Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Safari ya mwezini (Journey to the Moon)

Safari ya mwezini
by Evans Nganga

Dakika kadhaa kabla masalkheli,
Nilipungiwa mkono wa kheri kwaheri tuonane mpenzi
Nafsi mie hufa ganzi kila wakati nimdhukuru,huyo mpenzi mi humuenzi.
Zilikuwa ni siku za enzi,chache sana sekunde zikawa ni siku na miezi.
Uwanjani wa ndege akiniaga kila siku atanienzi,na vile yake roho kupenda mwingine haiwezi.
Safiri salama kifika nandikie barua,wasalimu wanafunzi na wakeya watakaokujua,
Nipigie unandikie afya nijue unapougua,ilikuwa no safari ya mwezini nisha tambua.
Simu nazo zikawa ni za kwa urembo wa mfuko,barua zikawa nadra zipo mara hazipo,
Na hali zikawa nip engine yu salama pale alipo.
Kipindi chake cha kusoma,nacho kikakita mizizi,kipindi chake cha safari nacho kikazidi
Majira,wingu la wahka nalo kanizidia kichwani,ulipo talii salama bado nakupenda mpenzi.

Pengine ilikuwa ni hiyo safari ya mwezini,
Rubani wa ndege ya kurudi pengine kafariki,
Pengine unapoishi paradiso kwako haipo dhiki,
Mwanamme wa kizungu pengine kakuhabaria,
Pengine sayarini kisiri ukaamua kuabiria,ulipo,
Mpenzi mie bado nakufikiria,maana mi huchoka simulizi kukuhusu nahadithia.
Maana ndoto hunijia,mara ufukueni mahaba tumetulia,na mara dirishani maua
nikikutupia,na busu la hewani hunipa ukishayadakia.
Naomba siku nyingine tena we mrembo utanijia,isiwe ni ndotoni tu,ila mzima utanikumbatia.
Gambusi nacheza ulipo cheza ukiweza,arusi mi naiwaza ukirudi tena tutaipanga,nakukosa nakukosa toka hiyo nchi ya kishenzi,uzuru ndoto zangu sijali zikiwa ni jinamizi.
Na masomo yako nayaombea mola yakalete tija,sisadifu ahadi ukivunja urudi tena ukiwa mja,namaliza sio wimbo ilikuwa tu ni imla


Translation

Journey to the moon.

Some few minutes before the good night wish,
She waved her hand and wished me a fortune,
Goodbye we’ll see each again my love,
My inner self paralyses every time I reminisce,

My love how much I treasured you.
It was those past days, very few seconds turned days and months.
At the airport seeing her off, biding me goodbye,
And how everyday she will treasure me and loving another, she will not

And I said to her ‘travel safely, on arrival write me a letter,
Say hi to your fellow students and the Kenyans at large who will recognize you.
Call, and write to me so I know when you are healthy and when you are not well,
And it was a journey to the moon I have come to learn.

Her call phone added a beauty to her purse,
And the letters became scarce and sometimes none.
And the situations turned wishes and hopes that she’s okay wherever she is.
Her time of travel eventually started defying time,

And her program of study started beating seasons.
And that cloud of doubt blurred my mind,
Tour safely, I still love you my love.


Maybe it was that journey to the moon,
The pilot of the return plane passed away.
Maybe wherever you live is paradise, you never lament,

Maybe another man from that place won your heart.
Maybe you decided to secretly traverse to space.
Wherever you are my love, here I still think so much about you.
I’m tired, and worn out, about you I live to narrate.
Since these dreams sometimes come to me.
By the sea shore, we romance as we relax,
And at times, I throw flowers by your window,
And you blow that kiss after the grasp.
The beautiful one, I pray someday again you’ll come back to me,
Not only in my dreams, but wholly you’ll embrace me again.

This harp I play, wherever you are dance if you can,
I contemplate a wedding we’ll plan it together when you come back.
I miss you, and I think of you, get back from that stupid land.
Visit and tour in my dreams, I don’t mind you as my nightmares.
And I pray to the infinite for your studies to bring back fortunes,
I’m not okay if you break the promise and come back with a heavy belly,
I finish this is not a song, It’s a narration I write.


Evans Nganga 
ABOUT EVANS NGANGA:

Evans Nganga is a Kenyan contemporary artist, dancer, poet, yoga instructor and beadwork craftsman who concentrates on performing arts based on African traditions and modern art. The past few years have included months of varied art projects, workshops and performances with both local and international artists, choreographers and dancers and travel for research and performances.
He has received his artistic academic training received through open forums, seminars and self study while practical training included dance workshops and apprenticeship receiving instructions in choreography and electronic media at the tertiary level. Evans has choreographed a Solo Dance Piece titled ‘the poem’ performed at Encounters from Africa festival, the annual festival of solos and duests at Goethe Institute in Nairobi and Dance Week in Kampala, Uganda.

Read more here: http://badilishapoetry.com/radio/evans-nganga/

Sunday, January 27, 2013

I Do Not Love You Except Because I Love You


I Do Not Love You Except Because I Love You 
by Pablo Neruda
I do not love you except because I love you;
I go from loving to not loving you,
From waiting to not waiting for you
My heart moves from cold to fire.

I love you only because it's you the one I love;
I hate you deeply, and hating you
Bend to you, and the measure of my changing love for you
Is that I do not see you but love you blindly.

Maybe January light will consume
My heart with its cruel
Ray, stealing my key to true calm.

In this part of the story I am the one who
Dies, the only one, and I will die of love because I love you,
Because I love you, Love, in fire and blood.

Friday, October 12, 2012

Tweet from @Toltecjohn

@Toltecjohn: Pablo Neruda 'I love you as certain dark things are to be loved, in secret, between the shadow and the soul' >> a poem http://t.co/IWJg8bkT


Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Invitation to Love

Invitation to Love
by Paul Dunbar

COME when the nights are bright with stars
          Or when the moon is mellow;
Come when the sun his golden bars
          Drops on the hay-field yellow.
Come in the twilight soft and gray,
Come in the night or come in the day,
Come, O love, whene'er you may,
          And you are welcome, welcome.

You are sweet, O Love, dear Love,
You are soft as the nesting dove.
Come to my heart and bring it rest
As the bird flies home to its welcome nest.

Come when my heart is full of grief
          Or when my heart is merry;
Come with the falling of the leaf
          Or with the redd'ning cherry.
Come when the year's first blossom blows,
Come when the summer gleams and glows,
Come with the winter's drifting snows,
          And you are welcome, welcome.