Item Reference: MS 45022c Collection: Taylor Papers File Reference: MS 45022 Title: Utenzi wa Ndiwa na Kozi First lines of manuscript: Nanda kubaini kwa isimu yake karimu na ahrahmani baadaye kirasimu Authors: Muhammed Kijumwa Scribe: Muhammed Kijumwa AD Date: n.d. AD date of composition: n.d. AH Date: n.d. AH date of composition: n.d. Extent: 2 leaves Resource Type: Poem Poetic Form: Utenzi Format: Handwritten manuscript Language: Swahili Script: Arabic Relevant Dialects: northern dialect Subject and keywords: Islam, religious beliefs, oral history, Swahili poetry People: Musa, Jibril, Mikail Biographical history: Muhammad Kijumwa was born circa 1855 in Lamu. He was a poet, scribe, peformer calligrapher, carpenter, tailor and sculptor who taught his son, Helewa, the craft of decorative woodcarving. He assisted many Eurpoean scholars of Swahili literature, including William Taylor, Alice Werner, Carl Meinhof, H.E. Lambert, William Hichens, Ernst Dammann and John Williamson, and was a well-known character in Lamu Archival history: None Physical characteristics: handwritten in black and red ink on old thick papers Electronic reproductions: None Existence/location of copies: None Finding aids: None Relevant publications: Abou Egl, Mohammad. 1983. The life and works of Muhamadi Kijuma. PhD thesis, SOAS, University of London. pp. 171-179 Dammann, E. 1960. Kozi na Ndiwa. Afrika und Ubersee, 44:207-218. Notes: Scope and content: The last section of MS 45022 contains a short poem (utenzi) about the legend of the prophet Moses who was put to test by an hawk and a dove that were, in fact, the angels Michale and Jibrail. The poem contains 37 stanzas, with one line in each stanza. The story begins when Moses is sitting under the shade an Ndiwa, dove, approaches him to look for refuge as it is escaping from a Kozi, hawk. The Ndiwa hides under Moses's legs when the Kozi reaches them too. The Kozi asks Moses why is hiding his risiki (subsistence) that is the Ndiwa. The story deploys metaphorical meanings about life. The characters are caught in a dilemma about their food and livelihood, risiki, that has been allocated to them by God. However, this contains a contradiction in the sense that the Nidwa is the food of the Kozi, but he wishes to escape from this affliction and look for protection under Musa. However, from the point of view of the Kozi, the Ndiwa is his risiki allocated by God. Moses has to solve this dilemma. The story continues with Moses trying to accommodate the needs of both birds, but without much success, as their needs are in such contradictions that are impossible to resolve. Moses even suggests the Kozi to eat a part of his body instead of the Ndiwa. At the end, the Ndiwa and the Kozi reveal themselves as the angels Jibril and Mikail who tested Moses's actions in a difficult situation. The author, named Muhammed (without further indication of his identity that make us assume that he could be Muhammed Kijumwa), says that to keep this poem in the household will bring reward from God in life and afterlife. The reading of this poem is very difficult because of some unclear lexicon as well as unclear scribing. Description Location: None Places: Further Info: