Lament for a dead cow: Francis Carey Slater (Chant by Xhosa family on the death of Wetu, their only cow) Siyalila, siyalila, inkomo yetu ifile! Beautiful was Wetu as a blue shadow That nests on the grey rocks About a sunbaked hilltop: Her coat was black and shiny 5 Like an isipingo-berry; Her horns were as sharp as the horns of the new moon That tosses aloft the evening star; Her round eyes were as clear and soft As a mountain pool, 10 Where shadows dive from the high rocks. No more will Wetu banish teasing flies With her whistling tail; No more will she face yapping curs With lowered horns and bewildered eyes; 15 No more will her slow shadow Comfort the sunburnt veld, and her sweet lowing Delight the hills in the evening. The fountain that filled our calabashes Has been drained by a thirsty sun; 20 The black cloud that brought us white rain Has vanished – the sky is empty; Our kraal is desolate; Our calabashes are dry: And we weep. 25 The poem opens with a description of Wetu the cow. The poet describes specific physical features of the cow by comparing them to features from her natural environment. The next stage of the poem lists the things that Wetu used to do, but will never do again. In the final stage, the cause of Wetu’s death, the terrible drought, is revealed.
Posted on: Sun, 09 Mar 2014 11:25:42 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015