Mantis 21 (Summer 2023)
Translations
Muyaka Bin Haji Al-Ghassaniy
translated from Swahili by Richard Prins
Natamani Vuta Nyanje
Natamani vuta nyanje ila k’ambaa ni mbovu
Tumo kubadili ngwenje kununua zenyi nguvu:
Na wale wenyi vipanje si wajinga ni welevu,
Watutenda wapumbavu tungawa nazo kitwan.
I Wish
I wish I could be trendy, but all my threads are tattered.
Look at us counting pennies for something finely tailored.
The ones with all the money just keep on getting smarter.
They make us look like suckers, for all the brains in our head.
Ufukara Enda Zako
Ufukara enda zako mimi nawe tuwegene
Silitaki shari lako kawatafute wengine
Uwatie pujuliko mitima iwasonone
Uniwene nikuwene, salama salimini!
Destitution Get Thee Gone
Destitution, get thee gone. You and me, we’re over.
I don’t want your misfortune. Find someone else to bother.
Let them have your confusion; now their spirit can suffer.
And if we see each other, say hello, then go in peace.
Ai, Ulimwengu Jivu
Ai, ulimwengu jivu, ujileo vumbivumbi,
Walifile waangavu wali na wao ujimbi,
Vianga havia mbivu viwiti vya ufurumbi;
Wale walimbika k’ambi leo ndio walimbikwa.
Ndiyo, hali ya dunia, huleta vyema na vimbi,
Ambaye yamtatia maninga yakwe hafumbi;
Usingizi hupotea kwa mawazo t’umbit’umbi.
Wale walimbika k’ambi leo ndio walimbikwa.
The World Is Ash
The world is nothing but ashes, and it is getting dusty.
They died while shining brightest, although they were so cocky.
The young fruit gets no ripeness; the green leaf gets so stinky.
They used to call the assembly. Now they’re the ones who are called.
That’s just the way of the world, bringing us good and bad things.
Whoever it has embroiled must keep their eyes from closing.
Every chance at sleep is spoiled by their constant worrying.
They used to call the gathering. Now they’re the ones who are called.
MUYAKA BIN HAJI AL-GHASSANIY (1776 – 1840) was the earliest secular Swahili poet whose identity is known. He has been credited with bringing Swahili verse “out of the mosque and into the marketplace” with his commentary on daily life in Mombasa and its frequent battles defending its independence against the Omani Empire. He also popularized the mashairi quatrain form that serves to this day as the predominant form of Swahili verse.
RICHARD PRINS is a New Yorker who has lived, worked, studied and recorded music in Dar es Salaam, and recipient of a 2023 PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grant.