Ukaona uchikwazisa munhu,
iye oramba akaruma muromo,
oramba akatsikitsira hake seasingakunzwi,
wopamhazve asi pasina mhinduro,
ziva kuti mhinduro watopuwa.
Iko kunyarara kune zvakwatoreva.
Wokumbira munhu ruregerero,
iye woramba wakati zvake mwi,
wodetemba wogwagwadza,
kupera ura uchidembademba,
asi iye pasina kana chaanoreva,
ibva waziva kuti pane chatorehwa.
Uri pavazhinji vari kufara,
woti rega ndiputsewo vamwe nesetswa,
wanike wechipedza kutaura vose vangoti tuzu,
vamwe vava kungomanyisa manyisa maziso,
vamweo havachasanganisi maziso avo neako,
ziva kunyarara uku kune zvakwareva.
Munomuudza makobvu namatete,
kana ari mashoko hapana ramusina kumuudza,
asi iye wake muromo anongosona!
Musafunga kuti chituta,
kwake kunyarara mukanyatsoteerera,
muchanzwa kuti pane zvakunotaura.
Unoramba uchimunyorera mashoko erudo,
wapamha wapamhazve ipo pawatsapu pakarehwa,
uchimuti kana nehope hadzisi kuuya!
Nazvinowo dzisiri kuuya!
Usazvinetsa mwachewe, mhinduro wakapuwa kare,
nekuti kunyarara kutaura.
Translated from Shona to English by Dorreen Tivenga
When you greet someone,
And they remain tight-lipped,
Head bowed as if they cannot hear you,
You repeat the greeting and you still receive no answer,
Know that you have already received one.
The silence has meaning.
You ask someone for forgiveness,
And they keep mum,
You plead, you implore,
You plead until your guts are spent
Still, they say nothing,
Be assured that there is meaning in the silence.
You are among a joyous people,
You say, let me shatter them with laughter,
But when the joke ends, they all stare,
Some start rolling their eyes,
Others dodge your eyes,
Be assured that this silence means something.
You hurl insults,
You lay every word at them indiscriminately,
But they keep their lips sealed!
Do not assume they are fools,
Listen carefully to their silence,
You will hear it speak.
You persistently write your lover words of love,
You repeat them again and again on the so-called WhatsApp,
You tell your lover you cannot even sleep!
And indeed, you cannot!
Do not trouble yourself my friend, the answer was already given,
Because silence speaks.
The Shona version of this poem originally appeared in “Hanzi Huchi Hwenduri – kubva mukati kati,” published by Carnelian Heart Publishing in June 2025.
