Sereto Sa Mpho

Rationale: When I was born, my parents decided to name me Mpho and that’s the only name I have. I’ve never been named after any of my progenitors like how my siblings and cousins were in my family. Mpho is a Tswana name that translates to Gift in English. However, in the Tswana tribe, as much as my name is known and accepted for what it represents, it is still neither a traditional name nor deemed cultural. My lineage doesn’t have Mpho, and in turn, the elders of the olden days never saw it best to create or formulate a clan name for Mpho. Since September is a heritage month, I would love to share the clan name I, myself, constructed for my name. Consider it a Setswana poem, a clan name for Mpho – for it is my identity and it’s my heritage. Enjoy!

Poem:

Ke Mpho mphorotlhe dikgetsi, gauta e mmatame.
Mmoledi o o borethe, mmaka mabaka a sa atlhame.
Kera ena moroba melao,
Magana go atamela malao,
A re boroko ke ba banna bago ngathelana nyanya,
Banna bago phata pele bonna ba bona bo ka thanya.

Ke bolela ka sebona ka lesedi la ngwedi,
Se tshidisana le dinaledi.
Morwa Maswika le Namatshegang,
A malomela yo re mo neilweng fa nama ya kgomo e tshega.

Ga a iphutele ka masela le ditena,
O iphuthela ka dipampiri tsa ditlhaka tsa
Go bobebela dikgang tsa go feta le tsa go tla.
Senwa metsi a mantsho go seufatsa pelo,
A re, “Se nthekedisa se tlisa mathata go
Feta jaaka se a tsamaisa, se go gaphela polokong.”

Ga a na bodutu le bo esi jwa gagwe,
Ga go na tududu mo boeting ba gagwe.
Mo ana phuti, Monama tsela ngwana kobo
Ya lekwala, montshe mogwaragwara –
Morwa mogaudi a thoka!
A rramogola bana ba Lesiba,
Morago ga go tlogola Morokana.

Ba re Mpho-Mpho – a re ga senna Mpho-Mpho,
Ke nna Gift. Ba re Gift – a re sanna Gift, kenna Mpho Mpho!
Ga a go tshwarele fa o kopa maitshwarelo fela –
O go tshwarela le fa o palelwa ke go itshwarela ka bo wena!

Empa se tshamekele tlhogong ya gagwe,
O tla aparela ke mafifi.
Bohumo bo iphile maatla,
Maatla a iphile bohumi –

Ke Tshukudi e mahuto, diboba tsa motlhaka –
Tse di lomang di itomela!
Diholo weeeh – ke di holokwane!

Uwaaaah!

——————————-

About the author:

Mpho (MrSir) Matlhabegoane is one of the A! Hub Writers. He became an Activator in 2019, and through Activate! Change Drivers, he underwent educational training with Programmes such as SWITCH Entrepreneurship Programme, National Mentorship Movement with Printing SA and Citizen Journalism with The University of Witwatersrand (Wits). He is a Mental Health Awareness Advocate, and to spread mental health awareness, he published three books that have been accepted by Gauteng Department of Education as of 2023, namely: The Story of MrSir (Word For The Record), Expanding The World Of Nerds, and Views and Emotions (Poetry Journal of MrSir).