Ka Anyị Mee Ya Ọzọ Let’s Do It Again

Ka Anyị Mee Ya Ọzọ

jide aka m nwayọọ
kpanyesia mkpụsị aka gị na nke m
ka m jirikwa nkem kpuchikwa nke gị nwayọọ
ka ọbara anyị gwakọta
wee kepụta ụdọ 
ka anyị gwuo egwuriegwu ụdọ
ka anyị sịbu eme ya
i jidesi ike, ghara ị rapụ onweanyị aka
 
ka anyị mekwaa ya ọzọ
ka anyị si eme ya mgbe niile
maka sọ m ga emenwụ ntakịrị
anyị abụọ ga emesị ihe ike
 
ka m ghara egwuri sọ m
na mbara ezi egwuri-egwu a 
ekwee m nkwa ị nọnyere gị
anyị nyụkọọ mammịrị ọnụ
ọ gbaa ụfụfụ mme-mme
ka anyị mezịenụ ya ọzọ
otu i si eme ya na atọ m n’ahụ ka ikuku
chai! mmịrị osịso m
 
mkparịta ụka gị, nnabata gị na ntinye gị
nchepute gị, egwuri-egwu gị na echiche gị
i nọrọ nwayọọ, hei! i megherịzịa ahụ
nkuzi gị na nnemi aya gị n’ihe
ọbuzịarụ okwu gị na-amị mkpụrụ
chai! ihe ndịa na adọnye m ite ochị n’ihu
 
ka anyị mekwanu ya ọzọ
otu anyị sị eme ya na-atọgbu m
ị na eme m ka m zuo oke
ị na emejuputa m.
 

Let’s Do It Again

gently take my hand
lace your fingers in mine
and I will also gently entwine mine with yours 
our blood will course together
and form a knot
so we can play the rope game
like we did way back
hanging on, not letting each other go
 
let’s do it again
the way we always do
alone I can only do little
but together we can do big things
 
so I won’t play alone
in our playground
I promise to stay with you
when we pee together
the foam we make endures
let’s do it again
because it soothes my body like a breeze
chai! my torrent
 
your gestures, gathering you,
your thoughts, the way you play, the way you think
when you stay quiet, hei! when you move
your insight, your deep gaze into things
I wish your words could bear fruit
chai! All these pour a pot of laughter on my face
 
let’s do it again
because it is so sweet to me
you fill me
then you overflow me
 

Working only with the poem on the page, it’s difficult to convey the power of Amarachi Attamah’s performances. One way we’ve tried to do this is by keeping the Igbo exclamations: ‘chai!’ and ‘hei’. ‘Chai’, as it is used in this poem, expresses ecstasy, awe, intense pleasure. With ‘chai! my torrent’, we hope to convey the power of water and of the voice.

One of the most enjoyable and knotted parts of this translation was the part where the lovers pee together. The original draws on an Igbo saying that tells us something like: peeing alone doesn’t make much froth, but when we pee together (on the earth) it froths well. This carries a message about working together. We talked a lot about where and how the poem moves between childlike play and the sexual, and decided it holds both together: a deep, playful love; an intimacy that binds the lovers together in past and present.

Miriam Nash, Workshop Facilitator

"Lets Do It Again"

Hold my hand gently
Place your fingers on mine
Let me also wrap my fingers around yours gently
Let our blood flow together
And eke out peace 
 
Let us play the play of peace
Like we used to do before
To hold on, and not let go of our creator
 
Let us do it again
Like we do it all the time
Because alone I can only do little
Both of us can do a lot
 
Let me not play alone
In the course of this good game
I promise to stay with you
When we pee together
It creates enduring foam (froth)
Let us do it again
The way you do it, is pleasing to my body like the wind
Wow, my running water
 
Your conversations, taking you in, putting into you
Thoughts of you, playing with you, and the thoughts of you
When you stay still..wow! when you move around
Your teachings, your in-depth gaze into things
If only your words bore fruit
Chai! These things all bring smiles to my face
 
Lets do it again
The way we do it is enjoyable to me
You Satisfy me 
You fill me to overflow
 

Original Poem by

Amarachi Attamah

Translated by

Joseph Ogbonna Ike with The Poetry Translation Workshop Language

Igbo

Country

Nigeria