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Sakimas song Sakima's song

Written by Ursula Nafula

Illustrated by Peris Wachuka

Translated by Espen Stranger-Johannessen, Martine Rørstad Sand

Read by Kristofer Olai Ravn Stavseng

Language Norwegian (Nynorsk)

Level Level 3

Narrate full story

Reading speed

Autoplay story


Sakima budde saman med foreldra sine og si fire år gamle syster. Dei budde på eigedomen til ein rik mann. Hytta deira hadde stråtak og låg ved enden av ei rad med tre.

Sakima lived with his parents and his four year old sister. They lived on a rich man’s land. Their grass-thatched hut was at the end of a row of trees.


Då Sakima var tre år gammal, vart han sjuk og miste synet. Sakima var ein gut med mange talent.

When Sakima was three years old, he fell sick and lost his sight. Sakima was a talented boy.


Sakima kunne mange ting som andre seksåringar ikkje kunne. Til dømes kunne han sitja med eldre landsbymedlemmar og diskutera viktige saker.

Sakima did many things that other six year old boys did not do. For example, he could sit with older members of the village and discuss important matters.


Sakima sine foreldre jobba i huset til den rike mannen. Dei drog tidleg om morgonen og kom tilbake seint på kvelden. Sakima vart igjen saman med veslesyster si.

The parents of Sakima worked at the rich man’s house. They left home early in the morning and returned late in the evening. Sakima was left with his little sister.


Sakima elska å synga songar. Ein dag spurde mor hans han: «Kor har du lært desse songane, Sakima?»

Sakima loved to sing songs. One day his mother asked him, “Where do you learn these songs from, Sakima?”


Sakima svara: «Dei kjem berre, mamma. Eg høyrer dei i hovudet mitt, og så syng eg.»

Sakima answered, “They just come, mother. I hear them in my head and then I sing.”


Sakima likte å synga for veslesyster si, særleg viss ho var svolten. Syster hans brukte å høyra på at han song yndlingssongen sin. Ho rørde seg til den lindrande låten.

Sakima liked to sing for his little sister, especially, if she felt hungry. His sister would listen to him singing his favourite song. She would sway to the soothing tune.


«Kan du synga han igjen og igjen, Sakima?» brukte syster hans å be han. Sakima gjorde som hun sa og song han igjen og igjen.

“Can you sing it again and again, Sakima,” his sister would beg him. Sakima would accept and sing it over and over again.


Ein kveld då foreldra hans kom heim, var dei veldig stille. Sakima visste at noko var gale.

One evening when his parents returned home, they were very quiet. Sakima knew that there was something wrong.


«Kva er i vegen, mamma, pappa?» spurde Sakima. Sakima fekk vita at sonen til den rike mannen var borte. Mannen var veldig lei seg og einsam.

“What is wrong, mother, father?” Sakima asked. Sakima learned that the rich man’s son was missing. The man was very sad and lonely.


«Eg kan synga for han. Kanskje han vert glad igjen», sa Sakima til foreldra sine. Men foreldra hans avfeia han. «Han er veldig rik. Du er berre ein blind gut. Trur du songen din kjem til å hjelpa han?»

“I can sing for him. He might be happy again,” Sakima told his parents. But his parents dismissed him. “He is very rich. You are only a blind boy. Do you think your song will help him?”


Likevel gav ikkje Sakima opp. Veslesyster hans støtta han. Ho sa: «Songane til Sakima er lindrande når eg er svolten. Dei kjem til å verka lindrande på den rike mannen òg.»

However, Sakima did not give up. His little sister supported him. She said, “Sakima’s songs soothe me when I am hungry. They will soothe the rich man too.”


Neste dag bad Sakima veslesyster si om å leia han til huset til den rike mannen.

The following day, Sakima asked his little sister to lead him to the rich man’s house.


Han stod nedanfor eit stort vindauge og byrja å synga favorittsongen sin. Sakte byrja hovudet til den rike mannen å visa seg gjennom det store vindauget.

He stood below one big window and began to sing his favourite song. Slowly, the head of the rich man began to show through the big window.


Arbeidarane stoppa det dei heldt på med. Dei høyrde på den vene songen til Sakima. Men éin mann sa: «Ingen har vore i stand til å trøysta sjefen. Trur denne blinde guten at han kan trøysta han?»

The workers stopped what they were doing. They listened to Sakima’s beautiful song. But one man said, “Nobody has been able to console the boss. Does this blind boy think he will console him?”


Sakima var ferdig med å synga songen og snudde seg for å dra. Men den rike mannen skunda seg ut og sa: «Ver så snill og syng igjen.»

Sakima finished singing his song and turned to leave. But the rich man rushed out and said, “Please sing again.”


I same augneblink kom det to menn berande på ei båre. Dei hadde funne sonen til den rike mannen banka opp og forlaten i vegkanten.

At that very moment, two men came carrying someone on a stretcher. They had found the rich man’s son beaten up and left on the side of the road.


Den rike mannen var veldig glad for å sjå sonen sin igjen. Han lønte Sakima for at han trøysta han. Han tok sonen sin og Sakima med til sjukehuset, slik at Sakima kunne få synet tilbake.

The rich man was so happy to see his son again. He rewarded Sakima for consoling him. He took his son and Sakima to hospital so Sakima could regain his sight.


Written by: Ursula Nafula
Illustrated by: Peris Wachuka
Translated by: Espen Stranger-Johannessen, Martine Rørstad Sand
Read by: Kristofer Olai Ravn Stavseng
Language: Norwegian (Nynorsk)
Level: Level 3
Source: Sakima's song from African Storybook
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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