Folklore Poem: When dad was shaving me (Translated from dholuo)

When dad was shaving me,

I bowed my head down-down,

I saw something dangling,

Something like a cut worm,

It’s sweet at dawn when it grinds,

The thing plaits matuta,

The thing is red like ombulo’s seed.

Original version:

Kane baba liela,

Akulo wiya piny-piny,

Aneno gi maliero,

Machalo mana ofunyu,

Mit ko gwen ko rego

Gino suko matuta

Gino kwar ko ombulu

*matuta- cornrow hair style

Ombulu- a red hot African seed from wild legume  

© 2011 Manuel Odeny

Folklore Poem: My Husband, My Cunt (Translated from dholuo)

let me buy myself meat,

the meat I will eat with my husband,

my husband who fucks my cunt,

my cunt which gives birth to my kid,

my kid who suckles my breast,

my breasts which are ‘bra-ed’ by bra!

Original dholuo version:

anyiewna ring’o,

mondo acham gi chuora,

chuora machuona ng’onya,

ng’onya manyuolo go nyathi,

nyathi madhodhona thunda

thunda majuko go ojuku!

(We sung the song repeatedly as children and not even once did we think kids come from supermarket J)

©2011 Manuel Odeny

A Dholuo Poem: Akwanyo Sindan by Manuel Odeny

Akwanyo sindan,

tang’ane?

Atang’ meru,

merane?

Amero kong’o,

kong’ane?

Akong’ lau,

lawane?

Alaw gweno,

gwenane?

Aguen chogo,

chogane?

Achog rabolo,

bolane?

Abol suka,

sukane?

Asuk wiya,

waiyane?

Awi tuoro,

tuorane?

Atuor nindo,

nindane?

Anindo kama,

to anindo kama,

tachieo!

(There is a calming madness when writing in your mother tongue, Dholuo)