I had not known or at least 'not remembered' that today is
Fathers’ Day until I was woken up by a message in the Afrikaans language from a
friend.
You want to know how the great South African Afrikaans Language
is is written? Afrikaans-language
writing is never easy with all the strangely-dotted vowels. But that is your next paragraph!
Wil jou 'n baie geseënde Vadersdag toewens. God het dit goed
gedink om jou kinders aan jou toe te vertrou. Wat 'n voorreg en
verantwoordelikheid! Jy het gelukkig enetjie met wie jy die dag kan spandeer.
Geniet die dag outjie!
Now for the translation!
“Let me wish you a blissful Fathers’ Day. God saw it fit to entrust you with [3]
children[: 1. Mercedes-Thoko Phiri (20) who is in Tanzania, 2. Maziri
Lwandiluquqaba Phiri (4) who is with own sister in Tanzania, and 3. TamaraSibusisiwe Phiri 4 who is in South Africa].
“What a privilege! And what a responsibility, [Mr Phiri, in
fatherhood!]
“I am glad for you that, of your three kids, there is at
least one little one [Daughter Tamara] with whom you can spend this great day.
“Enjoy the day, Old Boy!”
Everybody's Daughter and Father Image |
Now I am responding to the message in the selfsame Afrikaans, but I must apologize in advance to all of you, fellow-Africans of Dutch, French, German
and Malay descent: I just can’t get myself to typeing your vowels with all the dots, caps, and you-name-it.
“Ek se baie dankie daarvoor!
Ek waardeer dit oneindelik. Ek
kan amper nie glo dat die Here my vriende en engele so kragtig soos jy, gegee
het; engele en mense (vriende en vyande gelyk) wat my in elke oomblik van my
hardste tye kan optel. Hierdie boodskap
kom presies in net een van sulke oomblikke!”
Translation:
“Let me say Thank you for this...appreciated no end!
"Hard to believe that the Lord has blest me so much as to grant me friends and angels commanding as much power as you do; angels and people (friends and enemies alike) who are always there to raise me up during every nasty situation. Right now [as I get your message, Old Friend] I am wallowing in one more nasty happeninstance!”
"Hard to believe that the Lord has blest me so much as to grant me friends and angels commanding as much power as you do; angels and people (friends and enemies alike) who are always there to raise me up during every nasty situation. Right now [as I get your message, Old Friend] I am wallowing in one more nasty happeninstance!”
The writer of the Afrikaans message is my best friend ever, a child of a commercial farmer here in South Africa, a farmer father who is an acquaintance of mine too. They are a highly Africanized ethnic-European extended family who have been on these shores since the 17th Century.
Having expressed all appreciation for my white friend’s good
wishes on Father’s Day, I must also
express more appreciation for a similar message from the extended black family
of my maternal Swazi-Royal Grandmother, the late Swazi Princess Eleanor Fedeqhikizalemalangeni Nkhosi,
daughter of my great-grandfather Prince Sigeyeza Nkhosi, son of my 2nd
great-grandfather Prince Khenkana Nkhosi, in turn Inkhosikati LaTfwala and Swazi
King Somhlolo (AKA King Sobhuza I).
The second-message sender stands as Princess Regina Nkhosi of
Germiston. (Interesting though that both Cousin Regina and my white friend were
born on a Friday…do Friday-born people make best friends for Thursday-born
people like me irrespective of skin colour?)
HAPPY FATHER’S DAY TO EVERY OTHER FELLOW-FATHER, ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH: BLACK, BROWN, WHITE, PINK, YELLOW OR EVEN GREEN!
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