VI. Poetry.

Specimens of Bushman Folklore, by W.H.I. Bleek and L.C. Lloyd, [1911], at sacred-texts.com

Ha[1] ha ha,
Ha, Ha,

I am the one whom the Lynx derides,
I am the one who did not run fast;
For, the Lynx is the one who runs fast,

Ha[1] ha ha,
Ha, Ha,

I am the one whom the Lynx derides.

Ya Ya Ya,
Ya Ya,

I am the one whom the Lynx derides.
I am the one who could not run fast,

Ya Ya Ya,
Ya Ya,

I am the one whom the Lynx derides,
"The Cat could not run fast."

Ya Ya Ya,
Ya Ya,

The Cat is the one whom the Lynx derides,
"It is the one who could not run fast,"

Ya Ya Ya,
Ya Ya,

The Cat is the one who could not run fast,
It was not cunning.

[1. Here the cat opens its mouth wide in singing.]

It did foolish things;
For, the Lynx is one who understands,
The Cat does not understand."
The Cat (nevertheless) is cunning.

Ya Ya Ya,
Ya Ya,

The Cat is the one about whom the Lynx talked.
"It is the one who could not run fast."
It had to be cunning.[1]
For, the Lynx is one who is cunning.

Haggla[2] haggla haggla
haggla haggla
Heggle heggle heggle
heggle heggle
Heggli heggli heggli
Heggli ng!

[1. Reference is here made to the Cat's way of doubling when pursued.

2. The narrator here explains that the Cat "talks with its tongue", assenting to what it has been saying.]