Tapestry
by
Adriana Stuijt

Wit KruiseDuisende wit kruiselangs die pad
‘n dolkdeur elke boerehart.
Eind’loos staan hul ingeplant
die pad na die Noorde
duisende aan elke kant.

Uit alle oorde kom ‘n weeklaag
deur ons hele land:
Wie rus daar…‘n man,‘n vrou… ‘n kind?  
Ag Here, U wat alles van ons weet,
Hoor ook nou, uit nood, ons kreet.

Ons is as volk deur eeue heen
beproef, gelouter, maar tog deur U behou.
Smekend kom ons om ‘n aalmoes vra,
‘n aalmoes van U genade en u trou.

Vertoef tog nie,
beskaam ons nie.
Ons kan, nee, ons kan nie
langer rou.

(Erma Lubbe, Clubview)

Thousands of White Crosses, white crosses along the road
a dagger through every Boer heart.
Endlessly erected
On the road to the North
thousands on every side.

Wailing comes from every region
throughout our whole land:
Who rests there...a man, a wife...a child?
Oh Lord, You know everything about us,
Hear now also, out of need, our cry.

We as a nation have been tested and purified
down through the centuries, but preserved inspite
of everything through You.
We implore for charity,
a gift of Your grace and Your faithfulness.

Stay still stay,
don't put us to shame.
We can, no, we cannot
mourn any longer.

(translated by Debbie Wren)

re-worked crosses planted at Pietersburg

16th June 2004
----------

Iron Cross Day

Pietersburg

16th June 2004

"in memory of the Farmers killed unmercfully in South Africa since 1996"