Isabella Motadinyane
Isabella Motadinyane Poems
Ribbon hands
mama's little darling
decorative hands
the way she is lazy
...
Kana ka sega phefo
ka ralla dinaga
ka rakana le monna
are Yorkshire
England kwa moroba
tiro emo batla mabogo
ka e bona
ka e tshwantshanya
le small heaven
nare yena ke Yorkshire
tlogela botsoropa wena
bothakga gabo rekwe
banna ba kwa Tsetse Tsitsi
mesong ba sadisa dikobo
kwa Jo'burg
ba bolawa ke more kom
...
Paaha
tlong beso
paaha
tlong beso
ke nako ya ho hlaolo
ke nako ya kotulo
tlong re buisaneng
tlong ka kutlwano
paaha
tlong beso
paaha
tlong beso
selemo se thwasitse
babele a hodile
na le utlwile na
taba ketse monate
paaha
tlong beso
paaha
tlong beso
...
Hoshe ngwana
qata o qatoge
melodi kafa le fa
ngwana dikoti marameng
pososelo eka naledi
sefahlelo sone
botjhitja bo kgatlang mahlo
re bone mesebetsi ya hao
naheng mona
ba reng
o sekobo
ke baikaketsi
ba lese ba iphore jaalo
shine bright sunbeam
hoha
kana wena o motswa mantlha
qata o qatoge thope
shine bright sunbeam
hoshe thope
hoha
moo o fetileng
ho sala dinaledi
thebetha Mohlakwana
thebetha Mofokeng
re bone mesebetse ya hao
digaboi di dizzie ousie
slaat hulle giddy poppy
ba fehlile jwale
ba ho bapallang
...
Bonang wee
bonang yoo
lapeng laheso
ho tsikitsano ya meno
basadi ba kgelella dikeledi
bosiu le motsehare
tlopo kgubedu
kgoho a ntsho e kene
lapeng la heso
ngwana mme ntate
e qadile ka ntja ka ntle
a kobotile ho fihla leseeng
boning wee
bonang yoo
re tla bona re entse
jwang na
thepa e ile yohle
re fuma keledi tsa
mme wee ese ele pina.
...
Isabella Motadinyane Biography
Isabella Motadinyane was born in 1963 in Mofolo Central, Soweto. She completed classes up to Grade Five in her formal schooling. She studied piano at the so-called ‘Five Roses Bowl’ and attended dance and acting classes in Jozi. As a result of creative writing forums she wrote the poem ‘One Leg In’, which contains the phrase “die is mos botsotsos” (these are stretch denim pants). The phrase afterwards gave rise to the name of the Botsotso Jesters, the poetry performance group of which she was a founding member in 1994, and whose publishing arm, Botsotso Publishing, brought out two collections, We Jive Like This (1996) and Dirty Washing (1999). Poems by Isabella in these books were brought together in her collected works, Bella (2007).)
The Best Poem Of Isabella Motadinyane
Hush babe
Hush babe
walk tall
whistles here and there
smiling like the star
with a round face
dimple cheeks babe
that capture the eye
we saw your works here
in the country
those who say
you are ugly
they are liars
let them cheat themselves
shine right sunbeam
ho ha
hush babe
by the way
you are number one
walk tall babe
shine right sunbeam
hush babe
ho ha
where you left
you leave stars behind
tick talk Mohlakwana clan
tick talk Mofokeng clan
we saw your works
wedding presents
are on the way
sister make them dizzy
make them giddy doll
they have arrived now
those who play sax for you
Translation: 2007, Ike Mboneni Muila
Isabella Motadinyane Comments
Delivering Poems Around The World
Poems are the property of their respective owners. All information has been reproduced here for educational and informational purposes to benefit site visitors, and is provided at no charge...
1/9/2026 8:57:48 PM # 1.0.0
