Transcript for "Narrative 1"

Esese khumasina bali Erick Khaemba, samwene khola ekasi ye bubombakhi.

My name is Erick Khaemba, I work as a masonary.

Yabao kha-a-ale namenyanga nende kukhu munju.

A long time ago, I lived with my grandmother in the house.

Nga namenyanga nende kukhu munju, abele ndenyerangakho kukhu chikhu nemuyetakho khurora chinyenyi nakanganila chingano ekoloba khukhwama chisaa che khumala siakhulia seikoloba.

As I was living in the house with my grandmother, I used to fetch firewood for my grandmother and help her prepare vegetables before cooking, as she narrated stories to me in the evening until supper was finished.

Lukano niluo kukhu kanganilakho lulala mpaka nilwo sikumbuka mpaka sai kambolela ali yabao kha-a-ale khwabechanga nende omwana omusoleli.

One story I was told by my grandmother, a story I still remember to date, she told me, long time ago we had a boy child.

Omwana we sisoleli yuno kasonanga chingubo nakusia.

This boy child, he used to sew clothes to sell.

Yabao endalo ndala abele asubuhi omwana omusoleli yuno alikho asona chingubo chewe ne aba omulosi mulala kabira alikhakusia bubukhi.

There was one day in the morning when the boy was sewing his clothes, then one old woman who was selling honey passed by.

Nono kakendanga natangasia ali nabola ali, “Nanu okulakho bubuhi?

She used to go around asking, "who can buy honey?"

Nanu okulakho bubuhi?” Aba omwana omusoleli yuno kabolela omulosi yuno ali, “Nderere esese nenya khukula.”

"Who will buy honey?" and then this boy told this old woman to sell it to him.

Omulosi yuno kasuta bubukhi nayilila omwana omusoleli yuno.

This old woman carried honey to this boy.

Nga kacha nomwana omusoleli yuno kakula bubukhi.

As she went there, this boy bought honey.

Nga kakula bubukhi kanywakho bubukhi bulala ne busikale kacha kabubikha abundu ali abulayi.

And as he bought honey, he ate some honey and kept the remaining in a good place.

Omwana omusoleli yuno kakhakalukha khukasi yewe ye khusona chingubo.

This boy went back to his job of sewing clothes.

Kakhasona, kakhasona, kakhasona, muda yacha.

He sewed for a while and time went by.

Nga kakelao kabona kamaaranba karabiranga kacha munju nimwo anasonelangamo.

Then he saw ants passing/flying around, entering the house he was sewing in.

Abona kamaaramba kabira, abona kamaaramba kabira.

He sees the ants passing, he sees the ants passing.

Kaloma ali, “Kamaaramba kano karabiranga nekacha wae?”

He asked, "where are these ants going?"

Omwana omusoleli yuno kaloma ali, “Kheninyukhe nje ndole kanachichanga wae.”

This boy said to himself, "let me go and check where they are going."

Nga kacha khulola niye kamaaramba kanachichanga nanyola mbo kali khubukhi bwewe nibwo abele abikhile mala kalikho kanywa.

As he went to check where the ants were going, he found that they were on his honey that he had kept and they were drinking it.

Ne omwana omusoleli yuno nisio kakhola nakalukha abukula siraka siengubo narekukha acha nenasio.

What this boy did, he went back and took with him a piece of cloth and went with it.

Nga kacha kola nie kamaaramba kali khubukhi naba kapa kamaaramba saba khusafari ndala.

As he went up to where the ants were he hit/beat seven ants in one go.

Naba akalukha chimbilo kecha asona sitamba naandikakho ali, “Nirire kamaaramba saba khusafari ndala."

And then he ran back to go and sew a tablecloth and wrote on it that, "I killed seven ants in one go."

Narekukha kasutile mungaki babandu babasie babonekho.

Then he left, carrying it up so that other people could see.

Nga kacha naba acha khunyola linani.

As he went, he met an ogre.

Nga kanyola linani khungila abele linani lino omwami alio niye owakabaya kamuyetanga ekasi.

The ogre he met on the way belonged to a certain leader who kept them to help him with some work.

Nono wakati eyeyo liaba lilala liong’ene lilikho likenda khungila ne kabili kalingo.

So, that time it was only one which was walking on the road and the other two were at home.

Nga kakanana linani lino naba linani nga lialolakho khusitamba, nono linani seliaba nende chimoni chibona bulayi tawe.

As he met this ogre, and when the ogre looked at the cloth lifted up, the ogre did not have eyes which could see better.

Linani nga liasomakho liasomakho mbo, omusoleli yuno kerire babandu saba khusafari ndala.

As the ogre read it, it read, "this boy killed seven people in one go."

Ne aba linani lino liakalukha khureba omwana omusoleli yuno, “Mbo yani aba ewe oli nekamani sana?”

So this ogre came to ask this boy, "it seems you have a lot of energy?"

Omwana omusoleli yuno kafukilila ali, “Yeeeh, ese ndi ne kamani sana.”

This boy agreed, "yes I am so energetic."

Linani lundi lielamo, “Yani ewewe oli ne kamani kakhila esese?”

The ogre repeated, "you mean you are more energetic than me?"

Omwana omusoleli yuno kajiba ali, “Esese ndi nende kamani kamakali sana, ewewe seunyala tawe.”

This boy answered, "I have more energy than you."

Aba linani lialoma lili, “Khuche mpaka engo womwami sikila khwarema kumwiti kumubofu sana mala khuli bataru mala khwecha khwakhilwa khusuta kumwiti kuno khukurere khukwosi engo."

So the ogre said, let us go up to the leader's home because we cut a big tree and we are three and we failed to carry this tree and bring it at home."

Aba nga barekukha bacha bola mungo mwomwami, aba linani liaelesela omwami khulondekhana nende omwana omusoleli yuno.

As they left on reaching the leader's compound, the ogre explained to the leader in regards to this boy.

Nga liaelesia nomwami alolakho ali, “Aaah, ali apana. Yani aba ewe oli ne kamani kali kamakali sana?”

As it explained, the leader was skeptical "aah, nooo, you mean you have a lot of energy?'"

Omwana omusoleli yuno kelamo najiba omwami ali, “Eeeh, esese ndi nende kamani kamakali sana.”

This boy again answered, "yes I have a lot of energy."

Naba omwami abolela omusoleli yuno “Ali bona narakho kamanani khucha khurema kumusala kumurongoro emwalo.

Then this leader told this boy that, "I asked ogres to go and cut a tree down there.

Ali mala lola barema kumwiti bulaya mala kwabakhaya khusuta khukurera bakuosie mungo muno.

They cut the english tree very well but they failed to carry it here at home.

Onyala wacha wayetana nenabo?”

Can you go and assist them?"

Nomwana omusoleli yuno aloma ali, “Onyala wamba babandu babili aba esese wekhataru mala khurekukhe khuche khusute.”

And this boy said, "can you give me two people, I will be the third person then we will proceed to carry."

Nge bacha bolayo omwana omusoleli yuno ali nekamanani kabili ne niye yeng’ene.

As they went and arrived there, this boy had two ogres and him alone.

Ne abolela kamanani kano bali, “Esese nono ndasuta emusie mala ndasuta busa khasala khatiti khubela ndi nekamani kamakali kekhumukhila enywenywe.”

He told these ogres, "I will be carrying at the far end and I will carry a small part of the tree because I have more energy than you."

Aba linani liebweni liarangire, liekhabili lialondilekho, aba omwana omusoleli niye omalilikhe.

One of the ogres was leading from the front, the second one followed, the boy was last.

Nga basuta bara khwibeka baaacha nga bola khungila kamanani sekalikhakekhebekhakho enyuma ta, nomwana omusioleli yuno asuna khumwiti khungaki kekhalakho.

As they carried and put it on their shoulders, when they reached the road, the ogres were not looking back, so this boy jumped and sat on the tree.

Nga bacha bacha bacha bacha nga besenda nga kamanani kakana khulola enyuma nasuna asi lundi atila busa emusia ali, “Wabone ese nga ndilile sa emusie bali ese ndi nekamani kamakali sana.”

As they went, they moved and as the ogres were almost looking back, he jumps down and holds the far end saying, "you see how am holding at the far end, I have a lot of energy."

Nga baaacha omwana omusoleli yuno asuna lundi kekhalakho.

As they went, this boy jumped and sat on it again.

Nga kamanani kalola enyuma ne asuna asi atila sa khasala ali, “Semwabone sitila busa.”

As the ogres look back, he jumps down and goes to hold the tree saying, "you see am still holding on."

Bacha nende kumurongoro kuno bosia mungo mwomwami.

They went with this tree up to the leaders home.

Omwami kema kalolelela omwana omusoleli yuno ali, “Mala kang’ali oli ne kamani kali kamakali sana.”

That leader really looked at this boy and said, "It is true you have a lot of energy."

Omwana omusoleli yuno ali, “Eeh, ali kabali mbo omwami ekasi ekindi elio niyo nyala nakhola esese ndi nende enafasi nyala nakikhola sai.”

This boy said "yes, if there is any other job that I can do, I have a chance to do it now."

Aba omwami yuno kaloma ali, “Khuli nende kamanani kamenyile musirekere sino kakandi ali kamenyile enje.

So this leader said, "we have ogres that live in this area and others live outside.

Mala kalichanga chikhafu che babandu, kera babandu, konaka bibindu bye babandu, mala khwaikhilwa khukanyola khuriena.”

And they eat people's cows, kill people, they destroy people's property, but we have been wondering how we can get them."

Aba omwana omusoleli oyuno keyama ali, “Eeh, omwami esiesio sili sisindu sititi nisio nyala nakhola khudaka nditi sana.”

This boy agreed, "eeh, leader, that is a small thing that I can accomplish within a few minutes."

Aba omwami kalolelela omusoleli yuno mala kaloma ali, “Kang’ali olikholoma nende kumoyo kwoo kwosi mbo onyala wakhola?”

The leader looked at this boy and said, "are you sure you are saying that you can do it with all your heart?"

Omwana omusoleli yuno kaloma ali, “Eeeh, esese nyala nakhola.”

This boy said, "yes I can do it."

Nga bacha omwami ali, “Khuche nono nje khwekesi mumusala niye kamanani kano kamenyilemo.”

This leader said, "now let us go so I can show you the tree where these orgres live."

Nge ba-a-a-acha bemela busa sinao namwekesia ali, “Wabone kumwiti kumubofu okwokwo? Ali nio nie kamanani kano kamenyilemo.”

As they went, they stopped and stood at a distance and he showed him, "have you seen that huge tree? That is where these ogres live."

Aba omwana omusoleli yuno karekukha.

This boy left.

Kaloma ali, “Nono omwami esese ndakhubolela sa nandi nerire khale kamanani kano.”

And said,"sir, so what I will do, I'll just tell you that I have already killed these ogres."

Aba omwana omusoleli yuno nisio kakhola, karekukha kacha.

What this boy did, he left.

Nga kacha balekhana nomwami, omwami yesi kacha mulukoba lwewe.

As he went, they parted with the leader who went to his home.

Aba omwana omusoleli yuno kacha kang’ona engera, kaking’ona bulai kabisa kakiakala yaba endai.

So this boy went and made a weapon, he prepared it well and sharpened it.

Kabukula kamabale, kamabale kane kara musikapo siewe.

He took stones, four stones and put them in his bag.

Nga chola chisaa che silo wakati niyo kamanani kalikho kakona omwana omusoleli yuno karekukha.

As the night came, the time that the ogres were sleeping, this boy left.

Nga kacha kolayo, kanyola kamanani kalikho kakona.

As he arrived there, he found ogres sleeping.

Kanina polepole, polepole, kacha kola khumwiti khungaki.

He climbed slowly, slowly, up to the top of the tree.

Nga kacha kola khumwiti khungaki nalekhula libale lilala khukhwama khumwiti khungaki nelicha lipa linani lilala.

As he was on top of the tree, he released one stone from the top of the tree which came and hit one ogre.

Ne linani lienyokha liareba linani liliasie lili “Wase, chisaa chikhola chekhucha khulia chikhafu ta, newe olikhounjinyusia oli inyokha khuche.”

One ogre woke up and asked his other ogre, "it is not the time to go and eat cows, and you are waking me up so that we start going."

Oyuno ali, “Tawe sendise owamakhukhwinyusia tawe.”

The other one answered, "no, it is not me who woke you up."

Aba nga bako-o-ona naeka lundi nekapa linani liekhabili.

As they slept he released a stone to hit the second ogre.

Linani liekhabili lili, “Wase, ewe wakhaloma oli chisaa chikhola ta ne lundi wesi khounjinyusia?”

The second ogre said, "brother, you just said it is not yet time, and you are waking me up?"

Linani liebweni lili, “Tawe sendi esese owama khukhwinyusia tawe.”

The first ogre answered, "No, I am not the one who woke you up,"

Nga bako-o-ona lundi kaeka lundi kapa linani liebweni, linani liebweni lienyukha lundi liareba linani liliase lili, “Wase, ewe wakhakani oli chisaa chikhola ta nelundi olikhounjinyusia, onananianga sina?

As they slept again, he aimed and hit the first ogre again, the first ogre woke up again and asked the other one,"you just said it is not yet time and you are waking me up, why are you disturbing me?"

Lekha khukone chnola saa nane nio khuche.”

let us sleep, we will go at 2 AM."

Nga kelao kamanani khukona lundi, kaeka libale lundi kapa linani lundi liekhabili.

As they returned to sleep, he released a stone again and hit the second ogre again.

Linani liekhabili lienyukha lili, “Wase ewewe wakhaloma oli chisa chikhola ta nolikhounanilisia lundi oli inyokha, sendenyanga nono unanie tawe, ndekhe busa ngone lilo.

The second ogre woke up saying,"hey, you have just said that it is not yet time and you are disturbing me again to wake up, I do not want you to disturb me now, leave me to sleep.

Wanjinyusia lundi chisaa nechikhola tawe khulikhupana busa luno.”

If you wake me up before time, we will just fight today."

Naba omusoleli yuno nge kalinda kamanani kakona naeka lundi libale ne kapa linani liebweni.

So as this boy waited for the ogres to sleep again, he released another stone and hit the first ogre.

Nge kapa linani liebweni nge lienyokha mwilo liaba nende lirima lili likali sana.

He hit the first ogre and as it woke up, it had a lot of anger.

Ne aba nga lienyusia linani liaise lili, “Wase ndakhukanianga ndi chisaa chikhola ta ewe wakhailile olikhounjinyusia. Nono luno khulikho khupana."

So as it woke up, its fellow ogre said,"hey, I am telling you that it is not yet time, you are still waking me up. So today we are fighting."

Aba kamanani kano nga kenyukha kachaka khukhupana.

So when these ogres woke up, they started fighting.

Kamanani kapana, kapana, kapana, kapana.

They fought, fought, fought, fought.

Aba libira selikhaya lilasie kamani tawe.

Each could not defeat the other.

Mala linani liebweni lialoma lili, “Oyuno nisio khola khenje sute libale lili libofu sana.”

The first ogre said,"what I do, let me go and bring a very big stone."

Naba linani lino liebweni liacha liatima khusuta libale lili libofu sana.

So this first ogre ran to bring the stone that is very big.

Ne linani lilindi lino nalio liacha lietyukha kuchihi kwaba mumusiru kuli kubofu sana.

The other ogre went to bring a log that was in the forest that was very big.

Naba nga kola ne oli linani liebweni lieka libale ne linani liekhabili liosi liaekile kuchikhi.

So, as they arrived, the first ogre released the stone and second ogre also released the log.

Nono libale liapa liera linani liekhabili ne liekhabili nga liekile kuchikhi kwosi kwacha kuapa linani liebweni liafwa.

So the stone hit and killed the second ogre, and as they second one released the log, it hit the first ogre to death.

Nomwana omusoleli yuno kekha polepole khukhwama khumusala.

Then this young boy came down slowly from the tree.

Nga kacha kola asi naba abukola engera yewe kera kamanani kano kombi.

As he reached on ground, he took his weapon and killed these two ogres.

Nekamao arekukha acha engo womwami, nga kola mulukoba lwo mwami ne aba kenyusia omwami.

He then left and went up to the leader's home, as he reached the leader's compound, he woke up the leader.

Nga kenyusia omwami naba kaelesela omwami nomwami amubolela ali, “Una nono enje enje nesili emabwibwi wiche unjinyusie mala khulakhukholela esherehe eli embofu lundi esawadi yoo elio embofu sana."

As he woke up the leader, he explained to the leader, and the leader told him, "Now wake up at dawn come and wake me up, and we shall prepare a big party, and there is a very big present for you."

Omwana omusoleli yuno nga kela engo nga buasi kacha mungo mwomwami.

This young boy as he went back home, as dawn came, he went again to the leader's home.

Nga kabolela lundi omwami nomwami aloma ali, “Tawe sembamina mpaka sai tawe, onyala waba nokhoumbea.”

As he told the leader again, the leader said, "no, up to now I could not believe, you may be lying to me."

Aba omwana omusoleli yuno kaloma ali, “Tawe omwami nganichile nakhubolele sa silo na nirire, buli bungali nerire.”

This young boy said,"no sir, just as I came at night to tell you that I had killed, it is true I killed."

Ali, “Tawe olikhoumbea.”

He said ,"no, you are lying."

Nomwami amaa amufuchakho kamare.

Then the leader spat on him.

Naba abukula babandu bafanyakasi bewe ali khomuche nenaye muche mulole bung'ali kerire namwe alikho kambea.

He then took his wokers and asked them to go with the boy to confirm whether it is true he killed or he is just lying.

Nga barekukha khucha khulola niye kamanani kakona bafanyakasi bomwami nga alola banyola buli bung’ali, omwana omusoleli yuno kerire kamanani kano.

As they left to go and check where the ogres sleep, the leaders workers as they checked, they confirmed it is true this boy killled these ogres.

Nga kakalukha nono becha khubolela omwami bali, “Buli bung’ali pooh.

As they returned to tell the leader that, "it is indeed true.

Omwana omusoleli yuno kerire kamanani kano.”

This boy killed these ogres."

Nomwami abola ali, “Esawadi eliyo eli embofu khwiwe sana kenyibwa khukhole esherehe bulimundu yesi abone khubela okholile likhuwa liliakhaya bandu bosi musirekere sino.”

The leader then said, "the prize that is there is a big one for you, we need to organize a party for everyone to see because you did something that everyone in this area was unable to do."

Aba omwami katayarisha, karera biakhulia kapanga, barera bulisindu bisala bekhala, balanga babandu khukhwama musirekere becha.

The leader prepared everything from serving the food, bringing the seats and invited people in the village to come over.

Mala bakholela omwana omusoleli yuno esherehe nebamumema mungaki nebakhina nenaye.

And they had a party for this young boy, they carried him up, dancing with him.

Mala mwishowe omwami karusia omwana wewe owe sikoko.

Eventually, the leader offered his daughter.

Omwana oli omulayi pooh! Kamiukha poooh! Kamiukha busa mumoni ouka oli echupa tritopu.

A child who is very beautiful, very soft skin, soft like the tri-top bottle.

Naba omwami aelesia omwana omusoleli yuno ali “Nakhuwele omukhana yuno khukhwamila luno ali omukhasi woo.”

The leader gave this young boy saying, "I have given you this girl, from today she is your wife."

Mala sirekere siosi sieulila, babandu bosi baria omwana omusoleli oyo khubela akholile likhuwa liliakhaya babandu bosi.

The whole area was happy. All people respected that boy because he did something that all failed to do.

Lukano lwase lwakamile ao, samwene khule mungaki nga litoto.

My story ends there, I wish to grow tall like black nightshade.