Or L’infante De Salamanque… - by
I
/
/ Noli me tangere, telle est sa devise,
/ Et j’ai gardé la haute main sur la douceur.
/ Elle anime ses flancs. Cet œil…
African poetry
Prelude - by
When the explorer landed on the first island
/ no innocent, fearful or naked
/ men and women
/ peered from behind the vegetation
/
/ neither poisoned arrows…
Désirs - by
je suis le bruissement du monde
/ le balancement entre ici et ailleurs
/ la frondaison muette du cactus
/ le bois rugueux qui recouvre le…
My High-prowed Sailing-boat - by
You, who from that first dawn
/ Have been built out of the trees’ body,
/ With a cry of joy, ringing the alarm
/ Of…
Socks - by
The seller of socks
/ on Sulaiman Basha Street pavement
/ takes such care of that black one
/ she puts it in the shade
/ away from…
Parachute men say . . . - by
Parachute men say
/ The first jump
/ Takes the breath away
/ Feet in the air disturb
/ Till you get used to it.
/
/ Solid ground
/ Is not where…
The Village - by
Can you ever forget the village?
/ Can you ever forget its shore
/ from where the splashing of water rises in evening?
/
/ Can you…
Poetry and I - by
The sin is that I wasn’t a stone
/ And the troubles of the world make me…
Regresso - by
Old mama, come and let’s listen
/ To the beat of the rain against the door
/ It’s a friendly beat
/ That pounds in my…
Chai ya Jioni - by
Wakati tunywapo chai hapa upenuni
/ Na kuwatazama watoto wetu
/ Wakicheza bembea kwa furaha
/ Tujue kamba ya bembea yetu
/ Imeshalika na imeanza kuoza
/ Na bado kidogo…
Constrói-me a casa… - by
Constrói-me a casa
/ Com o barro de dentro
/ Entrelaça o colmo
/
/ Guarda dos caminhos
/ Guardião do fogo
/
/ Fixa um tronco aqui
/ E outro ali
/ Prepara…
The Death of Old Men - by
Old Henri is dying.
/ Children play tag in the dust.
/ And we, whose world is next,
/ sit with him under the tree
/ and watch…