Lesson One,
to be translated tomorrow....
O mũthenya ikara handũ woe karamu na karatathi kana kompiuta kana o kiria urienda wandike ta nuthu ithaa. Ndukamake ni kii
wandika ona ndugatinde ugithoma thoma. Waandiki na
waandu interesting.
Andu a baita meeitikitie. Andika ukiiguaga murio.
Ti wa njohi.
Ni wakwenda kwandika.
Wakũrũgũrũ dance!
Before life dances you
Dance, Wakũrũgũrũ!
Dance in sobriety not always in
drunkenness
Rĩmwe na rĩmwe mwana witũ nĩ anyandĩkagĩra marũa akoiga:
Sometimes my sister writes a letter to me and says
Gaceri witũ maya nĩmo mahoya makwa
Our Gaceri these are my prayers
Ngai wakwa ahotitithie
That my God may make me able
ndige
I stop
kunyua njohi
to drink alcohol
tondũ njohi ti njahĩ
because alcohol is not black beans
Itũmaga itikanarĩo
It makes us incapable of eating them
or any food
Kana ciana ciũgirwo ngemi
or even to ulalate for newborn children
Rĩũ ona ndirĩ wakwa
Now I do not even have my own
Nũũ ukoima narũgũrũ?
Who will come from the north?
Nũũ namũhuro
Who from the south?
O ngĩinaga ndĩmũriuu
And still I sing when I am drunk
Wakũrũgũrũ, Wakũrũgũrũ
dance!
ringa gicukia!
dance!
Nake maitũ no ruthĩa enyitete
nakuria aria angi no maratuana
wanjohi
Ndigithia ndigithu ino Ithe wa Iguru
Baba nduta mugwi uyu ndithecete naguo
Na nii ngamucokeria
Ni ruru kana ni ruriku
Ma minyua Russia metemania
Mamiugiriria Finland mehahura
Ona gwa itharamu ni ihithigio
Ruraya rwothe no njohi na dawa
Ikara o mucii tiga kuura
Uthii kuria ngui ithiyaga tharuni
Ikarihirwo ngiri nyingi
Uria bururi witu kai ari atia
Mbara ya uteti yatigire
yoraga inya ciaa guka
na a cucu no mbu
Wamaitu hoya hinya no wire
wiyathi waku, your self governance,
Your will
Ati no muhaka moko maku
Makweherie mutinoini uyu
Ndagitari wa mitugo
na mahoya....
Continued in Wakũrũgũrũ's song of alcohol ©Philo Ikonya 2014
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