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The children’s rhyme about the coronavirus Is There Something in the Air? (Che cos’è che in aria vola?), written by Roberto Piumini, one of Italy’s most beloved children’s authors, has been translated into Kalanga by Fletcher Sidingumuzi Dube.
A passionate and qualified multilingual translator with vast experience in English-Northern Ndebele and English-Kalanga translations, Fletcher is currently Team Leader in the Kalanga Bible Translation Project, was part of the team which translated The Zimbabwe Constitution from English to Kalanga and has been involved in a number of translation projects from English to Kalanga and from English to Northern Ndebele. Fletcher holds a Diploma in Bible Translation, a Certificate in Transport and Logistics Management and a BSC (Hons) degree in Operations Research and Statistics.
Kuna tjiyapo mu mhepo?
Bakahhalila zwikwele: Bakakutilani ikoko?
Imboli ludzini yatakafanila longa hhiho?
Nkhwinya wangu, Atitongozuwa nyana.
Bhukanana linonyandabadza banhu
loyi Khorona. Alita mambo nenguba
zina lalo libva “tjiyala”.
Ndizo ungabhuzwa: Ikunhu ludzini ikoku?
Iwhundi yatisingake tikabona.
Kutikinini kwazo sa kudze imi nawe
tikubone tobe tahingisa mayikhroskopu
whuluwhulu kwazo.
I buhungu guhhele hango gunomanikanya
hango yose, gu bhitipiti kakale
gwa andama hapa na hapeyaa nekulibilidza.
Akutekungana kakale kulelulelu koga kuna
bumboli kana kogwa tjoselele kuti kudze
kungine mundili ne mukuli.
Koga ingwa imi nawe ne bamwe
bose yatingakunda, ngobe kuna
zwinhu zwatingathama kudze tidzibilile
whundi iyeyi ngina mutili.
Tjekutanga, hapa utshimuta, kumbula
hhalila neluboko kudze bugwele
gusi andame, kungatitjidza kwazo.
Hapa ungatongobhuda munzi,
utjambohanduka koga ibva wangula
maboko, kusi nasi koga mahhuba ose.
Uhingise vula njinji ne sepa, ungule
maboko kakale uwawomese.
Nayiyeyo zila noolita kuti lipedzisile
latjiba mugomba lisitjimukuli!
Hapa me natate beengina pankoba iba
nelebeswa kuti nayibo bo banothama bejalo,
ukotjiti “Mahinga!”, “Mata zwakanaka!”
“Mupamhe!” kuti kuzipe, senzano.
Manyala awo azanile kule nebuso.
Usikunhe nlomo kene meho kene zwimilo,
kudze uzwidzibilile, ngobe pawunobhata
ndipo palinoyenda.
Hapa uleyana nebamwe, pamunohangana
musisodzelelane, kube nenhambo pakati
kwenyu.
Ungamwemwetela ukabamilidzila luboko.
Akutohaka kuti udze ubabhate maboko.
Gumbatilana ne putana? Tisikuthame,
kwelubaka igogu, ileli dzudzu
dehlanana litjiyapo pakati kwedu.
Bamwe banombala mamaski hapa
beli muzila koga abazombalila tjebela
bamwe kene zwisumbika kene kuti
bamabhantinti anovimiwa nenlayo.
Iyeya maski ndeyekohola, kana hapa
bakazwina buso kodzibilila Korona
whuluka ihhala pose.
Koga hapa ileli dzudzu litjiyapo kakale
lakahalabvuka kuti lingakubadza,
lingatjinya kakale lingapaladza noziba
kuti ndolidzibilila tjini? Ndogala pasi, munzi, anditobhuda!
Unkumbulo wakana nkhwinya,
saku tisingake tika yenda ku kwele.
Kuswika bhukanana ileli lapela “Gala munzi!”
kwakafanila ba nlayo nkulu wedu.
Koga bakhwinya nehama ke, dzidzo nedzangu?
Bose bagele mumizi bo, bakadzibililika,
kakale tingagala tikunhana paludandi,
nayiyeyo zila banoba belipo patili.
Hapa uhaka lakidza kuti nobahuba kunazila
yabangaziba nayo.
Akutohakika kuti mudze muputane kene mugumbatilane:
unolakidza ngematama.
Matama izwipo, matama imbewu, izwipo zwatinazo
kakale hapa zwakanaka ndizo zwatinohaka,
hapa tili kule na kule, kudze tikule muludo.
Hapa imi nawe nebamwe bose tingatungamigwa
nenjele, bhatana, neludo, nekulibilidza tookunda
ngwa yatinayo nebhukanana ileli.
Tikagala takuthama tili toseni pamwe swiyo nhu
wose unoobona kuti tingadiyika yeta kuti hango
