streetwise: BRO' ZINGA FROM SOPHIATOWN

BRO’ ZINGA FROM SOPHIATOWN
© Farouk Asvat

"We won't leave,

                         We'll stay here.
                         Hey Meadowlands!
                         Meadowlands!"

Gents!

I, I tell no lies,

I tell you
The thing that I talk
I talk it:
This Bro' Zinga from Sophiatown
He was the last of the last
A dolly-dolly brother of mine
A double-dolly of a guy.

But still,

This one-time brother of mine

Is just another gangster
From Gerty Street
Who talks too much

translated into english by farouk asvat: 2006 [Johannesburg, South Africa under new apartheid]

[] Acknowledgements:

Bro' Zinga From Sophiatown was previously published in:

The Wind Still Sings Sad Songs (piquant publications, p50, 2006).

____________________________________________________________
[] WIETIE WHAT-WHAT

BRA ZINGA VAN KOFIFI

"Ons dak nie

                          Ons polah hier
                          Hey Meadowlands!
                          Meadowlands!"

Gents,

Ek, ek phazamiza nie,
Die denk wat ek praat
Ek praat hom:
Dié Bra Zinga van Kofifi
Hy was die laastes van die laastes
'n dolly-dolly bra van my
'n double-dolly van 'n ou.

Maa' nogtans,

Die bra van my
Is net 'n anne' majieta
Van Gerty Street
Wat too veel cable

original composed: 1995 [Johannesburg, South Africa under new apartheid]

[] Acknowledgements:

Bra Zinga Van Kofifi was previously published in:

Bra Frooks … (piquant publications, p39, 2006).

Bra Frooks is ...

                                [] nes 'n skollie
                                [] 'n egte skollie
                                [] 'n waare joster
                                [] 'n tsotsi
                                [] a real scamp
                                [] streetwise
                                [] the jokerman

Bra Frooks ...

                                [] praat soos 'n skollie
                                [] wietie soos 'n joster
                                [] wietie what-what
                                [] tunes like a durbanite
                                [] speaks like an englishman

Farouk Asvat asserts his moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

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without the prior permission of the author in writing.
Permission to publish or reproduce the writings in any format can be obtained from the author.
Reproduction of this work without permission, except for scholarly purposes,
is liable to a payment of 10, 000 ren men bi or US$ 1,500.

farouk asvat can be contacted at: farouk.asvat@gmail.com

[] please check out my blogs @:

farouk asvat : poems

faroukasvat-poems.blogspot.com/

WEAPONS OF WORDS

faroukasvat-viewpoint.blogspot.com/

streetwise

faroukasvat-lingo.blogspot.com/

piquant publications: BOOKS by FAROUK ASVAT

piquantpublications.blogspot.com/

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