Pensa kwa kere musani gomunene momburundu mudima zaKalahari. Age nga retere vekoro lyendi yikorama yokuneta mokuvarera nawa. Pwa kere nye esi sidira Epampa, esi ga here Pensa ngano a si kwate. Nohunga dokosinduku sosidira esi yido da wapera nawa komahewo gendi. Udigu kwa kere asi kapi ta vhuru kutega siraha ndi a roye Epampa. Mahewo gaPensa ago ngaga zi tupu meguru ngwendi sidira – ngano ngwendi a kwate Epampa makura a zupe ko nohunga dalyo dokomusira.
Pensa was the best hunter in the whole Kalahari Desert. He brought home fat animals and fed his family well.
There was this bird, the Pam-Pam bird, which Pensa wanted to catch. The bird’s tail feathers were perfect for his arrows. The problem was, he could never manage to trap or shoot Pam-Pam.
Pensa’s arrows would fly through the air just like a bird – if only he could catch Pam-Pam and pull out his tail feathers!
Pensa yipo ga zire komunongo, muhakuli gwawo. Yipo ga mu pulire ko ekwafo. “Nina kanderere likida nge omu nani genda ni kwate Epampa. Nina hara nohunga daso ni ture kouta wange nomahewo gange. Yinke no rugana yipo o si kwate?” Yimo ga limbwilire muhakuli, “Zende o ka hwameke mundiro. Apa nayi ka tunda yimbumburukomundiro, to ka kwata po sosinunu po pwayo. Makura o ka tege siraha makura simbumburu to ka si tura monda zosiraha. Tasi ka dovaukisa Epampa.”
Pensa went to the wise man, their healer. He asked for help. “Please guide me to catch the Pam-Pam bird. I need his feathers for my bow and arrows. What must I do to catch him?”
The healer replied, “Go and make a fire. When all the insects run away from your fire, you must catch the smallest of them. Make a trap and place this little insect inside your trap. It will tempt the Pam-Pam bird.”
Pensa kapi ga divire asi muhakuli nEpampa vantu namuholi zendi. Epampa ngali zi li ka tarere po muhakuli poyiruwo yimwe. Ngava lisimwitire masanseko. “Tani ku rondora” yige muhakuli apa lya ya mu tarerere po Epampa. “Kani tantere musani asi ngapi omu na ku kwata. Nsene no ka mona mundiro mowiza, ka tuke o ze ure. Nina hara ni tare asi yilye nafunda po pokatji keni.”
Pensa did not know that the healer and the Pam-Pam bird were friends. Pam-Pam often visited the healer. They exchanged stories. “I warn you,” said the healer when Pam-Pam bird visited him, “I have told the hunter how to catch you. When you see a fire in the veld, you must fly far away. I want to see which one of you will win.”
Nye posiruwo esi, Pensa age nare ana vareke esano lyendi lyEpampa. Age kwa hingilire mowiza ta digi nokudiga tutji twendi tomundiro. Apa gwa monekere musi, ta rerwire tuwayigona kotutji tomundiro, dogoro taku moneka kamundirogona, makura tagu vareke kutwera. Yimbumburu eyi ya kere pepi nomundiro tayi vareke kutuka yi ze, nye Pensa ya mu tompokere kukwata po mpasi-mpasigona. Ta zi tura posiraha sendi.
In the meantime, Pensa started his hunt for the Pam-Pam bird. He sat in the veld and rubbed and rubbed his fire sticks. When the smoke appeared, he blew into the fine grass around his fire sticks, until the little flame appeared and became a fire.
The insects around the flaming grass flew away, but Pensa managed to catch a young grasshopper. He put it into his trap.
Epampa kapi lya vhulire kunyoka mpasi-mpasigona zokugemuka ezi za kere mosiraha saPensa. Yipo ga tokwere kukukura, makura tazi nyangura usimbu nomurungu gwendi gokutwepa. Pensa ta zuvhu Epampa omu lina ku- takuma, Paanh- Paanh,” Paanh -Paanh, Paanh- Paanh.” Pensa ta dukire kosiraha sendi. Siraha sina pandeke sidira!
The Pam-Pam bird could not resist the juicy young grasshopper in Pensa’s trap. He decided to fly down and grab it quickly with his sharp beak.
Pensa heard Pam-Pam bird’s cry, “Pam-pam, pam-pam, pam-pam.”
Pensa ran to his trap. The bird was trapped!
Epampa tali lihenge Pensa yipo a li mangurure. ” Hawe nan,” Yige Pensa, “Nare na gusa kukupingira asi ni ku kwate. Neina ono kara gwange! Nohunga doge ngadi ninkisa mahewo gange nga ga gende mompepo ngwendi moomu o piti mo ove.”
Pam-Pam bird begged Pensa to set him free. “Oh no,” said Pensa, “I have wanted to catch you for a very long time. Today you are mine! Your feathers will make my arrow fly through the air, just like you.”
Epampa tali litakumine, “Nsene no dipaga nge kwato oku ngo gwana nohunga domahewo goge hena, apa ngadi kurupa edi, morwa ame tani fu. Mangurura makura ni ku tumbwidire asi ngani ku pa nohunga donompe mwa- nkenye kwedi kokuzura.”
Pam-Pam bird screeched, “If you kill me you will have no more feathers for your arrow when these are worn out, because I will be dead. Set me free and I promise to give you new feathers with each full moon.”
Makura Pensa ta sigi Epampa li ze, apa lya tundire po Epampa li ka ze, tali gazara asi “Nare nina manguruka?”
Pensa let Pam-Pam go. As Pam-Pam walked away, he thought, “Am I really free?”
Pensa yipo ga zire kembo a ka pangere ko mahewo gomape. Apa va mwene vantu mahewo gendi gomape, tava zigire: O-o, tareni ogu musani! Ana tura nohunga dEpampa komahewo gendi. Ngesi ta ka sana nawa a ka tu retere nondya donongwa. Tatu ya kara nefeste!”
Pensa went home and made new arrows. When the people saw his new arrows, they exclaimed: “O-o, look at this hunter! He carries the Pam-Pam bird’s feathers in his arrows. Now he will hunt well and bring us good food. We shall have a feast!”
Masiku ogo, muhakuli kwa pitisilire vantu va ka danene komundiro va hamberere mutompo gomusani ntani emanguruko lyEpampa. Ntani kutunda kezuva olyo, vasani navenye wovawa kudiworoka esanseko lyEpampa, mokulisimwitira vana vawo va diworokere po mazuva ga ka pita.
That night, the healer led the people in a fire dance to celebrate the hunter’s success and Pam-Pam bird’s freedom.
And since that day, all the good hunters remember the story of the Pam-Pam bird, to tell their children as a memory of days gone by.
Traditional San story
Manyeka Arts Trust, Pensa Limungu, Kapilolo Mahongo, Marlene Winberg
Alex Kasona
Rukwangali
Level 4
