14 October 2014

OL' CHINA ... ALMOST-INTELLECTUAL

OL' CHINA AND THE ALMOST-INTELLECTUAL  
© Farouk Asvat  

          Heit! Howzit there?

No, is sweet my brother.
You're very scarce hey.
Where were you now the other night?
Ai, you missed another thing again.
Ol' China - you know him -
He jus' put another situation in the fridge;
To say, the situation climbs onto the stage
All collared an' tied
An' he adjusts his cufflinks so with a style
An' he begins to yack! yack! in so a highbrow lingo
Something about the modus operandi or something
About Capitalism
An' he yackety-yacks what-what about Existentialism
An' Socialism
An' he jus' goes on an' on
About I don't know what wism's -ism
An' the guys begin to get restless of all the shit talk
But Ol' China he just sits there in his corner
With his cap over his eyes and sleeps.

But jus' as the situation finishes with his speeches
An' before the Chairman can still stand up
Ol' China is on his feet
An' he adjusts his cap so on a slant
An' he addresses the Chairman
An' the Ladies an' Gentlemens
-     You know Ol' China
      No, that brother of mine has style -
An' he begins to say
The people must correct him if he's wrong
But he understands to say
The gentleman had spoken an hour too long
About a thing we all know in the townships
To say, the whites ration us with the life.

An' you know what?
Before the guys can still give him an applause
Ol' China suddenly sits down again
Pulls his cap over his eyes
An' sleeps


© farouk asvat

* original composed: 1976 [Johannesburg, South Africa, under apartheid].
# english translation by farouk asvat: 2006 [Johannesburg, South Africa, under apartheid].

[] acknowledgements:
Ol' China An' The Almost-Intellectual # /
Ou China En Die Amper-Intellectual * was previously published in:
The Time Of Our Lives (black thoughts publications, p40, 1982); *
Staffrider (ravan press, johannesburg, # 2(3), p31, 1979);
Ten Years of Staffrider, ed aw oliphant & i vladislavic (ravan, johannesburg, # 7(3&4), p217, 1988);
Poskaarte: beelde van die Afrikaanse poësie sedert 1960, ed l viljoen & r foster (tafelberg, cape town, p278, 1997); *
The Time Of Our Lives (piquant publications, p12, 2007); #
Bra Frooks … (piquant publications, p11, 2007); *
Bra Frooks … (kindle, 2014); *
Bra Frooks … (paperback, p13, 2014); *
The Time Of Our Lives (kindle, 2014); #
The Time Of Our Lives (paperback, p12, 2014). #
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[§] Books by Farouk Asvat:

Sadness In The House Of Love (novel)
The Gathering Of The Storm (novel)
I Dream In Long Sentences (poetry)
The Wind Still Sings Sad Songs (poetry)
A Celebration Of Flames (poetry)
The Time Of Our Lives (poetry)
This Masquerade (short stories)
Bra Frooks … (poetry)*
The Paanies Are Coming (short stories)*
In The House Of Love (novel)*
Weapons Of Words (comparative literature & literary criticism)

¨ all my books are now available on amazon: in paperback & kindle
___________________________________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________________________________
© farouk asvat.  All rights reserved.

Farouk Asvat asserts his moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means whatsoever, or transmitted in any form or any means whatsoever, mechanical or electronic, including recording, printing, photocopying, or via any computerised means or media, including the internet.  This publication shall also not be stored in a retrieval system.  And the writing shall not be sold, lent, hired, resold or circulated in any form or binding or cover other than that in which it is published,
without the prior permission of the author in writing.
Permission to publish or reproduce the writings in any format can be obtained from the author.
Reproduction of this work without permission, except for scholarly & nonprofit purposes,
is liable to a payment of 10, 000 ren men bi or US$ 1,500.
___________________________________________________________________________     
[] WIETIE WHAT-WHAT:  

OU CHINA EN DIE AMPER-INTELLECTUAL  
© Farouk Asvat  

          Heit!  Hoezit daar?

Nee, is sweet my bra.
Djy's mos skaars né.
Waa' was djy nou-die aan'?
Aai, djy't wee' 'n anne' dêng gemiss.
Ou China - djy ken hom mos -
Hy't 'n anne' situation somme' innie fridge gebêre
Omtesê die situation klim oppie stage
Nogal gecollar en getie
En hy adjust sy cufflinks so met 'n style
En hy bêgênne woerawara in so 'n highbrow lingo
Iets van die modus operandie of iets van Capitalism
En hy wietie what-what van Existensialism
En Socialism
En hy gaan aan en aan
Oor ek-wiet-nie-wat se moerism
En die majietas begênne woelerig raak van al die kakpraat
Maa' Ou China hy sit net daar in sy hoek
Met sy Ayas oor sy ooge en slaap.

Kanti, net as die situation klaar is met hom spieche,
En voo' die Chairman nog ken opstaan,
Is Ou China op sy bene
En hy adjust sy Ayas so op 'n slant
En hy address die Chairman en die Ladies en Gentlemans
- Djy ken mos Ou China
   Nee, daai bra van my het style -
En hy bêgênne omtesê
Die mense moet hom correct as hy verkeerd is
Maa' hy voestaan omtesê
Die gentleman het 'n uur too veel gecable
Oor 'n dêng wat ons in die 'kasies mos ken
Omtesê, die lahnies ration ons met die lewe.

En djy wiet wat?
Voo' die outies hom nog 'n applause kan tchee
Sit Ou China somme' wee' nee'
Trek sy Ayas oor sy ooge
En slaap.


© farouk asvat

* original composed: 1976 [Johannesburg, South Africa, under apartheid].

Bra Frooks is ...
                    []  nes 'n skollie
                    []  'n egte skollie
                    []  'n tsotsi
                    []  a real scamp
                    []  streetwise
                    []  the jokerman

Bra Frooks ...
                    []  praat soos 'n skollie
                    []  wietie soos 'n joster
                    []  wietie what-what
                    []  tunes like a durbanite
                    []  speaks like an englishman

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
the NOVEL Sadness In The House Of Love by Farouk Asvat
is now available on amazon: in paperback @ $15 & kindle @ only $5
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#the #time #of #our #lives #ol' #china #an' #the #almost #intellectual
#bra #frooks #ou #china #en #die #amper #intellectual 


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