Chenjerai Hove 
Translator

on Lyrikline: 2 poems translated

from: shona, russian to: english, shona

Original

Translation

Nzvimbo dzemumabhuku

shona | Chirikuré Chirikuré

wese andaita mahwekwe naye
mubvunzo ndiwo mumwe chete:
kwakadini kwamanga mapota?

mhinduro ndinopa yepasi pemoyo:
kutaura zvese handingakwanisi
zvakapinda mumusoro zvinozadza dura

vose vanozoita kunge vapatika kuhope
vobvunza zvakare, uso vasunga:
gara zviya ndepiko kwawaiva?

handinonoki kudzora mhinduro:
ndaiveko kunyika yemutsindo
kumatunhu emuzinda weTimbouctou

vose vanokapaza misoro semabhuru
vopfipfidza vachinwa rukweza rwavo:
nzvimbo dzakadaro ndedzemumabhuku chete

ndinotsikitsira wangu musoro pasi
ndozvipodza hana nemashoko mumoyo:

© Chirikuré Chirikuré
Audio production: 2005, M.Mechner / Literaturwerkstatt Berlin

Places found in fiction

english

every face encountered

the same question

about places I have been to


only the heart answers

the mouth is feeble, but

what is in the heart fills the granary


with dreamy faces, incredulity

they pose more questions of wonder

asking again about where I have journeyed


I answer promptly:

I was in the land of silent echoes

in the sands of the ancient Timbouctou


they shake their heads like bulls

laughing in mockery as they drink:

    such places are only of fiction


I bow my head

consoling my heart with soothing words:

    the blessing in the heart is mine

Translated from the Shona original by Chenjerai Hove

УРОК ПЕНИЯ

russian | Wjatscheslaw Kuprijanow

Человек
изобрел клетку
прежде
чем крылья

В клетках
поют крылатые
о свободе
полета

Перед клетками
поют бескрылые
о справедливости
клеток

© Вячеслав Куприянов
Audio production: Вячеслав Куприянов, 2013

Chidzidzo Chokuimba

shona

Vanhu vakatanga
Kuvaka
Chizarira
Vasina mapapiro.

Muzvizarira umu
Vane mapapiro
Vanoshaura
Chishuvo chokubhururuka.

Mberi kwezvizarira zvose
Vasina mapapiro
Vokurukura
Nezverusunguko rwezvizarira.

Translation: Chenjerai Hove, Zimbabwe