Philip de Vos (b. 1939)

Abstract This chapter contains newly crafted English translations and International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) transcriptions of twenty-four poems by Philip de Vos from the work Oh My Goodness! An Insect—Silly Verses for Naughty Children, Song Cycle. Poems include “Pluck the Strings, Blow (on) the Flute,” “Come with Me to Toorberg,” “Whirlwind,” “The Tumbleweed Is a Rolling Stone,” “Take a Small Piece of (the) Sun,” “If You Come to Visit Me,” “You Remain Little,” “The Mantis and the Spider,” “Gosh, Dang It!,” “Petronella, Cockroach,” “Grandma’s Lay-Away Hen,” “The Sharks in the Sea,” “Oh Golly Gosh,” “I Arrived Here,” “Devil’s Children Give Me the Heebie-Jeebies,” “Twelve Little Sardines in a Can,” “The Cat’s Cheek,” “Little Turtle Dove,” “Up in the Attic,” “If You Find Yourself Malingering,” “Piet Fourie,” “What Is the Difference?,” “Consternation,” and “Susanna Viljee.” Set to music by Albie Louw, this song cycle is scored for medium-low/medium voice. Illuminating footnotes are provided to enhance the reader’s comprehension of the unique biodiversity of the Southern African landscape and multicultural distinctiveness of its people. Topics include storytelling, comedy, nursery-rhymes, love, birds, and nature.