My African-ness                                              أفريقيتى

قصيدة للراحل يوسف كوة مكى

 

My brothers,                                                                                            معذرة وألف معذرة ياإخوتى

With thousands of my apologies                                                                       لصراحتى ... لجرأتى

Forgive me,                                                                                              

Forgive me for my frankness

For my courage.                                                                                         رغم دينى ... رغم ثقافتى

 

Let me tell you,                     أنا نوبى ... أنا زنجى (رغم ماضى بنى جلدتى) أنا أفريقى وتلك أصالتى

Despite all the talk                                                                                                   

About my Arabism                                                                                

My religion,                                                                                       أفريقيتى ... منقوشة فى قرقدى

My culture …                                                                                                  منحوتة على شفتى ...

I am a Nuba,                                                        

I am a Black,                                                

I am African.                                                                                                            تنطق بها بشرتى

 

African-ness is my Identity                                                                  أفريقيتى ... فى وقع خطواتى

It is entrenched                                                                            .................. فى حرارة كلماتى

In my appearance,                                                                      

Engraved in my lips,                                                 

 

My African-ness                                                                        .................. فى عمق ضحكاتى

Is in the sound                                                                                      معذرة (وألف معذرة) ياإخوتى

Of my footsteps                                                                        

It is in my bewildered past                                             

And in the depth of my laugher.                                                                 لصراحتى ... لجرأتى ...

 

Brothers                                                                                                                  فأنا رغم ذل جدى

Forgive me                                                            

For my frankness and courage                                 

Despite my grandfather's humiliation,                                                                        رغم بيع جدتى

Despite my grandmother's sale into                                   

Slavery                                                            

Despite my Ignorance                                                                                                       رغم تخلفى

My backwardness                                                                                                          رغم سذاجتى

My naivety …                        

My tomorrow shall come.                                                                                                 فغداً سيأتى

I shall crown                                                                                                         سأكلل بالعلم هامتى

My identity with knowledge                                    

I shall light my candle                                         

In its light                                                                                                                  وسأشعل شمعتى

I shall build my civilization,                                                                وعلى ضوئها سأبنى حضارتى

And at that time                                                        

I shall extend my hand,                                                      

I shall forgive those who tried                                                                      وعندها ... سأمد راحتى

To destroy my Identity                                        

Because my aspirations                                                                     وسأغفر لمن تعمد طمس هويتى

Are love and peace!                                                                             لأن ألمحبة وألسلام هى غايتى

 

 

جمع: محمود أ. يوسف

[email protected]

http://exmfpropulsions.com/