Translation of the song Die waarskuwing artist Bittereinder

na die tyd was daar mense wat gesê het dat hulle dit verwag het

afterwards there people who said that they expected it

hulle was nog kwaad en bitter oor al die mense wat vir hulle gelag het...

they were still angry and bitter about all the people who laughed at them

maar selfs 'n doemprofeet kon hierdie skade nie voorspel nie

but even a prophet of doom couldn't have predicted this damage

die hele aarde aan die brand soos 'n voorsmaak van hel, die

the entire Earth burning like a preview of hell, the

vuur was onblusbaar, kontinente uitgewis

fire was inextinguishable , continents wiped out

en mens moes mettertyd mooi soek vir tekens van die oorlewendes

and after a while one had to look far for signs of survivors

asemhaal was onmoontlik tussen die vlamme van vertering

breathing was difficult between the digesting flames

elke woud was vernietig, elke stad verwoes vir ewig

every forest was destroyed every city ruined forever

hele spesies het verdwyn in die eerste paar minute

entire species disappeared in the first couple of minutes

die greep van die vuur het orals uitgesprei soos 'n siekte

the grip of the fire spread out everywhere like a disease

in die verte was 'n berg met sy skouers in die wolke

in the distance there was a mountain with its shoulders in the clouds

en mensdom se oorblyfsels mik toe daarvoor in die donker

and the remains of humanity headed there in the dark

tussen die hittegolwe en die vlaktes van verwoesting

between the heat waves and plains of destruction

drom hulle toe saam soos miertjies uit elke rigting

they drum together like ants from every direction

en vind verligting teen die kranse en die skadu's van die laaste berg

and find relief against the cliffs and the shadows of the last mountain

en vir die eerste keer besef hulle wat oorlewing hulle gaan verg

and for the first time they realise what survival is going to cost them

en hulle klim toe al hoe hoër om skoner suurstof te vind

and they climb higher to find cleaner air

uiteindelik op die bergpiek gewaar hulle 'n vreemde Adamskind

at last on the summit of the mountain they see a strange child of Adam

wat alleen in die wind staan en oor die brandende aarde gluur

standing alone in the wind and glaring over the burning Earth

hy dra 'n lang donker jas en in sy oë weerkaats die vuur

he wears a long dark coat and the fire is reflected in his eyes

hy's een van daai vreemdes! roep 'n stem uit die skare

he's one of those strangers! a voice calls out of the crowd

en met agterdogtige gedagtes begin hulle om hom vergader

and with suspicious thoughts they begin crowding around him

wat weet jy van die vuur? begin hulle soos een stem fluister

What do you know about the fire? they start whispering in a single voice

wat maak jou soort hier? ons dink dis tyd dat jy vir ons luister...

What is your type doing here? we think it's time you listen to us.

jy was nog nooit regtig welkom nie, jy en jou vreemdelingmense

You have never really been welcome, you and your other strange people

ons vermoed nog altyd julle't vir ons net die donkerste wense

we've always suspected that you have the darkest of wishes for us

en waarlik, net soos die lus vir wraak ondraagbaar raak

en verily as the lust for revenge became unbearable

sien hulle die bewys wat van alles net 'n warrelwind maak:

they saw proof that made a whirlwind out of everything

in sy regterhand hou die vreemdeling 'n vuurhoutjie wat nog rook!

in his right hand the stranger was holding a still smouldering match

en in 'n woedende massa skreeu hulle saam soos 'n doodskoor:

and in an angry mob they shouted like a choir of death:

ons het probeer om jou te waarsku

we tried to warn you

die sirkel word al stywer soos die massa saamdrom

the circle became tighter as the people drummed together

en hulle dors vir bloed raak net dieper hoe nader hulle aan hom kom

and their lust for blood became stronger the nearer they got to him

maar skielik maak die vreemde man sy mond oop en begin praat

but suddenly the stranger opened his mouth and began to speak

en soos die oog van 'n storm is dit asof alles net stil raak

and like the eye of a storm everything became quiet

en die woorde van sy storie weergalm die verte in

and the words of his story echoed into the distance

en die kalmte in sy stem vertel van lig en oorbegin

and the calm in his voice conveys light and a sense of starting over

hy vertel hoe hy en sy mense nog altyd geweet het van die vuur

he then explained how he and his people had always known of the fire

en hoe hulle vir jare probeer het om ons te help en om ons te waarsku

and how they tried to help and warn us for years

hy vertel van klein dorpies waar hulle hom in die modder gesleep het

he recalled small towns where they dragged him through the mud

en in die kroeë van die stede waar hulle hom met bierbottels gebreek het

and in the bars of cities where they smashed him with beer bottles

en hoe niemand wou luister nie, en hy in die nagte net kon huil

and how nobody wanted to listen to him, and how he could only cry in the evenings

en hoe hy vir een meisie in 'n eetplek gesê het hy sou plekke met haar ruil

and how he told a girl in a restaurant that he would trade places with her

en sy't hom aangeval voor almal en met haar vurk hom oopgesteek

and she attacked him in front of everyone and stabbed him open with a fork

en in haar oë het hy skielik verstaan hy sou 'n ander plan moes kweek

and in her eyes he saw that he had to devise another plan

hy en sy mense het toe vergader en na hierdie selfde berg kom kyk

he and his people then convened and came to look at this same mountain

dit het vir hulle begin om soos die enigste oplossing te lyk

it started looking like the only solution to them

en ons almal wat nou hier staan is die vrugte van daai plan

and all of standing here are the result of that plan

hulle't 'n kring van vuur begin met die vuurhoutjie in sy hand

they started a circle of fire with the match in his hand

en op die manier die vuur geblus in 'n sirkel wat kon terugveg

and extinguished the fire in this way with a circle that could fight back

'n kring van vuur wat soos 'n muur staan met sy arms om die berg

a circle of fire that stood like a wall with its arms around the mountain

en net soos ons besef wat die vreemdes vir ons gegee het

and just as we realised what the strangers had given us

sien ons skaduwees in die wolke waarmee die berg hom beklee het

we saw shadows in the clouds which had draped over the mountain

en die vreemdeling begin self om in die lug op te dryf

and the stranger himself began ascending into the air

en soos hy styg hoor ons stemme wat ons troos en ook dreig

and as he ascended we could hear voices consoling but also threatening us

en hulle sing nou 'n lied wat ons herken in 'n oomblik

and they sang a song which we recognised immediately

en ons harte begin skud soos die woorde ons oopruk

and our hearts began shuddering as the words hit us

ons het probeer om jou te waarsku

we tried to warn you.