Mafuriko Floods

Mafuriko

Nitaandika wimbo juu ya mbawa za nzi
Utoe muziki arukapo wausikie walio wengi
Ushairi wa jalalani utaimbwa
Juu ya vidonda vya wakulima
Na usaha ulio jasho lao.
Nitaandika juu ya mbawa za wadudu
Wote warukao
Juu ya mistari ya pundamilia
Na masikio makubwa ya tembo.
Juu ya kuta vyooni, maofisini, madarasani,
Juu ya paa za nyumba, kuta za Ikulu,
Na juu ya khanga na tisheti.
Nitaandika wimbo huu:
Mafuriko ya mwaka huu
Yatishia nyumba kongwe bondeni.
Waliomo wameanza kuihama
Na miti ya umeme imeanguka.
Palipokuwa na mwanga, sasa giza.
Mafuriko ya mwaka huu!
Mti mkongwe umelalia upande
Wa nyumba zetu hafifu.
Upepo mkali uvumapo hatulali.
Kila kukicha twatazama mizizi yake
Na mkao wake, na kuta hafifu za nyumba.
Lazima ukatwe kuanzia matawi hadi shina
Mafuriko ya mwaka huu yaashiria...
Tutabaki kuwasimulia wajukuu:
Mwaka ule wa mafuriko
Miti mingi mikongwe ilianguka.
Mafuriko ya mwaka huu!
Wengi wataumbuka.
 

Floods

I will write a song on the wings of a fly -
Let this song make music when the fly flies, let everyone hear it.
The poetry of rubbish will be sung
on the wounds of farmers
and on the pus they sweat.
I will write on the wings of insects
and everything that flies,
on the zebra's stripes
and the elephant's ears,
on the walls of toilets, offices and classrooms,
on the roofs of houses, the walls of the government,
and on scarves and t-shirts.
This is the song I will write:
This year's floods threaten old houses in the valley;
people have begun to leave;
electric cables have been destroyed -
where there once was light, now it's dark.
The floods this year!
And old tree has fallen down next to
our rickety houses.
We don't sleep when the fierce wind blows.
Everyday we examine its roots
the rickety walls of the house,
and the branches that must be severed from its trunk.
The floods this year are a warning...
We shall tell our grandchildren:
The floods that year
many trees were felled.
The floods this year
many of us will perish.
 

This is one of Kezilahabi’s poems from his most recent collection, published in 2008. It’s clear from the imagery and language that he’s writing poetry for his people. He addresses the subject of floods from their perspective, and demonstrates his solidarity with their plight through his stated aim at the beginning of the poem to make poetry out of the lowliest and most abject of materials.

The ambiguity that exists in English when we say we’re writing ‘on something’ – i.e. that this can mean either ‘about’ something, or ‘on top of’ – exists in Swahili, so we were able to convey the playfulness in the original that the ‘poetry of rubbish will be sung / on [about or on top of] the wounds of farmers’ and thereafter, throughout ‘Floods’.

We translated the Swahili word ‘kanga‘ as ‘scarves’, though that’s strictly not correct. However, we felt that leaving ‘kanga’ in the poem and glossing it would lead to complications because, of course, in English, ‘kanga’ conjures up kangaroos – an image we wished to avoid!

Floods

I will write a song on the wings of a fly
Let the song make music when the fly flies, let many hear it
Poetry of rubbish will be sung
On the wounds of farmers
And pus that is their sweat.
I will write on the wings of insects
All that fly
On the stripes of a zebra
And the big ears of an elephant.
On the walls in toilets, offices, classrooms,
On the roof of houses, walls of the State House,
And on the kangas and t-shirts.
I will write this song:
This year's floods
Threaten old houses in the valley.
People in them have started to move out
And the electric poles have fallen down.
Where there was light, now darkness.
Floods of this year!
An old tree is lying next to
Our rickety houses.
When strong wind blows, we do not sleep.
Every day we look at its roots
And its position, and rickety walls of the house.
It has to be cut from the branches to the trunk
This year's floods give a warning...
We shall remain to tell the grandchildren:
That year of floods
Many old trees fell down.
This year's floods!
Many will be destroyed.
 

Original Poem by

Euphrase Kezilahabi

Translated by

Katriina Ranne with The Poetry Translation Workshop Language

Swahili

Country

Tanzania