Oral Poetry from Africa
Kambili is a Mandinka epic poem of the Wasulu hunters of Mali. The poem concerns a heroic hunter, Kambili, and it is set during the reign of the Imam Samori Toure in the 19th century.
Kambili the hunter spoke out,
“My Father, Kanji, he said: “Yes?” the reply…
Whilst the following poem by Samuel Olugbeminiyi principally concerns the Òrìṣà Ṣàngó, it is also a retelling of the most well-known myth about the Yorùbá goddess Ọba and her rivalry with the goddess Ọ̀ṣun for Ṣàngó’s affections.
Elempe’s people accorded Torosi’s son with native intelligence,
He was possessed with bits of four hundred deities…
A new poem on the theme of survival, by Ghanaian poet Kwame Brenya, translated from Twi into English by Adjei Agyei-Baah.
Extravagant living keep you happy today, but tomorrow comes your misery
Frugal living, the wise approach, Kwame, that’s my choice…
The following love poems are very different from the Shona poems previously posted on this site. These are erotic love poems sung only in the bedroom, by husband and wife.
Thank you, you of the girdle at the delicate place!
Well done, Zebra!
Hail you, The Giver of consent!
Thank you, Ms-giver-by-the-gourd!..
The following poem by the Xhosa imbongi, David Livingston Phakamile Yali-Manisi (1926–1999), was performed at a conference hosted by the University of Natal Oral Documentation and Research Centre (South Africa) in 1985.
The forest bird grows restless
one who always goes when sent…
The following epic poem of Amoogu was composed by Kaalu Igirigiri, an Ohafia Igbo poet, and transcribed by Professor Chukwuma Azuonye from recordings made in the field between 1971 and 1977.
Odududu ndufu!
Wardrum, without whose leadership there is fear on the way!..
