Pieter in die PlayStation – Louis Fourie
1. My beste vriend Pieter 1. My best friend Pieter
2. het PlayStation gespeel, 2. played PlayStation, all day.
heeldag.
3. Hy het nooit ooit opgehou nie - 3. He never ever stopped -
4. tot laaaaat in die nag. 4. until laaaaate at night.
5. Maar een Saterdagoggend, 5. But one Saturday morning,
6. toe hy nog knoppies druk, 6. when he was still pressing
buttons,
7. is die liewe, lawwe Pieter 7. the dear, silly Pieter was
8. deur die PlayStation ingesluk. 8. swallowed by the PlayStation.
9. Nou sit hy vas in ‘n speletjie. 9. Now he is stuck in a game.
10. En hier’s die nare ding: 10. And here’s the horrible thing:
11. as jy die X-knoppie druk, 11. If you press the X-button,
12. dan moet Pieter spring. 12. then Pieter has to jump.
13. Nou speel ek ook PlayStation. 13. Now I am also playing
PlayStation.
14. Maar net omdat ek moet, 14. But only because I have to,
15. want Pieter het my mooi gevra 15. because Pieter asked me nicely
16. dat ek hom elke dag sal groet. 16. that I would greet him every
day.
Analysis of the poem
1. My beste vriend Pieter “My” indicates (dui aan) that
(a) this is a first person narrator
(eerstepersoonsverteller/ek-
spreker) which gives the
poem a personal feel
(persoonlike gevoel).
2. het PlayStation gespeel, heeldag. This line (versreël) is an
(b) example of inversion
(inversie), which is the term
used for the incorrect word
PROPERTY OF M SOUNES NO COPYING, SHARING OR DISTRIBUTION
1
ALLOWED!!!
, order (verkeerde woorde).
The line was supposed to
(veronderstel om) read: “My
beste vriend, Pieter, het
heeldag Playstation
gespeel.” The word
“heeldag”, however, is
placed (geplaas) in the last
position of the sentence to
emphasize (beklemtoon) the
fact (die feit) that Pieter does
not just play in the morning
(oggend) or in the evening
(aand): he plays the whole
day (heeldag).
ee-assonansie underscores
(beklemtoon) the
aforementioned
(voorafgenoemde) idea.
3. Hy het nooit ooit opgehou nie - The hyphen (aandagstreep)
(c) shows (wys/dui aan) that an
explanation is going to
follow (verduideliking gaan
volg).
The ooi-assonansie
emphasizes (beklemtoon)
the fact (feit) that Pieter
never stopped playing.
4. tot laaaaat in die nag The “laaaaat” reiterates
(b) (bevestig) the fact that
Pieter plays until very late
(baie laat) in the evening.
5. Maar een Saterdagoggend, The word “Maar” indicates
(dui aan/wys) that this is a
turning point (‘n wending).
This is when things start to
go wrong (wanneer dinge
begin verkeerd gaan).
PROPERTY OF M SOUNES NO COPYING, SHARING OR DISTRIBUTION
2
ALLOWED!!!
1. My beste vriend Pieter 1. My best friend Pieter
2. het PlayStation gespeel, 2. played PlayStation, all day.
heeldag.
3. Hy het nooit ooit opgehou nie - 3. He never ever stopped -
4. tot laaaaat in die nag. 4. until laaaaate at night.
5. Maar een Saterdagoggend, 5. But one Saturday morning,
6. toe hy nog knoppies druk, 6. when he was still pressing
buttons,
7. is die liewe, lawwe Pieter 7. the dear, silly Pieter was
8. deur die PlayStation ingesluk. 8. swallowed by the PlayStation.
9. Nou sit hy vas in ‘n speletjie. 9. Now he is stuck in a game.
10. En hier’s die nare ding: 10. And here’s the horrible thing:
11. as jy die X-knoppie druk, 11. If you press the X-button,
12. dan moet Pieter spring. 12. then Pieter has to jump.
13. Nou speel ek ook PlayStation. 13. Now I am also playing
PlayStation.
14. Maar net omdat ek moet, 14. But only because I have to,
15. want Pieter het my mooi gevra 15. because Pieter asked me nicely
16. dat ek hom elke dag sal groet. 16. that I would greet him every
day.
Analysis of the poem
1. My beste vriend Pieter “My” indicates (dui aan) that
(a) this is a first person narrator
(eerstepersoonsverteller/ek-
spreker) which gives the
poem a personal feel
(persoonlike gevoel).
2. het PlayStation gespeel, heeldag. This line (versreël) is an
(b) example of inversion
(inversie), which is the term
used for the incorrect word
PROPERTY OF M SOUNES NO COPYING, SHARING OR DISTRIBUTION
1
ALLOWED!!!
, order (verkeerde woorde).
The line was supposed to
(veronderstel om) read: “My
beste vriend, Pieter, het
heeldag Playstation
gespeel.” The word
“heeldag”, however, is
placed (geplaas) in the last
position of the sentence to
emphasize (beklemtoon) the
fact (die feit) that Pieter does
not just play in the morning
(oggend) or in the evening
(aand): he plays the whole
day (heeldag).
ee-assonansie underscores
(beklemtoon) the
aforementioned
(voorafgenoemde) idea.
3. Hy het nooit ooit opgehou nie - The hyphen (aandagstreep)
(c) shows (wys/dui aan) that an
explanation is going to
follow (verduideliking gaan
volg).
The ooi-assonansie
emphasizes (beklemtoon)
the fact (feit) that Pieter
never stopped playing.
4. tot laaaaat in die nag The “laaaaat” reiterates
(b) (bevestig) the fact that
Pieter plays until very late
(baie laat) in the evening.
5. Maar een Saterdagoggend, The word “Maar” indicates
(dui aan/wys) that this is a
turning point (‘n wending).
This is when things start to
go wrong (wanneer dinge
begin verkeerd gaan).
PROPERTY OF M SOUNES NO COPYING, SHARING OR DISTRIBUTION
2
ALLOWED!!!
