Poems

In Prison (Kifungoni)

Notes

We've translated two poems by Alamin Mazrui which, in English, have the title 'In Prison' even though, in Swahili, they have different titles, 'Kifungoni' (this poem) and 'Kizuizini' (the other). However, both words are best translated as 'In Prison', so we've decided to leave them and to distinguish between them by appending the Swahili title to the version in English.

We've all enjoyed translating Alamin Mazrui's complex, deeply thoughtful poems. He engages with directly political issues in a suggestive and indirect way that few other poets ever attempt, avoiding polemic or shutting down the poem's options. His poems speak to the subjective experience of political and moral conflict with great delicacy and tact.