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A boy singing in front of a woman.

Eimbilo la Sakima Sakima's song

Ursula Nafula

Peris Wachuka

Fritz David

Oshikwanyama

Level 3

The audio for this story is currently not available.

A man, a woman, a boy and a girl standing outside a hut and some trees.

Sakima okwa kala novakulunhu vaye oshoyo okamwaina kadona kali kena omido nhee. Ova kala medu lomukengeli umwe. Onduda yavo yauvilikwa nomwiidi oyali kexulilo lomukweyo womiti.

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.

A boy thinking about when he was ill in bed.

Efimbo Sakima ali ena omido nhatu, okwa kwatelwe kouvela ndele takanifa omesho. Sakima okwali okamati kena omaano.

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

A boy talking to three women.

Sakima okwa ninga oinima ihapu oyo oumati vakwao veedula hamano ihave iningi.Oshihopaenenwa, Okwali hadulu oku kala omutumba novakulunhu momukunda ndele tave likundu oitwa yafimana.

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.

A boy and girl waving to a man and woman leaving.

Ovakulunhu va Sakima okwali hava longo meumbo lomulumenhu ou woshipuna. Ohava pendukamo ongula inene meumbo voo tavaaluka kwatoka lela konguloshi. Sakima okwa li hafyaalapo nokamwainakadona.

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.

A boy singing to a woman.

Sakima okwali ehole okuimba omaimbilo. Efiku limwe meme waye okwe mupula, “Openi holilongo omaimbilo aeshe aa, Sakima?”

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

A boy talking with a woman.

Sakima tanyamukula, “Oha elieta ashike meme. Ohandi audu ashike momutwe wange ame handi aimbi.”

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

A boy singing to a girl smiling.

Sakima okwali ehole oku imbilapo okamwaina kadona, unene tuu ngeenge kafya ondjala. Okamwaina kadona ohakakala kemupwilikina eshi taimbi omaimbilo oo ali ehole. Ohake lingemo taka landula omutono weimbilo.

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.

A boy sitting and a girl standing next to him.

“Imbapo vali natango imbapo vali, Sakima,” Okamwainakadona osho haka kala nokumwiindila. Sakima oha dimine yee taimbi taendululamo oikando ihapu.

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

A sad-looking man and woman sitting with their heads in their hands and a boy and girl next them.

Onguloshi imwe manga ovakulunhu vali mondjila yokualukila keumbo, ovali vamwena. Sakima okwali adididlika kutya opali penasha shimwe shapuka.

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

A boy talking to a man and woman and a girl standing next to them.

“Oshike shapuka meme, tate?” Sakima osho apula. Sakima okwa uda kutya okamonamati koshipuna okwali kehewetike. Omushamane okwali anyika oluhodi neemghono.

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

A boy talking to a woman with her arms crossed and a man.

“Ohandi dulu oku kemuimbilapo. Otadulu oku kala ahafa vali,” Sakima osho alombwela ovakulunhu vaye. Ashike ovakulunhu vaye inave shitambulako.”Winya omukengeli. Ove kamenhu kokapofi. Otolipula kutya okaimbilo koye ota kemukwafasha?”

“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?”

A girl with her hand on her tummy talking to a man, a woman and a boy.

Nonande ongaho, Sakima inafya ounye. Okamwainakadona okemuyambidida. Okwatya, Omaimbilo a Sakima ohaa hekelekenge ngeenge ngeenge ndafya ondjala. Otaa kaxunga yoo omwenyo omulunhu woshipuna.”

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.”

A girl leading a blind boy with a stick through a forest.

Efiku la landulako, Sakima okwa pula okandenge kaye kemu twale keumbo loshipuna.

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

A boy standing outside a building singing to a man looking out of the window, and a girl standing next to him.

Okwa kala ofika pekende limwe lakula ndele tatameke taimbi eimbilo laye olo kwali ehole. Kanini na kanini oshipuna osha pitifamo omutwe mekende.

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.

A boy singing outside a building singing to a man looking out of the window, and a girl and some workers standing next to him.

Ovanailonga ova kanghama mukeshe shimwe kwali tave shiningi. Ovapwilikina komaimbilo mawa a Sakima. Nopo nee omulumenhu umwe okwatya, “Kapena nande omunhu apondola oku hekeleka omunghona. Okamati aka kokappofi tashiti ota kelipula kutya ngeno ota kemuxungu omwenyo?”

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?”

A man standing outside a building calling a boy and girl walking away.

Sakima eshi axulifa eimbilo laye okwa tengunuka aye. Ashike oshipuna endelela shiuye pondje ndele tashiti, “Alikana imbapo vali.”

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

Two men carrying a boy on a stretcher towards a man standing next to a boy and girl.

Pefimbo opo, ovalumenhu vavali oveuya vahumbata omunhu kolutala. Omonamati woshipuna ove mumona vahanga adengwa ndele tafiwa pomunghulo wondjila.

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.

A man standing between two boys in hospital beds and a girl standing in front of him.

Omulumenhu woshipuna okwali anyakukwa oku mona omonamati. Okwa pandula Sakima eshi emuxunga omwenyo. Okwa twala omonamati voo na Sakima koshipangelo opo akamone ouhaku womesho yee adule okumonako vali.

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: Fritz David

Language: Oshikwanyama

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.

Read more level 3 stories:

Okamuma kombuto: Ehokololo la Wangari Maathai Nozibele neexwuki nhatu Shikondobolo naMbalangadja Okanona okandongi Anansi noupunandunge Efiku ndadja keumbo ndaya koshilando Oxuxwa nekodi

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