Touch Me
When I'm released
I will ask anyone
to touch me
delicately
sensitively
but
truly!
Touch me again
Make me know again
how life is
how life tastes
what life tastes like
I'm right here in front of you
Touch me again please!
Touch me!
Touch me!
The literal translation of this poem was made by Katriina Ranne
The final translated version of the poem is by The Poetry Translation Workshop
Notes
This poem was composed during Alamin Mazrui's long imprisonment by the Moi regime. We translated it fairly quickly. The main discussion we had was about the first line which, in Katriina's literal version, is 'When I leave detention(/from obstacles)'. We wanted to avoid 'detention' because of its association with being 'given detention' - staying after school following misbehaviour. Interestingly, the poet could have used the Swahili word for 'prison', but he went for the more ambiguous term which means an obstacle. In the end, we settled on 'When I'm released'.
© Poetry Translation Centre 2004-2013
Muyundo Ndinyo says:
its realy a masterpiece of poetry