Poetry and Sleep

Poems from South Africa

Published in a South Africa in an anthology 1910

F.C.Slater

In the Maize Field

Kaffir woman, her babe bound to her back, sings  as she hoes:

THE sun's  flail threshes  the maize fields,
The  heat-chaff  flickers  and; stings;
Songless  and  still  in  the  branches
The  birds  droop  listless  wings.

The  sun lashes  the  maize  fields;
o for a cooling  breeze!
The  birds  are  still in  the  branches,
The cattle  are  under  the  trees.
Up  in the  kraal  on the  hillside
Thy  father  drowsily  lies,
Quaffing  the  honeyed  qilika,
Cursing  the  troublesome flies.
Thy  father  sleeps,  while  thy  mother,
Beneath   the  sun's  white  blaze,
Toils from  day-dawn   to  darkness,
Hoeing the  shimmering maize:
Umjundisi  tells  us that  somewhere
There lies a region  of Rest:
Shall  we go seek for it,  Nyana, .
This  country   of the  Blest?
No  maize fields there  for hoeing,
No  sun  with  scorching  heat;

And  they  who seek shall  find it,
And  find  it  passing  sweet.

" Lala, 'Sana Lwam! "
(Kaffir Lullaby Song)

THE hoeing  of day  is done,
The  weary  heat  of the  sun,
The  wood is gathered,   the  water  drawn,
And  now we can  rest
Till  the  coming  of dawn;
Till the  coming  of dawn,  my  babe.

Lala, lala,    'mtwana  wam; Lala,  'sana  lwam! ¹
o soothing  season  of night!
Bringing  a respite  sweet
To aching  hands  and  weary  feet,
From  the  burden  of toil
Arid the  sting  of the  heat;
o soothing  season  of night!
Lala, Iala,  'mtwana   wam;
Lala,  'sana  lwam!

Calm  and  fair is the  night,
The  moon  shines  over  the  hill,
Flooding  with  magical  light
Forest  and field and  rill.
All is peaceful  and  still,
Save  the  hungry  jackal's   howl.
Calm and  fair is the night,
The  moon  shines  over  the  hill.
Lala, lala,  'mtwana   wam;
Lala,  'sana  lwam!  

¹ Sleep. Sleep, my child; Sleep, my babe.

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