Two spelling systems are used for the Jamaican language below. The first, ‘Chaka-Chaka,’ is based on English spelling, which is notoriously irregular. The second, ‘Prapa-Prapa,’ is the consistent, specialist system designed by the Jamaican linguist Frederic Cassidy. It has been updated by the Jamaican Language Unit at the University of the West Indies, Mona. After the two Jamaican versions, there’s an English translation.
CHAKA-CHAKA SPELLING
Sunday gone, bashment a Ormsby Hall. Inna 1932, one Gleaner ad did call Ormsby “the coolest entertainment hall in Kingston.” It pop down now. It can build up back. Di online literature magazine PREE keep one show wid nine writer. Four a dem under 30: Yashika Graham, Jovanté Anderson, Tanicia Pratt an Kaleb D’Aguilar. Ada Patterson should a di deh but she never come. Di Prince Claus Fund inna di Netherlands gi PREE money fi support young writer. An PREE put on workshop fi dem. All a dem gwaan good-good pon di show.
But mi ha pick out Jovanté Anderson. Hear weh im seh bout tracing: “. . . such an apt word I’ve come to realise to describe the kind of cussing where one not only colourfully sizes up one’s opponent, but their people and their people’s people and their people’s people’s people. A literal tracing that would put any genealogist to shame. No historian could ever recall how Jennifer tiefy-tiefy just like har great-grandfather who fa finger dem did, police did ha fi chop off. No historian could detail how Peter walk an sex off any and everybody like him wukliss muma.” Fi wi tracing tell fambily history.
After di young people dem, five big-time writer tek over di stage: Diana McCaulay, Roland Watson-Grant, Kei Miller, Marlon James an Staceyann Chin. Before Kei read im last poem, im talk bout “all kinds of diseases that have a colour in it, you know, like yellow fever or black plague.” Im seh im shame becau im never ketch it wen wan healer woman, Miss Beatrice, tell im seh she have di bush fi ‘black choob.’ Inna English, dat a ‘blocked tube.’ A same so nuff American turn ‘o’ inna ‘a.’ An oonoo nah laugh after dem. Fi pree di whole a di show, go pon Youtube.
NUTTEN NAH GROW
Inna di said same Ormsby Hall, Laura Facey she have one big show. Di art powerful can’t done. She a trace same laka Jovanté generation dem. She call di show, ‘The Laboratory of the Ticking Heart.’ Dat deh name come from one poem weh fi har granny Jullia Rypinski write. An a nuh ongle fi har fambily history one weh Laura a trace. Inna ‘Memorial,’ she show di bruck-heart sufferation weh Jamaica people go through. An wi still a gwaan.
Laura mek some heartical carving bout Cockpit Country. She trace off di bad-breed politician dem deestant-deestant. Dem nuh understand seh Cockpit Country a di heart a Jamaica. Dat a weh nuff-nuff water come from fi di whole a di island. Govament still a sell off di good-good farm land to foreigner fi dig out bauxite. Nutten nah grow inna di poison ground wa lef. Di land a suffer same laka woman wid black choob. Govament better stop form fool an start protect Jamaica future.
PRAPA-PRAPA SPELIN
Sonde gaan, bashment a Ormsby Hall. Ina 1932, wan Gleaner ad did kaal Ormsby “the coolest entertainment hall in Kingston.” It pap dong nou. It kyan bil op bak. Di anlain lichricha magaziin PREE kip wan shuo wid nain raita. Fuor a dem aanda 30: Yashika Graham, Jovanté Anderson, Tanicia Pratt an Kaleb D’Aguilar. Ada Patterson shuda di de bot shi neva kom. Di Prince Claus Fund ina di Nedalanz gi PREE moni fi sopuot yong raita. An PREE put aan workshap fi dem. Aal a dem gwaan gud-gud pan di shuo.
Bot mi a fi pik out Jovanté Anderson. Ier we im se bout chriesn: “. . . such an apt word I’ve come to realise to describe the kind of cussing where one not only colourfully sizes up one’s opponent, but their people and their people’s people and their people’s people’s people. A literal tracing that would put any genealogist to shame. No historian could ever recall how Jennifer tiefy-tiefy just like har great-grandfather who fa finger dem did, police did ha fi chop off. No historian could detail how Peter walk an sex off any and everybody like him wukliss muma.” Fi wi chriesn tel fambili ischri.
Aafta di yong piiipl dem, faiv big-taim raita tek uova di stiej: Diana McCaulay, Roland Watson-Grant, Kei Miller, Marlon James an Staceyann Chin. Bifuor Kei riid im laas pouwem, im taak bout “all kinds of diseases that have a colour in it, you know, like yellow fever or black plague.” Im se im shiem bikaa im neva kech it wen wan iila uman, Mis Beatrice, tel im se shi av di bush fi ‘blak chuub.’ Ina Ingglish, dat a ‘blocked tube.’ A siem so nof Amerikan ton ‘o’ ina ‘a.’ An unu naa laaf aafa dem. Fi prii di uol a di shuo, go pan Youtube.
NOTN NAA GRUO
Ina di sed siem Ormsby Hall, Laura Facey shii av wan big shuo. Di aat powaful kyaahn don. Shi a chries siem laka Jovanté jinarieshan dem. Shi kaal di shuo, ‘The Laboratory of the Ticking Heart.’ Dat de niem kom fram wan pouwem we fi ar grani, Jullia Rypinski rait. An a no ongl fi ar fambili ischri wan we Laura a chries. Ina ‘Memorial,’ shi shuo di brok-aat sofarieshan we Jamieka piipl go chruu. An wi stil a gwaan.
Laura mek som aatikal kyaavin bout Kakpit Konchri. Shi chries aaf di bad-briid palitishan dem diistant-diistant. Dem no andastan se Kakpit Konchri a di aat a Jamieka. Dat a we nof-nof waata kom fram fi di uol a di ailan. Govament stil a sel aaf di gud-gud faam lan tu farina fi dig out baksait. Notn naa gruo ina di paizn grong wa lef. Di lan a sofa siem laka uman wid blak chuub. Govament beta stap faam fuul an staat protek Jamieka fyuucha.
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
Congratulations to PREE and Laura Facey!
Last Sunday, there was quite a party at Ormsby Hall. A 1932 Gleaner ad described the venue as “the coolest entertainment hall in Kingston.” It has fallen on hard times. It can be restored. The digital literature magazine PREE put on a show with nine writers. Four of them are under 30: Yashika Graham, Jovanté Anderson, Tanicia Pratt and Kaleb D’Aguilar. Ada Patterson should have been there but didn’t come. The Prince Claus Fund in the Netherlands awarded PREE a grant to support young writers. And PREE put on a workshop for them. All of them gave excellent performances at the show.
But I have to single out Jovanté Anderson. This is what he said about tracing: “. . . such an apt word I’ve come to realise to describe the kind of cussing where one not only colourfully sizes up one’s opponent, but their people and their people’s people and their people’s people’s people. A literal tracing that would put any genealogist to shame. No historian could ever recall how Jennifer tiefy-tiefy just like har great-grandfather who fa finger dem did, police did ha fi chop off. No historian could detail how Peter walk an sex off any and everybody like him wukliss muma.” Our tracings tell family history.
After the young people, five big-time writers took centre stage: Diana McCaulay, Roland Watson-Grant, Kei Miller, Marlon James and Staceyann Chin. Kei introduced his last poem by talking about “all kinds of diseases that have a colour in it, you know, like yellow fever or black plague.” He said he was ashamed that he didn’t understand the healer, Miss Beatrice, when she told him she had the remedy for ‘black choob.’ In English, that’s ‘blocked tube.’ In exactly the same way, many Americans turn ‘o’ into ‘a.’ And you all don’t make a mockery of them. To watch the entire show, go to Youtube.
NOTHING GROWS
Laura Facey has a huge exhibition at Ormsby Hall as well. The art is spectacular. She traces just like Jovanté’s people. She calls the show, “The Laboratory of the Ticking Heart.” That title comes from a poem by her grandmother Jullia Rypinski. And it’s not only her own family history that Laura traces. In ‘Memorial,’ she envisions the heartbreaking suffering that the Jamaican people have endured. And we are still surviving.
Laura crafted a group of heartfelt carvings about Cockpit Country. She artfully cursed dishonourable politicians. They don’t understand that Cockpit Country is the heart of Jamaica. That’s the source of so much of the water that feeds the whole island. The government is still selling rich farmland to foreigners to extract bauxite. Nothing grows in the poisoned ground that remains. The land is suffering just like a woman with blocked tubes. The government had better stop forming the fool and start protecting Jamaica’s future.
Jamaica Woman Tongue 
Great article, mi laik it!