Mgomba The Banana Plant

Mgomba

Mgomba umelala chini: hauna faida tena,
Baada ya kukatwa na wafanya kazi
Wa bustani kwa kusita.
Watoto, kwa wasiwasi wanasubiri wakati wao
Bustanini hakuna kitu
Isipokuwa upepo fulani wenye huzuni,
Unaotikisa majani na kutoa sauti ya kilio. 
 
Hivyo ndivyo ufalme wa mitara ulivyo.
Mti wa mji umelala chini: hauna faida tena,
Baada ya kukatwa na wafanya kazi
Wa bustani kwa kusita.
Chumbani hakuna kitu
Isipokuwa upepo fulani wenye huzuni utingishao
Wenye hila waliokizunguka kitanda na kulia.
Machozi yenye matumaini yapiga
Mbiu ya hatari ya magomvi nyumbani.
           Magomvi
Kati ya wanawake
           Magomvi
Kati ya watoto kwa ajili ya vitu na uongozi.
Ole! Milki ya 'Lexanda imekwisha!
 
Vidonda vya ukoma visofunikwa
Ambavyo kwa mda mrefu vilifichama
Sasa viko nje kufyonzwa na inzi wa kila aina
Na vinanuka vibaya.
Lakini inzi kila mara hufyonza wakifikiri
Nani watamwambukiza.
 

The Banana Plant

The banana plant lies on the ground, no longer of use,
having been cut down, reluctantly, by the workers in the garden.
Children, anxiously, wait till time's up.
There's nothing in the garden,
other than a sorrowful wind
that makes the grass shiver and moan.
 
This is exactly like a polygamous ruler.
The tree of the town lies on the ground, no longer of use,
having been cut down, reluctantly, by the workers in the garden.
There's nothing in the room,
other than a sorrowful wind, shaking
the traitors circling the bed crying
tears of hope
that warn about the dangers of quarrels at home
            quarrels
between women
            quarrels
between children, about trinkets and leaders.
Poor you! Alexander's reign is over!
 
The leper's sores are exposed,
wounds that were hidden for so long
are now in plain view, stinking,
to be sucked on by all kinds of flies.
But each time the fly sucks it is thinking
who next it will infect.
 

‘The Banana Plant’ is one of Euphrase Kezilahabi’s earlier poems, when his work was much more directly political – as you can see.

We were very struck by that rather bald, and somewhat opaque, phrase ‘This is exactly like a polygamous ruler’ at the beginning of the second stanza, which we left as Katriina had translated it. What is exactly like a polygamous ruler is left for us to work out, and we liked the way the image just announced itself without explanation bang in the middle of the poem.

We also liked the way the ‘quarrels’ are dismissed (and patronised) with that wonderful phrase, ‘Poor you! Alexander’s reign is over!’, the way it gestures towards tyranny (Alexander the Great, we presumed) and the temper tantrums that famously characterise the behaviour (and outlook) of tyrants themselves.

The final line of the poem – ‘Whom to infect next’ – provoked a long discussion. ‘Whom to suck next’ didn’t sound like anything anyone would ever say, but it was important that the verb – ‘suck’ – was one syllable as ‘infect’ ruined the rhythm of the line. In the end, altering the word order gave us the pleasingly succinct, ‘who next it will infect’.

The Banana Plant

The banana plant is lying on the ground: it is of no use/profit,
After being cut by the workers
Of the garden, with hesitation.
Children, anxiously, wait until time is up
There is nothing in the garden
Except for some sorrowful wind
That makes the grass tremble and makes a voice of a cry.
 
This is exactly like a polygamous ruler.
The tree of the town is sleeping on the ground: it is of no use,
After being cut by the workers
Of the garden, with hesitation.
There is nothing in the room
Expect for some sorrowful wind shaking
The betrayers who are encircling the bed and crying.
The tears that have hope
Warn about the danger of quarrels at home.
           Quarrels
Between women
           Quarrels
Between children, about goods and leadership.
Poor you! Alexander's realm has finished!
 
The wounds of leprosy are exposed (are not covered)
Wounds that had remained covered for so long
Now are open in full view for every fly to suck
And stinking.
But each time the fly sucks it is thinking
Whom to infect next.
 

Original Poem by

Euphrase Kezilahabi

Translated by

Katriina Ranne with The Poetry Translation Workshop Language

Swahili

Country

Tanzania