tart (melktert) and this is perhaps
(miskien) a scent (geur) which
evokes (roep op) that memory
(herinnering) for him.
Yet another metaphor.
His grandmother may have been
an important (belangrike)
person in his life as he only (net)
mentions (noem/verwys na) these
two women specifically
(spesifieke).
3. daar’s iemand … iemand in “daar’s” is an example of a
anys, contraction (elisie) as it was
supposed to (veronderstel om)
read “daar is” but this may have
been done due suit (pas) the
rhythm (ritme) of the stanza.
The lady he associates with anise,
is someone he cannot clearly
(duidelik) recall (oproep in sy
geheue).
The ellipsis (ellips) may be used
as confirmation (bevestiging) of
this along with (saam met) the fact
that the word “iemand” is
repeated (herhaal).
Anise is an example (voorbeeld) of
a spice (spesery) and it has a
very sharp (skerp) scent (geur).
4. daar’s ‘n vrou in elke geur! Repetition (herhaling) of
“daar’s” with the contraction
(elisie).
PROPERTY OF M SOUNES NO COPYING, SHARING OR DISTRIBUTION ALLOWED 2
