Marlene van Niekerk se roman Agaat (2004) het baie literêre pryse gewen, onder andere die Hertzogprys, en is in Engels en Nederlands vertaal. Tydens die verloop van die roman word daar baie verwysings na musiek gemaak, hetsy gewyde, klassieke, populêre of Afrikaanse volksliedere. In die artikel word aanhalings uit die woordtekste van Afrikaanse volksliedere (meesal uit Die F.A.K.-Volksangbundel) bespreek. Hierdie verwysings word dikwels deur die hoofkarakter Agaat gebruik wanneer sy werk met Milla, haar bedgebonde meesteres, wat sy nou moet versorg tydens Milla se laaste dae. Die verwysings word meesal op 'n ironiese, onsensitiewe en wrede manier aangewend. Hierdeur toon Agaat die wrewel wat sy teenoor Milla voel. Party lawwe aanhalings van Afrikaanse volksliedere gee egter ook aan die hoofkarakters Agaat en Milla verligting van die moeilike omstandighede waarin hulle hulle bevind. Deur die voortdurende aanhaling word die Afrikaanse kulturele milieu waarin die roman afspeel, verhelder.
Marlene van Niekerk's Afrikaans novel Agaat (2004) has won many prizes, amongst them the Hertzog Prize, and has been translated into English and Dutch. During the course of the novel many references are made to music, be it religious, classical, popular or Afrikaans folk music. In this article, quotations from the word texts of Afrikaans folk songs (mostly from the F.A.K. Songbook) are discussed. These references are often used by the main character Agaat when dealing with Milla, her bed-ridden mistress, to whom she now has to attend to during her final days. The references are mostly employed in an ironic, insensitive and cruel manner. In this way Agaat expresses the resentment she feels towards Milla. Some silly quotations of Afrikaans folk songs, however, also give the main characters Agaat and Milla some respite from the difficult situation in which they find themselves. Through these means the Afrikaans cultural milieu in which the novel is set is illuminated.
