Sello Daniel Maputle is a poet based in Thaba Nchu in the Free State. He started writing poetry in 2003 when he joined a writing group called Untitled Poets in his hometown. The highlight of his career is when he performed at the Macufe Wordfest.
Spotlighting Pan-African Poetry
Biography
Untitled
Setsoatsana, Ntwana, Ntombezana nga ku fela
Ndaku penda.
Bitsong la hao setsoalle ka mpa sa fela
Haeba ho le thata lebitla nka ikepela
Empa wa tseba ke mohale
Ke marumo nka hlomela.
Ka matsoho wena kna ho hlokomela,
Tsotsi strateng ho wena nka khahlela.
Ka hara heshe ka setebele nka e lahlela
Nnete sebele le ba mo thusang ba ka mo latela
Mabitla nka ba epela ka ba ka katela,
Ka bona lefatsheng ho kafela.
Joalo ka kopa gaitsedi ntswhare
Ka mofuthu mafube a thwase.
Hoba joale joalo ka mochonoko ke ho thwasitse
Ebile taola ya ka hlohong, pelong ha ena taolo
Thoteng tse cheleng ka trepele
Joalo ka pere ka tropela.
Ke tla ho wena learato ke tlo ikople
Le ha e ka ba kgabanyana fela
Le nna ka kopa ha o ka ntsholela
Empha dikgobe eseng digohlela
Translation
This is a heartfelt and endearing love poem. The poets speaks in a gentle tone, he says “Le ha e ka ba kgabanyana fela” which means; give me your love even if it is a spoonful of it at a time.
Sello Daniel Maputle
Featured Poem:
Khupamarama
Lefatshe petsoga ke tsene
Mogalammakapa! Ka magalapa ke kue
Lebitla atlhama ke wele
Fatshe le robale ke didimale.
Wa me a motshwana ke o roke
Gonne phafana o fetogile mogodungwane
(Nkwe) Tiolodi ya magaga a latlhile mebala
Mebala ya kgakakgolo (yona) ka itlho ra ila
Re ila ra ntswa a ila katse
Motho a ila noga
Gaetsho phupu a eteletse moletlo pele
Gore morago phupu a etele moletlo
Re sale le sa masetlapelo pelong
Pelo mpepe maoto ntsamaise matshidiso
A botedu putswa ga letlhokwa re arolelane
Ka re lefatshe petsoga ke tsene
Mogalammakapa! Ka magalapa ke kue
Kuwana ka tlhomamo tlhogong ke e role/tlhobole
Gonne di wele magoletsa Batswana
Bakaulengwe ka mamekwane
Ga mamena ba menetsana
Ba metsana jaaka bodimo
Ka re lefatshe petsoga ke tsene
Mogalammakapa! Ka magalapa ke kue
Lebitla atlhama ke wele
Fatshe le robale ke didimale
Di wele magoletsa Batswana
Translation
The poem personifies secrets and the poet speaks as if he were a secret himself. He says, “Lefatshe petsoga ke tsene” meaning; earth swallow me so I can be safely tucked away. He uses various Setswana metaphors to speak to this topic.
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Biography
Sello Daniel Maputle
Biography
Sello Daniel Maputle is a poet based in Thaba Nchu in the Free State. He started writing poetry in 2003 when he joined a writing group called Untitled Poets in his hometown. The highlight of his career is when he performed at the Macufe Wordfest.
Untitled
Setsoatsana, Ntwana, Ntombezana nga ku fela
Ndaku penda.
Bitsong la hao setsoalle ka mpa sa fela
Haeba ho le thata lebitla nka ikepela
Empa wa tseba ke mohale
Ke marumo nka hlomela.
Ka matsoho wena kna ho hlokomela,
Tsotsi strateng ho wena nka khahlela.
Ka hara heshe ka setebele nka e lahlela
Nnete sebele le ba mo thusang ba ka mo latela
Mabitla nka ba epela ka ba ka katela,
Ka bona lefatsheng ho kafela.
Joalo ka kopa gaitsedi ntswhare
Ka mofuthu mafube a thwase.
Hoba joale joalo ka mochonoko ke ho thwasitse
Ebile taola ya ka hlohong, pelong ha ena taolo
Thoteng tse cheleng ka trepele
Joalo ka pere ka tropela.
Ke tla ho wena learato ke tlo ikople
Le ha e ka ba kgabanyana fela
Le nna ka kopa ha o ka ntsholela
Empha dikgobe eseng digohlela
Translation
This is a heartfelt and endearing love poem. The poets speaks in a gentle tone, he says “Le ha e ka ba kgabanyana fela” which means; give me your love even if it is a spoonful of it at a time.
Featured Poem:
Khupamarama
Lefatshe petsoga ke tsene
Mogalammakapa! Ka magalapa ke kue
Lebitla atlhama ke wele
Fatshe le robale ke didimale.
Wa me a motshwana ke o roke
Gonne phafana o fetogile mogodungwane
(Nkwe) Tiolodi ya magaga a latlhile mebala
Mebala ya kgakakgolo (yona) ka itlho ra ila
Re ila ra ntswa a ila katse
Motho a ila noga
Gaetsho phupu a eteletse moletlo pele
Gore morago phupu a etele moletlo
Re sale le sa masetlapelo pelong
Pelo mpepe maoto ntsamaise matshidiso
A botedu putswa ga letlhokwa re arolelane
Ka re lefatshe petsoga ke tsene
Mogalammakapa! Ka magalapa ke kue
Kuwana ka tlhomamo tlhogong ke e role/tlhobole
Gonne di wele magoletsa Batswana
Bakaulengwe ka mamekwane
Ga mamena ba menetsana
Ba metsana jaaka bodimo
Ka re lefatshe petsoga ke tsene
Mogalammakapa! Ka magalapa ke kue
Lebitla atlhama ke wele
Fatshe le robale ke didimale
Di wele magoletsa Batswana
Translation
The poem personifies secrets and the poet speaks as if he were a secret himself. He says, “Lefatshe petsoga ke tsene” meaning; earth swallow me so I can be safely tucked away. He uses various Setswana metaphors to speak to this topic.
Untitled
Setsoatsana, Ntwana, Ntombezana nga ku fela
Ndaku penda.
Bitsong la hao setsoalle ka mpa sa fela
Haeba ho le thata lebitla nka ikepela
Empa wa tseba ke mohale
Ke marumo nka hlomela.
Ka matsoho wena kna ho hlokomela,
Tsotsi strateng ho wena nka khahlela.
Ka hara heshe ka setebele nka e lahlela
Nnete sebele le ba mo thusang ba ka mo latela
Mabitla nka ba epela ka ba ka katela,
Ka bona lefatsheng ho kafela.
Joalo ka kopa gaitsedi ntswhare
Ka mofuthu mafube a thwase.
Hoba joale joalo ka mochonoko ke ho thwasitse
Ebile taola ya ka hlohong, pelong ha ena taolo
Thoteng tse cheleng ka trepele
Joalo ka pere ka tropela.
Ke tla ho wena learato ke tlo ikople
Le ha e ka ba kgabanyana fela
Le nna ka kopa ha o ka ntsholela
Empha dikgobe eseng digohlela
Translation
This is a heartfelt and endearing love poem. The poets speaks in a gentle tone, he says “Le ha e ka ba kgabanyana fela” which means; give me your love even if it is a spoonful of it at a time.
good poetry