Dear Alpha: Thanks for this wonderfully written poem. The need for a "national" and "popular literature" grounded in our languages is urgent. May this inspire those so inclined to do the same. Abdoulaye Alpha Robinson wrote: > > After listening to Pa Dacosta's cassette on the April massacre, I felt > inspired > by his ability to express himself with eloquence and in a poetic manner. > Again, > Pa Dacosta reminded me of how little interest we show in developing the > ability > to communicate in our various, rich mother tongues; to discuss abstract > ideas and > science without recourse to our "great" command of her majesty's mother > tongue > and most of all reaching our very people using phrases and symbols known > to them > for generations. In his book "Decolonising the mind" Ngugi described > how ordinary people met in places they usually meet, reading his works > in Kikuyu > and enjoying it so much, embracing it as theirs. Without underplaying > the essence > of knowing other languages I thought that by beginning to pay attention > to this, > we will not only be boosting our collective sense of identity but will > also > contribute to the demystification of the often nurtured notion that our > languages > cannot be used for scientific expressions etc. > > This Poem is therefore a tribute to the longing for that day when we > will take > our languages seriously and develop them as media of communication in > schools > etc. as much as it is a tribute to the massacred students for whom Pa > Dacoster > stood and spoke with dignity, sincerity and heroism. > > I hope to be able to translate the poem into English soon. I must > shamefully > admit that sometimes I am not even sure of the spelling. The phonetics I > leaned > on were developed, I think, by the curriculum development unit. > Nonetheless it is > a start and I cannot express how it feels thinking in my mother tongue > directly > and not having to translate my thoughts. > > I hope we will refocus our attention on the urgent task of restoring > justice and > contributing to the elevation of the awareness of our people to reach > such > heights that no person on earth will ever keep them oppressed and > ignorant. This > massacre cannot be just another passing event! > > METIT (Pain) > > Tunde bele lumu sorri sorri > Helako gena sorri > Gëj lum rey rey > Metit munako opa > > Baken nimu nexey > Nga jëlko ci ngalaw > > Yaangi melni ku jogey ci benen jamano > Hanaa xamuloone ci tey leñ necka > > Te halel moi magi ëlëk > Te baken bu mos dunda > Dina mos deh > > Bon nak Adina potindaa la > Ku naan joh sa morom > Ken du jur bopaam > Te ken du suul bopam > > Hanaa xamuloone > Nit lumu touti touti > Mo gena maga taahi-kow > Tas tabax amoon nafi > Wai deh deki musu fe am > > Yaangi fenafen be Yabi > Melni xobi warga bu saali > Fu ngalaw fouf nga jublu > Xoolalmala > Ngai yoloos yoloosi > Melni bukki burus > Nooma xoleh ëlëk? > > Tekat Tan tanehnala > Ngir moon lu deh la lekka > Wai yow yangma lekka > Te deyanguma > > Hanaa Xamuloone fi "be faw" amatufi > Xew xewi rek mofi sah > Bon ndook bul melni puruh > Nyam binga ne feef > Ci suma loho la jaar > > Nganaan ñun nga buga selmal > Te xamulooneh fi jantabi feñnafi > Wai bu bor setey > Ku rus ñaw > > Yalna sa adina baña seda > Benga gis lorangeh ginga warral > Tek ko xaleh yu hamul dara > Balaa la suuf di sedey ëlëk > > Yalna ñu ëlëk tannal jamano > Ni Xaleh bi di tanney malo mi > Seppi tilim bici suñ bir > Ngir suñ ëlëk naak > > Alpha Robinson > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L > Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------