“Glimlag” a manuscript poem by I.D. du Plessis (c. 1950’s)

The poem is signed by I.D. du Plessis (Izak David du Plessis, 1900–1981). He was a highly prominent and complex figure in 20th-century South African history:

The "Dertiger": As a poet, he was a key member of the Dertigers (the Writers of the Thirties), a movement that revolutionized Afrikaans literature by moving away from nationalistic, pastoral themes toward intensely personal, emotional, and urban poetry.

The "Father" of Cape Malay Studies: Du Plessis is famously (and contentiously) remembered for his obsession with the Cape Malay community. He wrote extensively on their folklore, music, and language, and completed a doctoral thesis on the contribution of Cape Malay songs to the Afrikaans language.

The Location: "Retreat"

Written at the bottom left is the word "Retreat."

While this could poetically mean a place of isolation or a holiday cottage, Retreat is a very specific suburb on the Cape Flats in Cape Town. Historically, it is adjacent to Steenberg and Tokai.

This location adds a layer of historical irony given Du Plessis's later political career. In the 1950s and 60s, he served as the Commissioner for Coloured Affairs under the Apartheid government. He used his political influence to declare the Bo-Kaap a protected area specifically for Cape Malays (saving it from destruction under the Group Areas Act), but his paternalistic, state-sanctioned view of ethnic compartmentalization also directly facilitated the forced removals of thousands of non-Malay Coloured residents to areas like the Cape Flats.

The Institutional Link: UCT Crest

The paper features the embossed crest of the University of Cape Town (UCT), bearing its bilingual motto: University of Cape Town / Universiteit van Kaapstad.

Du Plessis had a long-standing relationship with the university, both as an alumnus and later as a lecturer in the Afrikaans department starting in 1932.

He eventually headed the Institute of Malay Studies at UCT in 1948 before moving further into state bureaucracy.

The Text: "Glimlag"

Glimlag

'n Fyn juweeltjie in goud geset,

glinsterend in suiwere prag,

is die straal wat haar aangesig verlig

voor sy begint te lag.

Translation:

Smile

A fine little jewel set in gold,

glistening in pure splendor,

is the beam that lights up her face

before she begins to laugh

While Du Plessis was famously awarded the Hertzog Prize in 1937 for his anthologies Vreemde Liefde (Strange Love) and Ballades, this particular short, romantic quatrain captures his cleaner, more delicate lyrical style. It reads almost like an informal inscription or a poem jotted down for an acquaintance on university stationery.

200mm x 260mm

Manuscript poem in pen; stained; creased and has fold lines.
For copyright reasons, the full image of the manuscript has not been displayed,

R10,000