The Waswahili Community Trust UK
(Wadhamini wa jumuiya ya Waswahili)
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The Waswahili Community Trust UK |
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Education |
The library of Dar-es-Salaam University is to possess, on long-term loan frolm the Hinawy family, the Hinawy Collection of Swahili manuscripts; this article is a study of one item from that precious literary deposit.
In Noember 1931 Alice Werner wrote to Shaykh Mbarak Ali Hinawy in Mombasa as follows: "Tafadhali kwa hisani yako usisahau umeniambia utaniletea shairi moja la muungwana wa Mvita, alaiyekuwa na paka wake, aliyempenda sana, na yule paka alaikufa, bwana wake alaiona uchungu mkuu."
"Please be so kind as not forget what you said to me, that you would send me a poem composed by a gentleman of Mombasa who had a cat which he loved dearly; the cat died an d her master felt the loss keenly" (Hinawy Papers).
Some two months late Shaykh Mbaraka replied, replied en closing a copy of the poem together with glosses on fifty-four "difficult" words (Allen 1970: MS 217, 1-3).
It is reasonable to believe that Alice Warner had publication in mind - but it was not to be, for three years later she died (Meinhof, 1935-36: 1,Frankl, 1993:707-8).
A second manuscript of the poem (Allen 1970:MS 40 was obtained in Mombasa from Shaykh Hydar Muhammad mKilindini. MS 217 (from the Hinawy Collction) has been used in this article, but MS 40 has been consulted to elucidiate obscurities.
Both manuscrpts have the same number of stanzes but in a difficult sequence; the order here followed is that of MS 217. Shaykh Slim b. Said al-Timami
1. Enyi akhiyari * penda kuweleze
kisa chlojiri * kimenisangaza
cha p'aka mzuri * aliyeniliza.
2. Nali nimetoka * naye yunymbani
harudi haraka * mekaa kitini.
hali hamtaka * Dezi una nini?
3. Dezi kanambiya * tumbo laniuma
limenilemeya * lot'e lanitoma
naona vibaya * ya Rabi salama.
4. Hamwambiya p'ole * nwaa hii dawa
usiche uwele * hautakuuwa
urudi vivile * hali ulokuwa.
5. Imetekeleya * haifai dawa
radhi niweleya * ndiyo majaliwa
sasa n ajifiya * zidisha takuwa.
1. "Good people, I want to tell you about a major event which came to
pass and which astonished me, concerning a good cat that made me cry.
2. "I had gone out and she was in the house; I got back quite soon
an d she was sitting in a chair; I asked her, 'Daisy, what's the
matter?
P'aka Daisy:
3. Daisy said, "My tummy hurts; I' ve a pressing, piercing pain; I
feel ill-O Lord deliver me."
Shaykh Slim :
4. I said to her, "I hope you will soon be better; drink this medicine
that you may get better, as you were before - don 't be afraid of
illness, it won 't kill you".
P'aka Daisy:
5. "My hour has come, the medicine is of no use; it is my destiny,
forgive m e: I'm dying now; [Master] be strong and good courage."