*** PLEASE NOTE: LEARNER USE ONLY! ***
With this detailed line-by-line English translation and analysis of Die snoek, you will not only be able to understand the poem, but also be ready for any question as the most important Afrikaans words have been translated in brackets for you to identify in ...
Die snoek – Barend Toerien
1. Ons in die roeiboot, jý 1. Us in the rowboat, you
2. die roeier, sê hoe om te maak 2. the one rowing, telling us what to
do
3. met die handlyn: gee kort rukkies 3. with the hand line: give short tugs
4. en as jy een voel, ruk vinnig, 4. and if you feel one, pull fast,
hard. Pluk hard. Pluck
5. hom in die boot, gryp 5. him into the boat, grab
6. – versigtig vir die tande! 6. – watch out for the teeth!
7. – en druk hom onder jou arm in 7. – and push him tightly
vas underneath your arm
8. vir die hoekuithaal 8. for taking out the hook
9. en die nekbreek. 9. and breaking its neck.
10. Maar hoe kon ek 10. But how could I have
weet known
11. hy’s so vasgebyt aan die lewe 11. he is so clenched onto life
12. meer nog as aan die hoek 12. even more so than on the hook?
13. hy sou veg met sy hele lyf, 13. he would fight with his whole
body,
14. sy stert sou swingel 14. his tail would wiggle
15. sy kiewe gulp 15. his gills gasping
16. na waterlug, sy oë 16. for water-air, his eyes
17. snags sou aanhou staar? 17. keep on staring at night?
Analysis of the poem
1. Ons in die roeiboot, jý “Ons” vs “jý” already indicates
(dui aan) that there is a distance
(afstand) between the speaker
and the person rowing (roeier),
especially (veral) when looking at
the placement (plasing) of the
two words on opposite
(teenoorgestelde) sides (kante)
of the line: the speaker is the
one who is a novice (beginner)
with the “jý” being the
experienced (ervare)
fisherman, teaching the “ons”
how to fish.
“Ons” shows (wys) that there is
more than one person in the
boat, which does not have an
engine (enjin) as it is a rowboat
(roeiboot).
PROPERTY OF M SOUNES NO COPYING, SHARING OR DISTRIBUTION
1
ALLOWED
, The use of the comma is to
indicate (aan te dui) extra
information (inligting)
pertaining to (rakende) the rower
(roeier). It serves (dien) as a
form of parenthesis
(parentese/inlassin).
2. die roeier, sê hoe om te maak Enjambment (enjambement) is
strewn throughout the poem and
this is the first use of it from line
1-2.
It seems to be that the rower is
in charge (in beheer) as he is
the one dictating (dikteer/bepaal)
the fishing process
(visvangproses): he is teaching
(leer) the others (ander) how to
fish (visvang).
3. met die handlyn: gee kort rukkies After the colon (dubbelpunt) an
explanation follows
(verduideliking volg) of how
(hoe) they should proceed
(voortgaan) in catching the snoek
(om die snoek te vang); basically
instructions (instruksies) that
are given.
They are not using any fancy
(spoggerig) equipment
(toerusting) to catch (vang) this
pike (snoek): they are using a
handline (handlyn).
4. en as jy een voel, ruk vinnig,
hard. Pluk
5. hom in die boot, gryp
6. – versigtig vir die tande! The hyphen (aandagstreep)
shows (wys) extra information
which in this case (geval) is a
warning (waarskuwing) to be
careful (versigtig) of the snoek’s
teeth as he could bite the
fisherman’s finger clean off. It is a
dangerous (gevaarlike) fish to
catch.
The exclamation mark
(uitroepteken) emphasizes
(beklemtoon) the warning
(waarskuwing).
7. – en druk hom onder jou arm in
vas
PROPERTY OF M SOUNES NO COPYING, SHARING OR DISTRIBUTION
2
ALLOWED
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