Thursday 12 February 2015

Jeg Er Afrikaner (Danish Translation)

I Am An African by Wayne Visser
Danish Translation



JEG ER AFRIKANER

Jeg er afrikaner
Ikke fordi jeg blev født der
Men fordi mit hjerte slår med Afrikas
Jeg er afrikaner
Ikke fordi min hud er sort
Men fordi min sind er fyldt med Afrika
Jeg er afrikaner
Ikke fordi jeg bor på hendes jord
Men fordi min sjæl har sit hjem i Afrika

Når Afrika græder for sine børn
fyldes mine øjne med tårer
Når Afrika hædrer sine ældste
Bøjer jeg mit hoved i respekt
Når Afrika sørger over sine ofre
Folder jeg mine hænder i bøn
Når Afrika fejrer sine triumfer
Er mine fødder levende i dans

Jeg er afrikaner
For hendes blå himmel giver mig åndenød
Og mit håb for fremtiden er lyst
Jeg er afrikaner
For hendes folk tager imod mig som familie
Og lærer mig meningen med et samfund
Jeg er afrikaner
For hendes vildnis lindrer min ånd
Og bringer mig tættere på livets kilde

Når Afrikas musik slår i vinden
Pulserer mit blod til hendes rytme
Og jeg bliver essensen af lyd
Når Afrikas farver spiller i solen
Drikker mine sanser af hendes regnbue
Og jeg bliver naturens palette
Når Afrikas historier genlyder rundt om bålet
Går mine fødder på hendes stier
Og jeg bliver historiens fodaftryk

Jeg er afrikaner
Fordi hun er vor fødsels vugge
Og nærer en ældgammel visdom
Jeg er afrikaner
Fordi hun lever i verdens skygge
Og rummer et strålende lys
Jeg er afrikaner
Fordi hun er morgendagens land
Og jeg genkender hendes gaver som hellige



Copyright © 2005 Wayne Visser
Translation by Øjvind Fritjof Arnfred, 2015

Saturday 15 March 2014

Land of Emerald Dreams


LAND OF EMERALD DREAMS
By Wayne Visser

Low clouds of grey left far behind
Exchanged for open skies of blue
Black asphalt trails and dusty fields
Give way to scenes of verdant hue

Beneath the mountain’s misty brow
Beneath the oak trees’ dappled shade
A canvass for the nomad’s brush
A staging post for passing trade

Drink in the cool of whitewashed walls
Drift off to cricket symphonies
Breathe deep the scent of sun-bleached thatch
Awake to birdsong melodies

Past craggy cliffs of rusty shards
Through hidden tracks of forest greens
Refreshed by waterfall cascades

Behold the land of emerald dreams

Wednesday 11 December 2013

He Lived Among Us - Tribute to Nelson Mandela, by Wayne Visser


HE LIVED AMONG US

By Wayne Visser

Tribute to Nelson Mandela (1918-2013)

He lived among us –
This child named Rolihlahla
This boy called Nelson
This man we knew as Mandela –
And now he is gone

He shared our days –
This son of Africa, our Madiba
This father of a nation, our Tata
This guardian of humanity, our Elder –
And now he is gone

He was one of us –
This shepherd of the people
This harbinger of hope and joy
This legend of our time and place –
And now he is gone

He was our leader
Our defender, our nation’s spear
And he showed us how to fight

He was our enemy
Our nemesis, our conscience
And he showed us how to be free

He was our light
Our sun, our inspiration
And he showed us how to forgive

Yet did we ever really know him?
This lawyer who became an outlaw
This soldier who became a peacemaker
This prisoner who became a liberator

How can we fathom his depths?
This father who lost a son and wife
This comrade who lost so many friends
This martyr who lost twenty-seven years

How can we see into his heart?
This intellectual who became an activist
This statesman who became a gardener
This icon who became the world’s beloved

We remember him
For his skilful manoeuvring
Through the political maze
And even more for his love of dancing

We remember him
For his human touch
Among the powerful and powerless
And even more for his love of children

We remember him
For his human foibles
That made him fallible like us
And even more for his love of justice

He lived among us –
And now it is for us to carry his torch onward
It is for us to follow his shining example
It is for us to fight for his unshakeable ideals –
Now that he is gone

He shared our days –
And now we must make the rest of our days count
We must work as he did to set others free
We must show that the spirit can triumph in the end –
Now that he is gone

He was one of us –
And now we are challenged to become one of him
We are inspired to be the best we can be
We are reminded that ‘I am because we are’ –
Now that he is gone

Nkosi Sikelel’iMandela!
We will honour his memory
By never losing faith in times of adversity
We will celebrate his life
By always daring to hope for a miracle
We will keep his legacy alive
By choosing to walk daily in his footsteps
On the path of love

Amandla! Awethu!

---
Image credits: Painting by Alfred Hilton (c) 2013

Tuesday 17 September 2013

African Dream - London Concert (16 November 2013)

Join us for a concert celebration of AFRICA!
Words Images Music
Poetry by Wayne Visser Photography by Bob Webzel
Paul Cheneour on Flutes Lennie Charles on Percussion

Saturday 16 November 2013, 7.00 pm
St Marks Church, Myddelton Square, London EC1R 1XX
Admission £10.00. Books and CDs available for sale


Thursday 24 January 2013

I Am An African - Tanzania Literacy Project

Kids from Upendo Middle Primary School in Usa River Tanzania read Wayne Visser's poem "I am an African." Upendo Middle Primary recently received 60 Kindle E-readers as Worldreader's first e-reader project in Tanzania.

Tuesday 10 July 2012

I Am An African Inspires at Grahamstown Festival 2012, South Africa


Today I found out that my poem, I Am An African, featured in a dance show by the same title at the 2012 Grahamstown Arts Festival in South Africa. Here is the blurb from the official programme:

I Am An African

Festival: Fringe  Genre: Dance  Venue: Victoria Theatre

A theatrical dance explosion of rhythm, athleticism, artistry and entertainment. Technically awe-inspiring dancers unfold the intricacies and eccentricities of choreographic dance fusions. A foot-stomping, nail-biting, hand-clapping audience will marvel at the works of some of the proudest South African choreographers. This highly entertaining, proudly South African work is set to the hauntingly beautiful poem I am an African by Wayne Visser

Details

Duration : 70 minutes
Directed By : Kelsey Middleton
Choreographed By : Supa Zungu And Kelsey Middleton
Written By : Supa Zungu and Kelsey Middleton To The Poem Of Wayne Visser
Composed By : Aubrey
Performed By : Musicians in CHNA with Footprint
Featuring : Supa Zungu, Thabiso Khomo, Muzi Buthelezi

I'd like to get hold of the artists, so if anyone knows them, please put us in touch.

Wednesday 20 April 2011

我来自非洲 (Chinese Mandarin)

I Am An African by Wayne Visser
Chinese (Mandarin) Translation

我来自非洲
不是因为我生于那
而是我们的心一起跳动
我来自非洲
不是因为我有黑色的肌
而是我的思想已被她所系
我来自非洲
不是因为我居在此大
而是非洲是我灵魂的故里

当非洲哭泣她的子女
颊垂下的是我的泪
当非洲纪念她的先辈
头颅低下的是我的敬
当非洲哀悼她的受
双手握紧的是我的祈
当非洲欢庆她的胜
脚步舞动的是我的肆

我来自非洲
那湛蓝的天空令我陶醉 未来的希望在此放
我来自非洲
那里的人民似我如手足 并教会我族群的含
我来自非洲
她的狂野滋润我的精气 领我步入生命之

当非洲之声在风中回荡
时跳动的是我的血
而我便是那音乐的精
当非洲之色在阳光下炫耀
彩虹中沐浴的是我的感官
而我便是那自然的调色
当非洲的传奇在篝火边传诵
一同跟随的是我的脚步
而我便是那历史的足

我来自非洲
她是我们生命的摇篮
时孕育了古老的智
我来自非洲
他因世界而生
却并绽放着耀眼的光
我来自非洲
她是未来的所在
而我,拥抱她那神圣的赐


Creative Commons 2005
Translation by Mark Wehling and Junda Lin 2011

Saturday 4 September 2010

من یک افریقایی ام (Persian)

I Am An African by Wayne Visser
Persian Translation

من یک افریقایی ام
نه به خاطر اینکه که در افریقا زاده شده ام
 بلکه به این دلیل که قلبم برای افریقا می زند
من یک افریقایی ام
نه به این دلیل که رنگ  پوستم سیاه است
بلکه به این دلیل که ذهنم و مغزم درگیر افریقا است ( افریقا دغدغه ذهنی من است.)
من یک افریقایی ام
نه به این دلیل که در خاکش زندگی می کنم
بلکه به این دلیل که روح من در خانه اش افریقا است

هنگامی که افریقا برای کودکانش گریست
گونه هایم از اشک داغ شد
هنگامی که افریقا سالمندان خود را گرامی می داشت
سر من به نشانه احترام فرود امد
هنگامی که افریقا برای قربانیانش به سوگ نشست
دستانم به نشانه دعا به یکدیگر پیوست
هنگامی که افریقا به نشانه پیروزی هایش را جشن گرفت
پاهایم به رقص زنده شد

من یک افریقایی ام
برای اینکه اسمان ابی اش نفس مرا با خود می برد و
امیدم را برای اینده روشن می کند
من یک افریقایی ام
چرا که مردمانش با من همچنانند که با خانواده شان و
به من معنای اجتماع را می آموزند
من یک افریقایی ام
چرا که تندی اش روح مرا سیراب می کند
و مرا نزدیکتر می کند به منبع زندگی

آن هنگام موسیقی آفریقا در باد نواخته می شود
نبض من نیز با آن ریتم می نوازد
و من گوهره آن آوا می شوم
آن هنگام که رنگهای آفریقا در آفتاب می درخشد
احساس من در رنگین کمانش غوصه ور می شود
و من جعبه نقاشی طبیعت می شوم
هنگامی که داستهای افریقا در گوش های جهان می پیچد
پاهای من در گذرگاهش قدم برمی دارد
و جای پایی از تاریخ می شود

من یک افریقایی ام
چرا که آفریقا گهواره ماست و
اوست که حکمتی باستانی را پرورش می دهد
من یک افریقایی ام
چرا که او در سایه جهان می زید
و با شعاعی درخشنده می سوزد
من یک افریقایی ام
چرا که او سرزمین آینده است
و من نعنات او را مقدس می دانم


Creative Commons 2005
 Translation by Alireza Omidvar