Asha Lul Mohamud Yusuf‘s ‘Our land’ is a classic ‘pastoral’ poem, nostalgic for the beauty and harmony of the Somali countryside, water, flowers, birds, trees, camels, all feature. It is a vision of peace and plenty.
The poem was written in London in 2011 many years after Asha Lul had left the Somali countryside. The poet herself, and many people who hear the poem live in cities and don’t have direct access to the idyllic way of life described in the poem. This makes the poem feel like a shared but distant memory.
Asha’s Friend and longtime translator Clare Pollard will read the English translation. Then you will hear Asha read in the original Somali
We are thrilled to announce that Asha Lul’s collection ‘The Sea-Migrations’ has been named the Poetry Book of the Year by The Sunday Times.
You can buy The Sea-Migrations here.
If you would like to support the Poetry Translation Centre please visit poetrytranslation.org/support-us.
