Siqondephi Manje? launched in Bulawayo

The launch of the translation of ’amaBooks collection of short stories Where to Now? Short Stories from Zimbabwe into the isiNdebele version Siqondephi Manje?Indatshana zaseZimbabwe  took place at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo on Saturday March 29.

The book launch was supported by Bulawayo Agenda and coincided with the Zimbabwe International Book Fair taking place at the Large City Hall. The audience were welcomed by Voti Thebe, Director of the Gallery, and Debra Mabunda, chair of the board of Bulawayo Agenda.

The book was introduced by the co-director of ’amaBooks, Brian Jones, who explained that the collection is the fifth in the series of short writings that the company have published to date, but that it was the first of their titles to be translated into isiNdebele. The translator of the work, Dr Thabisani Ndlovu, spoke about the process of literary translation and how it is an exacting job to capture the essence of what the writer wanted to say. He went on to discuss how many words that are currently used by people when speaking isiNdebele have been incorporated from other languages but ‘Ndebele-ised’. He felt it important that literature was produced that reflected common usage so that young people could identify with it and want to engage in reading. The language used by the translator should depend on context, for example: a teacher in school would tend to use more formal language than two young men talking in a beer garden.

Dr Ndlovu spoke of the diversity of the pieces in the book that came from a variety of cultures and were written in a number of styles. This diversity is what helps to make Where to Now? such an interesting read, and this is reflected in Siqondephi Manje?.

Following readings from the book by Mzana Mthimkhulu and Thabisani Ndlovu, who have stories in the anthology, and by Pathisa Nyathi and Sithandizile Dube, who read from stories by Sandisile Tshuma and NoViolet Bulawayo respectively, there followed a lively discussion, moderated by Butholezwe Nyathi, about the state of the isiNdebele language, its future and writings in isiNdebele.

The event concluded with a brief explanation by Itai Zimunya of the role of the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa, the partner with ‘amaBooks for the translation of Where to Now?.

Amongst the audience of about 100 people were academics, students, writers and members of the reading public. It was a well supported event and clearly demonstrated the interest in works in isiNdebele.

The book will be available in outlets throughout Zimbabwe, as well as through www.megabooks.co.za and www.africanbookscollective.com.

Photos courtesy of Mgcini Nyoni (Poetry Bulawayo) and 'amaBooks

Launch of Siqondephi Manje? Indatshana zaseZimbabwe

with readings from their stories by Raisedon Baya, Mzana Mthimkhulu and Thabisani Ndlovu, and a reading of NoViolet Bulawayo's story by Sithandazile Dube.

"Giant Leap for Zimbabwean Literature in Ndebele" - KwaChirere

Thabisani Ndlovu of Witwatersrand University has translated 'Where to Now? Short Stories from Zimbabwe,' from English to Ndebele. It becomes: 'Siqondephi Manje? Indatshana zaseZimbabwe.' 

The translation, like the original collection of 2011 by ’amaBooks of Bulawayo, features stories by sixteen writers: Raisedon Baya, NoViolet Bulawayo, Diana Charsley, Mapfumo Clement Chihota, Murenga Joseph Chikowero, John Eppel, Fungai Rufaro Machirori, Barbara Mhangami-Ruwende, Christopher Mlalazi, Mzana Mthimkhulu, Blessing Musariri, Nyevero Muza, Thabisani Ndlovu, Bryony Rheam, Novuyo Rosa Tshuma, Sandisile Tshuma. The original was compiled and edited by Jane Morris.

 

Preface to Siqondephi Manje?

One of the key aims in undertaking this translation is to contribute towards the development of the isiNdebele language by encouraging writers to write in this language. As such, it was a most opportune moment to translate some of the most well-written Zimbabwean stories in English to isiNdebele.  In English, the stories are riveting.  They take one through a journey of mixed emotions – laughter, sadness and concern.  They all demonstrate immense creativity.  Some flout rules of punctuation whereas others use various forms of narration except the linear. I tried to capture all this creativity in the isiNdebele translation. Those who read the translation will be happy to know that not much was lost.  That is because, like a doctor with a stethoscope, I took a long time listening to the heartbeat of each story. As such, you will find that the language used for each story is appropriate for the setting, content and style. It is also current language. 

Of course, some will criticise this translation, as inevitably happens with a project like this. I can almost hear some saying, “That is an English word and not an isiNdebele one,” or, “In isiNdebele, that order of letters is impermissible.”  Some are likely to say, “There are some impolite words where euphemisms should have been used.”  Here are a few examples.   All speakers of isiNdebele know ‘ifriji’ (fridge).  No one refers to it as ‘ikhabothi yomqando’ (cold cupboard) or any such ridiculous term.  Is there anyone who calls it ‘ifiriji’?  That becomes a Shona pronunciation once we insert an ‘i’ after the ‘f’.  Similarly, we say ‘iphaspoti’ and  ‘iplastiki’.  You will also find words such as   ‘hlanza’ (vomit), ‘izibunu’ (buttocks) and others like them. These words are not used gratuitously.  Using euphemisms in their place would have distorted the tone and meaning of some stories resulting in a stilted and terrible translation. That would have resulted in substandard work, ruining the beautiful stories. Then what would I claim to be the value of the work I would have done?  In any case, words that some of us say should not be part of written isiNdebele, are words we use every day, irrespective of audience.  Let us take ‘izibunu’ (buttocks). It is common to hear people say of children with inadequate clothing, “abantwana bahamba ngezibunu egcekeni” (children wear worn-out clothes that show their buttocks). Likewise, “olezibunu ezinkulu ngolezibunu ezinkulu; ongalazo kalazo” (whoever has big buttocks is said to have such and the same for small or smaller buttocks) – that is how Ndebele people speak without any profanity implied in most contexts.  Why then should we change this when we write? I am thinking specifically about events and contexts in the stories contained here.  For example, an angry character should appear as such through the language he or she uses.  Needless to say the language should suit that character.  As a translator, one of my key duties is to make sure that the translation is as close to the original text as possible, having of course, taken into account the cultural context of the Ndebele people

Times change and so do people and their languages. That is how English grew – borrowing words and quickly incorporating them into the English lexicon. Some people say isiNdebele is dying.  What I agree with them is that we have a dearth of books in the language, publications of such being too few and far between. But the language itself is very much alive and vibrant.  Current isiNdebele is not the same as isiNdebele of twenty years ago.   There are words we should accept as isiNdebele words. Examples include ‘skulufizi’ (school fees), ‘eralini’  (at a rally), ‘iklasi’ (class/ classroom), ‘ukudiza’ (to pay a bribe),  ‘drayiva’ (driver/to drive), and  ‘khastoma’ (customer).  It is a good thing to want ‘proper’ isiNdebele words such as ‘umtshayeli’ (driver) or ‘tshayela’ (drive).  But how many people use these words in everyday speech? Thus, we can enter ‘umtshayeli’ in the context of driving a vehicle as old use or an archaic word, and next to it, indicate the recent and most widely used form, ‘drayiva’.  For a language not to die and for it to be appealing even in its written form, it has to be a language that people are familiar with, not stilted and archaic. I am not implying in any way that all old words should be thrown away.  All I am saying is that words must suit the specific contexts in which they are used. We should, by the same token, be aware of new unavoidable vocabularies. People speak of ‘istayila’ (style), ‘ukungena  ku-intanethi’ (surfing the net), ‘ukuhlaba ijini’ (wearing jeans). All of this is isiNdebele proper.

People of the Mthwakazi nation, I think I have said enough.  A language that grows is one that is in constant and creative use, whose lexicon evolves with time. In its written form, such a language should reveal the creativity of the people who speak it and in particular, the novel ways in which those people capture experiences.  Once this is achieved, it will inspire other writers to be even more creative. I hope this translation will not only inspire writing in and reading of isiNdebele, but also pride in speaking this colourful language with a rich heritage.

Thabisani Ndlovu

Johannesburg 2014

Siqondephi Manje?, the translation into Ndebele of Where to Now?, published

Siqondephi Manje? Indatshana zaseZimbabwe is the translation, by Dr Thabisani Ndlovu of Witwatersrand University, into Ndebele of Where to Now? Short Stories from Zimbabwe.

The collection features stories by sixteen writers: Raisedon Baya, NoViolet Bulawayo, Diana Charsley, Mapfumo Clement Chihota, Murenga Joseph Chikowero, John Eppel, Fungai Rufaro Machirori, Barbara Mhangami-Ruwende, Christopher Mlalazi, Mzana Mthimkhulu, Blessing Musariri, Nyevero Muza, Thabisani Ndlovu, Bryony Rheam, Novuyo Rosa Tshuma, Sandisile Tshuma.

The translation was supported by the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa, and the original publication by the Beit Trust.

Siqondephi Manje? is available in South Africa through Mega Books (http://megabooks.co.za/product/siqondephi-manje-indatshana-zasezimbabwe/) and outside of Africa through the African Books Collective (http://www.africanbookscollective.com/books/siqondephi-manje-indatshana-zasezimbabwe).

It will be launched in Zimbabwe at the end of March 2014, and will be available as an ebook in the near future.

Indatshana eziqoqwe lapha ziyasinda, zizwisa usizi lobuhlungu, kanti zibuye zihlekise. Zonke zithathela kusimo esibi esake saba khona eZimbabwe esaziwa ngokuthi “iminyaka elitshumi eyalahlekayo.” Kwakuyisikhathi sokuphela kwemali amandla lokuqonga kwentengo okungakaze kubonakale; isikhathi sodlame lobudlwangudlwangu; esokutshabalala kwenotho yelizwe kanye lokuphuma kwabantu ngobunengi besiya phephela kwamanye amazwe. Ngemva kwalokho bonke abantu beZimbabwe sebezibuza – Siqondephi Manje? Bonke abalendatshana lapha yizizalwane zeZimbabwe. Noma nje abanye babo beloba bephandle kwelizwe, ugqozi lwabo luphuma khona eZimbabwe, lendatshana zabo zikhuluma ngalo leli lizwe.

Emakhasini alolugwalo uzahlangana lolondindwa onyomuka emjibileni wabanewakhe okumendisa engafuni; umama owendileyo ophunyuka ecaleni lokulala lenye indoda; iqhawe eligqxumukela embizeni enkulu yamasese lifele lapho; imbongi engatholi sikhathi sokuhaya inkondlo yayo. Azipheleli lapho. Zikhona ezinye ezinengi.

Reviews of Where to Now? can be found elsewhere on amabooksbyo.blogspot.com.

amaBooks to translate book into isiNdebele

The Chronicle, 27 May 2013

AMABOOKS, the publishers of the story anthology, Where to Now?: Short Stories from Zimbabwe, are working on translating the book from the English language to isiNdebele to help promote the language.

The book would be titled Siqondephi Manje, Indatshana ZaseZimbabwe.

It is a collection of 16 short stories from Zimbabwean writers, the majority of them from Bulawavo.

In an interview, Brian Jones from Amabooks said they decided to translate the book into isiNdebele for the stories to reach a wider audience as well as promoting the language.

"The majority of the stories in the collection were written by Bulawayo writers in and out of the country and we realised that sometimes they think in isiNdebele and some of the words lose meaning in the process of translation into English.

"The stories often read much better in isiNdebele because it's the writers' mother tongue and some of the humour works better in isiNdebele," said Jones.

He said South African based writer Dr Thabisani Ndlovu was translating the book.

"So far, three stories have been translated by Dr Ndlovu, who is based at Wits University, and we are expecting that he would be done by the first of July.

"Zimbabwe has good writers and we want the stories they tell to be available locally as well as reach out to a much wider audience," he said.

The 150‑page anthology is made up of stories that deal with various social issues, among them life in modern day Zimbabwe, traditional values, modern life and the particularly changing role of women in today's society.

Where to Now is the fifth short story collection from Amabooks publishers.

The other books in the series are Short Writings from Bulawayo I, II and III, and Long Time Coming: Short Writings from Zimbabwe.

"The first books were mainly made up of pieces from Bulawayo writers because we were the only publishers in English here at that time, but we have since attracted Zimbabwean writers from all over the globe so we felt we should stop calling the books 'from Bulawayo’," said Jones.

Barbara Mhangami Ruwende's Christina the Colourful has been translated as Itshatshazi ElinguChristina and Mzana Mthimkhulu's I am an African am I? as NgingumAfrica Akunjalo?

Some of the popular short story writers are Raisedon Baya, Caine Prize winner NoViolet Bulawayo, Christopher Mlalazi, John Eppel and Mzana Mthimkhulu, among others.

Jones said they are expecting the book to be available on the market in September.

The project is funded by the Open Society Initiative of Southern Africa.

Auxilia Katongomara, Entertainment Correspondent