UBUNTU
The play had finished. There were a hundred
or so children of Orange Farm township –
a large, informal city of mostly
shacks, few paved roads, limited clean water.
These seven, eight, nine year olds lucky enough
to be in school had shrieked with fearful delight,
laughed with wonder, their imaginations
transforming the double classroom’s bare,
austere walls into Dumisani’s
journey through English, Sotho, Venda
Xhosa, Zulu so he could play his drum.
To thank us, their teacher asked them to sing
a hymn, ‘Waiting at the Gate’. I expected,
as at home, unsteady voices reaching
for monophony but no, here, each child
sang the harmonious line that suited
her or him, an infinite polyphony.
I can see them still – serious, confident,
as if what really mattered to them then
was the eternity beyond heaven’s gate
the words long for – and hear them now, their
culture’s joyful, heartbreaking harmony,
that commonwealth of sound.
Note: UBUNTU has been posted on June 16th – Youth Day in South Africa.
Ashen
June 16, 2014Love that ‘polyphony’ – heartbreaking harmony, that commonwealth of sound.
John Huddart
June 21, 2014“Ubuntu” your way into Google and you will reveal the many layers hiding behind this apparently simple poem. Polyphonic in more ways than one. And her majesty should approve the inclusion of the commonwealth, working at a level where it really matters.
Sizwe Vilakazi
June 28, 2015The power of theatre cannot be denied. Some people know things by Google – that’s why they believe rubbish. You are talking from experience and that’s what we Africans think matters. Keep it up! From Soweto, with love.