Horizons
Peter Louis Van Dijk Lyrics
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Sleep for me, my springbok child,
When morning comes I'll go out hunting,
for you are hungry and thirsty.
Small moon, Hai! Young moon,
When the sun rises you must speak to the Rain,
Charm her with herbs and honeycomb,
O speak to her, that I may drink, this little thing ...
Mighty Raincow, sing your song for me
Sleep, my springbok baby,
Sleep for me, my springbok child,
When morning comes I'll go out hunting,
for you are hungry and thirsty.
O Star, Hai! Hunting Star,
When the sun rises you must blind with your light The Eland's eyes,
O blind his eyes, that I may eat, this little thing ...
He will come across the red sands:
Mighty Eland, dance your dance for me,
Freedom Come
Sleep, my springbok baby,
Sleep for me, my springbok child,
When morning comes, they'll come a-hunting,
for they are hungry and thirsty.
They will come across the waters:
Mighty saviours in their sailing ships,
And they will show us new and far horizons.
And they came, came across the waters:
Gods in galleons, bearing bows of steel,
Then they killed us on the far horizon
The song "Horizons" by Peter Louis Van Dijk is a lullaby that is filled with layers of meaning, nostalgia, and cultural references. At first glance, the lyrics may seem like a simple lullaby that a mother would sing to her child, but when we carefully examine the lyrics, we can see the deep cultural and historical significance of each line. The opening lines of the lullaby, "Sleep, my springbok baby, Sleep for me, my springbok child," refer to the Springbok antelope, which is a prominent animal in southern Africa. The Springbok, which is a symbol of vitality, grace, and endurance, is referenced throughout the song, symbolizing innocence or vulnerability.
The next set of lyrics, "When the sun rises you must speak to the Rain, Charm her with herbs and honeycomb," refers to the traditional African belief that speaking to the rain and using natural remedies can bring about prosperity, fertility, and nourishment. The mention of the rain also symbolizes the importance of the natural environment and the need to take care of it. As the song progresses, it talks about hunting the Eland, which was a sacred animal in the Khoisan culture. The mention of hunting the Eland, and the need to blind its eyes, symbolizes the violence and destruction that colonialism brought to Africa.
The final set of lyrics in the song, "Mighty saviours in their sailing ships... Then they killed us on the far horizon," refers to the arrival of European colonizers in Africa. The colonizers, who are referred to as 'Mighty saviours,' arrived in their sailing ships, but instead of bringing prosperity, they brought destruction, exploitation, and death. This final set of lyrics serves as a reminder of the violent and painful legacy of colonialism.
Line by Line Meaning
Sleep, my springbok baby,
Rest, my little antelope offspring,
Sleep for me, my springbok child,
Slumber for my sake, my young gazelle,
When morning comes I'll go out hunting,
Once the sun rises, I'll venture out for provisions,
for you are hungry and thirsty.
Since you are famished and parched.
Small moon, Hai! Young moon,
Oh, slender crescent moon! Ah! Youthful moon!
When the sun rises you must speak to the Rain,
At dawn, you ought to request Rain's audience,
Charm her with herbs and honeycomb,
Seduce Rain with sweet herbs and honey,
O speak to her, that I may drink, this little thing ...
Oh, persuade her to let me quench my thirst, dear Moon...
She will come across the dark sky:
Rain will traverse the dusky heavens:
Mighty Raincow, sing your song for me
Great Raincow, sing your hymn for me
O Star, Hai! Hunting Star,
Oh, Star! Ah! The Hunter's Star,
When the sun rises you must blind with your light The Eland's eyes,
At daybreak, you should dazzle the Eland's vision with your radiance,
O blind his eyes, that I may eat, this little thing ...
Oh, obstruct his sight, so I may devour, dear Star...
He will come across the red sands:
He'll arrive on the crimson soil:
Mighty Eland, dance your dance for me,
Great Eland, perform your dance for me
Freedom Come
May freedom arrive
Sleep, my springbok baby,
Slumber, my little antelope offspring,
Sleep for me, my springbok child,
Rest for my sake, my young gazelle,
When morning comes, they'll come a-hunting,
Once dawn breaks, they'll go hunting,
for they are hungry and thirsty.
Since they are famished and parched.
They will come across the waters:
They'll arrive by sea:
Mighty saviours in their sailing ships,
Great saviors aboard their vessels,
And they will show us new and far horizons.
And they'll exhibit to us novel and distant vistas.
And they came, came across the waters:
And they arrived, came by sea:
Gods in galleons, bearing bows of steel,
Deities in warships, wielding steel-tipped bows,
Then they killed us on the far horizon
Then on the distant horizon, they slaughtered us.
Contributed by Annabelle V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@brentbarrus9754
I love the relaxed pacing. It really immerses you.
@user-eh4hc8rq7x
たまたま聞いて、引き込まれた。horizonsという曲ですが、歌詞の意味を知りたくなりました。hungryと'thirstyが聴こえたようなのだが？
@Mr.man1227
Somewhere, cave paintings were found that told the story of ships (either Dutch or british) that sailed into the land, and treated the native people with love and respect. In the end, the colonizers wiped out the native people, and left after depleting the land if it's resources.