Yo ki Khalai. Unani lilimo zeketalizoho ni zepeli. Libizo la hae litalusa “yainzi hande” mwa mushobo wahae wa Lubukusu.
This is Khalai. She is seven years old. Her name means ‘the good one’ in her language, Lubukusu.
Khalai azuhanga ubulelisanga kota ya olenji. “Kota tuwe, nikupa kuli uhule hahulu mi ulufe maolenji amañata abuzwize.”
Khalai wakes up and talks to the orange tree. “Please orange tree, grow big and give us lots of ripe oranges.”
Khalai wa zamayanga kuya kwa sikolo. Mwa nzila uambolanga ni bucwani. “Bucwani, nikupa kuli uhule hande, ube ni mubala wa butala mi usike waoma.”
Khalai walks to school. On the way she talks to the grass. “Please grass, grow greener and don’t dry up.”
Khalai ufitanga mwahala lipalisa zamwa mushitu. “Mina lipalisa, muzwele pili kubenya ili kuli nimibeyange mwa milili yaka.”
Khalai passes wild flowers. “Please flowers, keep blooming so I can put you in my hair.”
Kwa sikolo, Khalai uambolanga ni kota ye fahala patelo ali, “Kota tuwe, uhule hahulu ni mitai yemituna kuli lubalelange mwa muluti wahao.”
At school, Khalai talks to the tree in the middle of the compound. “Please tree, put out big branches so we can read under your shade.”
Kwa sikolo, Khalai uambolanga ni lukwakwa lo lu potolohile sikolo. “Uhule mi utiye hahulu kuli upaleliswe batu ba bamaswe kukena mwahali.”
Khalai talks to the hedge around her school. “Please grow strong and stop bad people from coming in.”
Khalai hasafita feela kwahae kuzwa kwa sikolo, upotelanga kota ya olenji. “Maolenji ahao abuzwize cwale, nji?” Khalai wabuza.
When Khalai returns home from school, she visits the orange tree. “Are your oranges ripe yet?” asks Khalai.
“Maolenji asali a butala,” Khalai ulula moya. “Nikakubona kamuso wena kota ya olenji,” Khalai abulela. “Mwendi nikatofumana olenji yebuzwize!”
“The oranges are still green,” sighs Khalai. “I will see you tomorrow orange tree,” says Khalai. “Perhaps then you will have a ripe orange for me!”
Ursula Nafula
Jesse Pietersen
Lusaka Teachers
SiLozi (Zambia)
Level 2
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