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Bana ba kerese
Children of wax
Les enfants de cire
Southern African Folktale
Wiehan de Jager
Maria Vaz
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Kgalekgale ho ne ho na le lelapa le thabileng.
Once upon a time,
there lived a happy
family.
Il était une fois une famille bien heureuse.
Lelapeng lena, ba ne ba sa lwantshane. Bana ba ne ba thusa batswadi ba bona ka mesebetsi ya ka tlung, le ya masimong.
They never fought with
each other. They helped
their parents at home
and in the fields.
Ils ne se disputaient jamais. Ils aidaient leurs parents à la maison et dans les champs.
Empa, ba ne ba sa dumellwa ho atamela pela mollo.
But they were not
allowed to go near a
fire.
Mais ils n’avaient pas le droit de s’approcher d’un feu.
Ba ne ba lokela ho phethisa mesebetsi ya bona bosiu, hobane ba ne ba entswe ka kerese.
They had to do all their
work during the night.
Because they were made of wax!
Ils devaient faire tout leur travail pendant la nuit. Puisqu’ils étaient faits de cire !
E mong wa bashanyana o ne a lakatsa ho ya kantle letsatsing.
But one of the boys
longed to go out in the
sunlight.
Mais un des garçons désirait se promener au soleil.
Ka tsatsing le leng, takatso ena e bile matla haholo. Baenae ba mo kgalemela…
One day the longing
was too strong. His
brothers warned him…
Un jour son désir était trop puissant. Ses frères l’avertirent…
Empa nako e ne e se e seyo. O ile a qhibidiha letsatsing le tjhesang.
But it was too late!
He melted in the hot
sun.
Mais c’était trop tard ! Il fondit au soleil brûlant.
Bana ba kerese ba ile ba hlonama haholo ha ba bona ngwana bo bona a qhibidiha letsatsing.
The wax children were
so sad to see their
brother melting away.
Les enfants de cire étaient si tristes de voir leur frère fondre.
Empa ba ile ba tla le leano la ho bopa nonyana ka kerese e neng e qhibidihile.
But they made a plan.
They shaped the lump
of melted wax into a
bird.
Mais ils firent un plan. Ils façonnèrent le morceau de cire fondue en oiseau.
Ba nka nonyana ena e leng abuti wa bona, ba e isa hodimo thabeng.
They took their bird
brother up to a high
mountain.
Ils apportèrent leur frère l’oiseau jusqu’au sommet d’une montagne haute.
Ha letsatsi le tjhaba, a fofa a ntse a bina mahlaseding a letsatsi hoseng.
And as the sun rose, he
flew away singing into
the morning light.
Et lorsque le soleil se leva, il s’envola vers la lumière du matin en chantant.
Written by: Southern African Folktale
Illustrated by: Wiehan de Jager
Translated by: Maria Vaz
