Poems from the “litafrika” exhibition
Curated by Strauhof Zurich, the Litar Foundation, Specimen
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The earth is ours to plough and plant
the hoe is her barber
the dibble her dimple
Out with mattocks and matchets
bring calabash trays and rocking baskets
let the sweat which swells earthroot
relieve heavy heaps of their tuberous burdens
Let wheatfields raise their breadsome hands
to the ripening sun
let legumes clothe the naked bosom
of shivering mounds
let the pawpaw swell and swing
its headward breasts
Let water spring
from earth’s unfathomed fountain
let gold rush
from her deep unseeable mines
hitch up a ladder to the dodging sky
let’s put a sun in every night
Our earth is an unopened grainhouse,
a bustling barn in some far, uncharted jungle
a distant gem in a rough unhappy dust
This earth is
ours to work not to waste
ours to man not to maim
This earth is ours to plough, not to plunder
Published August 14, 2023
© Niyi Osundare
Die Erde ist unser
Written in English by Niyi Osundare
Translated into German by Zineb Benkhelifa, Ueli Dubs, Elisa Fuchs, Danái Hämmerli, Al Imfeld, Lotta Suter, Andreas Zimmermann
Die Erde ist unser zum Pflügen und Pflanzen
die Hacke ist ihr Barbier
das Setzholz formt ihr Grübchen
Unterwegs mit Karst und Machete
bringt Kürbisschalen und schaukelnde Körbe
lasst den Schweiss, der die Erdwurzel anschwellen lässt
schwere Mengen ihrer knolligen Last erleichtern
Lasst Getreidefelder ihre brotreichen Hände ausstrecken
nach der reifenden Sonne
lasst die Hülsenfrüchte den nackten Busen
der fröstelnden Erhebungen bekleiden
lasst den Papayabaum anschwellen und
seine aufstrebenden Brüste schwenken
Lasst Wasser spriessen
aus der Erde verborgener Quelle
lasst Gold stürzen
aus ihren tiefen, unsichtbaren Minen
eine Leiter aufstellen hin zum ausweichenden Himmel
lasst uns in jede Nacht eine Sonne setzen
Unsere Erde ist ein ungeöffneter Kornspeicher
eine geschäftige Scheune in einem fernen, unerforschten Dschungel
ein entrücktes Juwel in grobem elendem Staub
Diese Erde ist
unser zum Bestellen nicht zum Vergeuden
unser zum Verwalten nicht zum Verwüsten
Diese Erde ist unser, zum Pflügen, nicht zum Plündern.
Published August 14, 2023
Afrika im Gedicht, hg. Al Imfeld, Zürich
© Offizin Verlag GmbH 2015
Note on the German translations:
Translations from Arabic are by Zineb Benkhelifa
Translations from Portuguese are by Elisa Fuchs
All other translations are by Zineb Benkhelifa, Ueli Dubs, Elisa Fuchs, Danái Hämmerli, Al Imfeld, Lotta Suter, Andreas Zimmermann. Revision and partial translation of Ama Ata Aidoo’s poem by Katja Meintel; other revisions by the “litafrika” team (Christa Baumberger and Nicole Schmid).
Nossa pro sulco, e não pro saque
Written in English by Niyi Osundare
Translated into Portuguese by Guilherme Gontijo Flores
A terra é nossa pra sulcar e semear
a enxada é seu barbeiro
o sacho seu charme
Fora com fósforos e alfeças
tragam bandejas de cabaças curvas cestas
e que o suor inchando a raiz da terra
aplaque as pesadas pilhas de fardos tuberosos
Que os trigais ergam as mãos padeiras
ao sol maturador
os legumes vistam o peito nu
dos montes trêmulos
a papaia cresça e oscile
os seios voltados à cabeça
Que a água brote
da insondável nascente do solo
que o ouro jorre
dessas minas profundas e invisíveis
suba uma escada ao céu esquivo
bora botar um sol em cada noite
Nossa terra é um celeiro intocado,
um granel inquieto em selva distante e desconhecida
uma joia longe em poeira áspera e triste
Esta terra é
nossa pra lida e não pro lixo
nossa pro homem e não pra fome
Esta terra é nossa pro sulco, e não pro saque
Published August 14, 2023
© Specimen
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