Fyntameryn As Fine as Can Be
Words conjuring images
more beautiful than reality
the horsethief passionately
whispering:
Dancer, all aglow with ribbons
and bows – a ladies’ horse,
high-stepping, as fine as
can be
Teasing with a tongue-twister,
a black dappled horse and
grey also – magical images
of horses
A fiery copper stallion, a dark
chestnut and bright bay horse,
a brown roan, ‘boknekperd’ and
grey sorrel
The horsethief taming a horse
with strange, bewitching terms,
slippery guttler, His Haughty
Highness
Enraptured I read about yellow
finches in shiny mantles and the
reedy note of the ‘klapklappie’,
lady’s heart grass
Green foliage and lacy twigs, as
fine as can be!
(Based on quotes from “The Horsethief”
HJ Vermaas, Tafelberg Publishing,1974, pp.1-41)
Fyntameryn (Original)
Woorde wat beelde optower
mooier as enige werklikheid,
die perdedief se hartstogtelike
fluistering:
Danster, my glanster; opgeskik,
strikversier - mooimeisieperd,
fyntrapper, so fyntameryn
as kan kom
Terg my tong met ‘n ritrympie,
‘n swartblesperd met flougrys
pens - magiese perdebeelde
opgetower
Vurige kopervos reun en ‘n
blinkvosperd, sweetvosbles,
bruinskimmel, boknekperd,
asblou hings
Die perdedief wat ‘n perd tem
met ongekende woordekuns,
gulsbek, gliplyf, hooghart,
graniethart
In soete verrukking lees ek van
geelpiete in manteljasse en ‘n
klapklappie se dun fluitnootjie,
klokkiesgras, blarelower
En ‘n fyngetakte bos; so
fyntameryn - as kan
kom!
(Aanhalings uit “Die Perdedief” HJ Vermaas,
Tafelberg Uitgewers, 1974, pp.1 – 41)
poem by Margaret Alice Second
Added by Poetry Lover
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