"ek" in Afrikaans

 

ek in afrikaans

my taal is nie myne nie

my taal is my voorvader’s s’n

gekoek in geweld

guitig, grof en gulsig

gif in my mond

my taal is nie myne nie

my ouderlinge het dit verfies

vervelig, vuil, vol vrees

my taal sal verouder en vrek

en vry sal ek voel, veilig en verlig

my taal is nie myne nie

ek leen hom net

elke tweede woord opgesoek

en konvensies gesteel van engels

‘n onseker dief

my taal is nie myne nie

hy self is onskuldig

gebore van buide die onderdrukkers en die onderdruk

my taal word hernu 

maar sy verlede kan ek nie sluk

nie

my taal is nie myne nie

my taal is kragtig, misbruik en beseer

ek haat hom en sy verlede

maar sê “ek is lief vir jou” vir my ma

met net sy woorde

my taal is nie myne nie

maar ek kan hom nie ontsnap nie

hy steek in my keel

en in my bloed wat ek nie kan tap nie

translated:

me in afrikaans

my language is not mine

my language is my ancestor's

caked in violence

guttural, coarse, and greedy

poison in my mouth

my language is not mine

my elders ruined it 

boring, dirty, full of fear

my language will grow old and die

and I will feel free, safe and relieved

my language is not mine

I'm just borrowing him

looking up every second word

and conventions stolen from english

an unsure thief

my language is not mine

it itself is innocent

born from both the oppressors and the oppressed

my language becomes renewed

but its past I cannot swallow

my language is not mine

my language is powerful, misused and injured

I hate it and its past

but say “I love you” to my mom

with only its words

my language is not mine

but I cannot escape him

he sticks in my throat

and in my blood that I cannot tap