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Whether it is "Redefining literary techniques and devices", "Justifying Papua New Guinea Literature", or "Translating the Bible into Anuki", these offer valuable reading for the paperless student of literature, and indeed the best sort of literary entertainment you can get out of Papua New Guinea. Check them out either on Soaba's Storyboard or The Anuki Country Press.

Tuesday, 31 May 2011

Poem: a trilingual experiment by Ruth Kamasungua & Irene Kawakami Gashu

                                                        
THE LEARNER (English Australia)

Tall, short, thin, fat
Young and old
They come in all sizes and shapes
They swarm this place
In the sea of busybodies

Books, books, books
They sink (bury) their heads
In the quick sand
Of knowledge
With great determination
Their thirst never quenched
Nor does knowledge ever end

MAN I KISIM SAVE (Tok Pisin Papua New Guinea)

Longpela, sotpela, bunatin na fetpela
Yangpela na lapun
Ol i kam long kainkain seip
Ol pulimapim dispela ples olsem bi

Buk buk buk
Ol i painim het bilong ol
Long wasan
Bilong kisim save
Wantaim strongpela tingting
Hangere long dringim dispel wara bilong save ino save pinis
Na save tui no save pinis
(Tr: Ruth Kamasungua)

EL ESTUDIANTE (Spanish Argentina)

Alto, bajo, Delgado, gordo
Joven y Viejo
Vienen en todo tipo de tamaños y formas
Arrebozan este lugar
En el mar de ocupación

Libros, libros, libros
Sumergen sus cabezas
En la arena movediza
Del conocimiento
Con gran determinación
Su sed no se apaga nunca                                                                    
Ni el conocimiento termina

(Tr: Irene Kawakami Gashu)

                                                         
The above poem THE LEARNER was written by Ruth Kamasungua.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

The poem 'The Learner' is realistic in terms of a learning environment such as the Universities, colleges, and other academic institutions. People come in all age groups regardless of race, and creed in order to achieve their educational ambitions.

Anonymous said...

The Poem 'The Learner' is easily accessible to both Pidgin and Spanish speakers as well as English speaker. I think more bilingual and trilingual poems should be written by Poets for a wide variety of audience.

The Anuki Country Press said...

Thanks for the feedback to this experiment in poetry compositions.