Paroles et traduction Anton Goosen - n Brief vir Simoné

n Brief vir Simoné

Vêr onder my druis die stadsgeluide
Die hart van Hillbrow wat flink aanstap
Straatpredikante die Hare Krisjna- profete

Groot rooi bus snork verby
Die laataand koerantverkopertjie skree
In die meganiese grammadoela-oerwoud

Hysbakke gly op en af
Blitspatrollie skeur deur die nag
En ek sit op die Hillbrowtoring, wag vir sonop
En skryf, 'n brief vir Simone

Ek wil jou hê, Simone
Ek wil jou hê, Simone
Ek wil jou hê

Simone
Die meisies van die aand wink
'N Straatmusikante se hoed lê honger en wag
Om silwer munte van die verbygangers op te vang
'N Blinde met 'n wit stok strompel
Maar die kunsgalery se gaste sien hom nie
Hul oë volg, die Art Nouveau van die Arties
En later dra 'n digter voor - T S Elliot - maar hy versmoor die kuns
En ek sit op die Hillbrowtoring ek wag vir sonop
En skryf 'n brief vir Simone
Jou glimlag was vol deernis
Jy't my oneindige argumente beluister
Met die Pseudoleiers, van die kultuur
Hul redenasies oor reïnkarnasie, Sosialisme, sport en oor die digkuns
En of die hele wêreld dalk verkeerd is?

Jy soen my toe ons huis toe ry
En die gaste smoorkwaad agterbly
En ek sit op die Hillbrowtoring en wag vir sonop
En skryf 'n brief vir Simone

Ek wil jou hê, Simone

Ek wil jou hê, Simone

Ek wil jou hê

Simone

Onthou jy St Marcus in Venesië
Die duiwe wat my jas toesak
Jy't gelag en gesê, ek lyk vir jou soos Johannes Die Doper
Ek't gesê, kuns het mos geen grense
Jy't my reggehelp en gesê, as gevolg van die samelewing is die kuns mos gebonde
Maar ons was jonk verliefdes toe
Jou skip het om die punt geseil
En ek sit op die Hillbrowtoring ek was vir sonop
En skryf 'n brief vir Simone

Jou handskoen in die stormwater
Die Noordwind, ysig deur ons hare
Herinnering is soms net Freudiaanse onsekerheid
Want Katryn, Katryntjie, my wintervrou
Al my liedjies was net vir jou
My verse, naïef maar hart op die mou
Nou weet ek, die donkietjie
Se hart verlang na jou
Want hy sit op die Hillbrowtoring
Wag vir sonop
En skryf 'n brief vir Simone

Ek wil jou hê, Simone

Ek wil jou hê, Simone

Ek wil jou hê

Simone

A Letter for Simone

Beneath me, the city sounds hum
The heart of Hillbrow strides briskly
Street preachers, the Hare Krishna prophets

A big red bus roars past
The late-night newspaper boy shouts
In the mechanical gramophone jungle

Elevators glide up and down
Flashing patrol tears through the night
And I sit on the Hillbrow Tower, waiting for sunrise
And write, a letter for Simone

I want you, Simone
I want you, Simone
I want you

Simone
The girls of the night beckon
A street musician's hat lies hungry and waiting
To catch silver coins from passers-by
A blind man with a white stick stumbles
But the art gallery guests don't see him
Their eyes follow the Art Nouveau of the Artist
And later a poet recites - T S Eliot - but he suffocates the art
And I sit on the Hillbrow Tower, I wait for sunrise
And write a letter for Simone
Your smile was full of compassion
You listened to my endless arguments
With the pseudo-leaders of culture
Their reasoning about reincarnation, Socialism, sport, and poetry
And whether the whole world might be wrong?

You kissed me as we drove home
And the guests stayed behind, fuming
And I sit on the Hillbrow Tower and wait for sunrise
And write a letter for Simone

I want you, Simone

I want you, Simone

I want you

Simone

Do you remember St. Mark's in Venice
The pigeons raiding my coat
You laughed and said I looked like John the Baptist
I said, art has no boundaries
You corrected me and said, because of society, art is bound
But we were young lovers then
Your ship sailed around the point
And I sit on the Hillbrow Tower, I wait for sunrise
And write a letter for Simone

Your glove in the storm
The North wind, icy through our hair
Memory is sometimes just Freudian insecurity
Because Katryn, little Katryn, my winter woman
All my songs were just for you
My verses, naive but heart on my sleeve
Now I know, the little donkey
His heart longs for you
Because he sits on the Hillbrow Tower
Waiting for sunrise
And writes a letter for Simone

I want you, Simone

I want you, Simone

I want you

Simone