The Banana Plant

Mgomba umelala chini: hauna faida tena, Baada ya kukatwa na wafanya kazi Wa bustani kwa kusita. Watoto, kwa wasiwasi wanasubiri wakati wao Bustanini hakuna kitu Isipokuwa upepo fulani wenye huzuni, Unaotikisa majani na kutoa sauti ya kilio.  Hivyo ndivyo ufalme wa mitara ulivyo. Mti wa mji umelala chini: hauna faida tena, Baada ya kukatwa na […]

Evening Tea

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 tutaporomoka. Kulikuwa na wakati ulinisukuma juu Nikaenda zaidi ya nusu duara; Kulikuwa na wakati nilikudaka Ulipokaribia kuanguka, Na kulikuwa na wakati tulibebana kwa zamu Mmoja wima akisukuma mwingine amekaa. Wakati […]

Floods

Nitaandika wimbo juu ya mbawa za nzi Utoe muziki arukapo wausikie walio wengi Ushairi wa jalalani utaimbwa Juu ya vidonda vya wakulima Na usaha ulio jasho lao. Nitaandika juu ya mbawa za wadudu Wote warukao Juu ya mistari ya pundamilia Na masikio makubwa ya tembo. Juu ya kuta vyooni, maofisini, madarasani, Juu ya paa za […]

The Winds of Time

Juu ya mlima mdogo Siku moja nilisimama. Nikatazama chini ziwani, siku Ya dhoruba. Halafu niliona mawimbi Yakipanda na kushuka. Yakivimba, Yakiviringika, yakigongana na kutoa povu Kama fahari wehu katika bonde lisomajani. Yalivyotengenezwa! Yalivyofifia na kuanza tena! Kamwe sikuona. Lakini niliyaona yakishuka kwa nguvu Na kupanda haraka, yakisukumwa Na upepo wa Magharibi na Mashariki. Hivyo ndivyo […]

The Well

Kisima cha maji ya uzima ki wazi Na vyura katika bonde la taaluma watuita Tujongee kwa mahadhi yao Yaongozayo pandikizi la mtu Kwa hatua ndefu litembealo Na sindano ya shaba kitovuni Upinde na mishale mkononi Kisha likapiga goti kisimani Tayari kumfuma akaribiaye Maana shujaa hafi miongoni mwa wezi Bali kama simba mawindoni. Hatuwezi tena kuteka […]

Literature

Maneno yangu kumeza tena sasa siwezi. Lakini kuonyesha ukweli na kuutafuta Nitaendelea: mimi ni kama boga. Nimepandwa katikati, bustanini, Na kama boga nitatambaa chini Zote pande, kuikwea miti ya hekima Na yote magugu koo kuyakaba. Bila woga, bila nyuma kurudi nitashambulia Ya binadamu matendo bado yakihema.             Halafu wakati             Ujao utafika             Matunda nitatoa […]

Sing for me

Uniimbie   Si wimbo  Si shairi Si utenzi Uniimbie  Hisia zako na zangu  Hisia za wanaAdamu Hisia za wavuja jasho na damu Uniimbie  Ya maisha bora Yenye ustawi na Utu Yenye mwanga bila luku Langu Dua Likiwaka jua  Ukiiandama mwezi Giza litakimbia Mende zitaparaganyika

I am thinking now!

Nawaza! mawazo ya wachache hofu ya wengi kijiweni wanapayuka ujasiri umeyeyuka matumaini yamesinzia ndoto zimetoweka matamanio yametoroka  

Euphrase Kezilahabi

Euphrase Kezilahabi, Tanzanian poet, novelist, and scholar, is perhaps the most widely known and acknowledged contemporary Swahili author. He was one of the first African writers to publish a collection of free verse poetry in Swahili, and he has had a great impact on the development of the genre of the novel in Swahili. Kezilahabi […]

Issa Shivji

Issa Shivji is a Tanzanian author and academic who writes under the pen name Issa Bin Mariam. He is one of Africa’s leading experts on law and development issues. Born in 1946, Shivji has devoted most of his life to addressing issues on the exploitation of Tanzanians through both the national and the international economic […]