South African Languages

Sesotho text

English version

Ntata rona ya mahodimong,
lebitso la hao a le ke le kgethehe;
ho tle mmuso wa hao;
thato ya hao e etswe lefatsheng,
jwalokaha e etswa lehodimong;
o re fe kajeno bohobe ba rona ba tsatsi le leng le le leng;
o re tshwarele melato ya rona,
jwalokaha re tshwarela ba nang le melato ho rona;
o se ke wa re isa molekong;
o mpe o re lwele ho e mobe;
Amen!

BIBELE. Testamente Ya Kgale Le Testamente E Ntjha
The Bible in Southern Sotho (standard orthography) (1979)

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen.

Sesotho text

Translation

Tshebeletso ya Setjhaba ya Puo e ntshetsa pele le ho lokisetsa puisano dipuong ka ho fapana ha tsona. Ho ya ka ditlhoko tsa puo tse ngotsweng Molaong wa Motheo, TSP e laola ho fapana ha dipuo ebile e ikarabella ho hlokomeleng dipuo tsohle tsa setjhaba sa rona ka ho sebedisa dikgothaletso tsa leano tseo sepheo sa tsona e leng ho ntshetsa pele tshebediso ya dipuo tsena, le dipuo tseo e leng hore ha esale ho tloha mehleng di sa natswe.

The National Language Service promotes and facilitates communication across languages. In keeping with the language requirements of the Constitution the NLS manages the linguistic diversity of our society and is responsible for harnessing all the languages of our people by putting into practical effect policy measures aimed at promoting the use of these languages, also those languages that have historically been neglected.

Sesotho text

Translation

TAU E LAPILENG LE ESELE
Ba re e ne ere e le tau e lapileng, ya tswa ho ya tsoma. Empa diphoofolo tsa e bona mme tsa baleha. Motsheare wa mantsiboya ya teana le esele e fula.
"Esele, ke lapile. Nthuse ho fumana dijo hobane diphoofolo di a baleha."
"Morena, na nka o thusa jwang? Nna ke ja jwang feela, mme jwang ha bo balehe".
"Tlo ke tla o ruta ho tsoma. O na le lentswe le monate la ho tsoma. Tlo!"
Tsa tsamaya he. Ha di le tselang, tau ya re ho esele, "Esele, na o bona moru ola? O na le diphoofolo tse ngata. Eya ka nqane ho oona. Ha o fihla moo, o phahamise lentswe la hao, o bine haholo. Diphoofolo di tla tshoha, di mathe, di tlo feta mona pela ka. Nna ke tla ipata mona. Etlare ha di feta, ke tswe, ke di bolaye, ke di je. O a utlwisisa?
"E, morena, ke a utlwisisa."
"Tsamaya he."
Esele ya ya. Yare ha e fihla ka nqane ho moru, ya phahamisa lentswe ya bina e re: O-o-o! O-o-o! O-o-o! Diphoofolo tsa tshoha, mme tsa pepetlolotsa ho ya moo tau e ipatileng teng. Tau ya tswa, ya di bolaya. Yaba e dula fatshe ho ja.
Esele ya tla e matha, e peraladitse mosela, e ntse e bina haholo. Ha e fihla, ya re: "Morena, na ke bile le thuso ho wena?" Tau ya re: "Thola, sethoto towe. Ntswe la hao le a tshabeha. Ha ke ne ke sa le tsebe, le nna nka be ke balehile. Tsamaya! " Esele ya batho ya tsamaya e swabile.

Recorded and translated by: S.M. Guma (1993)

THE HUNGRY LION AND THE DONKEY
They say it happened that a hungry lion went out to hunt. But all the animals saw it and ran away. In the late afternoon, it met a donkey, esele, grazing.
"Donkey, I am hungry. Come and help me find food, because the animals ran away."
"Morena, how can I help you? I eat grass and grass does not run away."
"I shall teach you to hunt. You have a beautiful voice for hunting. Come!"
They left then. On the way, the lion said to the donkey, "Do you see the forest? There are many animals in it. Go round it, when you get there, raise your voice and sing as loud as you can. When the animals hear your song, they will be frightened, run this way, and pass nearby. As for me, I shall hide myself here, and as they pass, I shall jump upon them and kill them. Do you understand?
"Yes Morena, - your Majesty, I understand."
"Go then."
The donkey went. When he came to the other side of the forest, he raised his voice and said, "O-o-o! O-o-o! O-o-o!". The animals were frightened and ran towards where the lion was hiding. It sprang out and killed them. Then it sat down to eat. The donkey came running, its tail lifted, and still braying aloud. On arrival, it said, "Morena, have I helped you? Do I know how to hunt?" The lion said, "Shut up, you fool! Your voice is horrible. If I did not know it, I would also have run away. Go!" The poor donkey left disappointed.