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- Permanent Link:
- http://digital.soas.ac.uk/LSMD000459/00001
Notes
- Abstract:
- In this section there are various poems from the Island of Pemba. The first envelope, S/23 contains notes on the KiPemba verses sent to Whiteley by H E Lambert from Nairobi, dated 1958. In S/24 there are three copies of the famous poem ‘Hadithi ya Miqdadi na Mayasa’ from Lamu, from unknown author. The three versions contained here differ from each Other as well as from the Other versions held in the Knappert collection (MS 255733b, 380370). Two versions are in typescript and one is handwritten, and they had all been transcribed by Sh. Suleiman Muhammed Suleiman el-Mauli. The handwritten version is incomplete and starts at verse 280. The narrative is however the same telling the story of Miqdad who had to become a bandit in order to placate the desire for wealth of his wife Mayasa. In S/25 there is a copy of the poem entitled ‘Shairi la Nyuki’ sent to Whiteley by Salim Mohammed Baruk al-Mauli, from a known Pemba clan. The poem was composed by Muhamed Khamis Mugheri, and it comes with explanation of difficult words, in many cases loan words from Arabic. Salim M B al-Mauly also says that he could not find any poems about the nahodha, the Swahili captain of ships. S/26 contains a collection of poems, with copy, by Sarhan bin Matar El Khudhuri and by Ali bin Said Jahadhumi known as Kamange. Kamange was a very well known 19th century poet from Pemba. The first is a poem, dated 1312 AH (1895AD), in the form of a letter from Sarhan to Kamange. The letter contains many words in Arabic mixed with Swahili. The second is a poem by Kamange who requests to Abdalla bin Salim Busaidi, a former student also known as Paka Chume, to bring him a new kanzu for the Idd celebration. Other poems are also about the Siku Kuu celebration (New year) Then, there is a page of explanation about how the Koranic school, Chuoo, is organised and what the teacher, Mwalimu, does. In the past, children could also be punished by the Mwalimu with parents’agreement, and they were beaten with a stick (fimbo la kumpigia mtoto). S/27 contains further poems from Pemba collected by Khamis Hasan Ameir. The poems were collected thanks to Juma Yakuti Mkonde who remembered the poem by heart that allowed for the present transcription. The first poem was composed by Mayasa binti Nassor Riyami, and it was given to Whiteley by Yakuti, in 1959. The poem is written in the form of a dialogue between a woman called Aziza and her sister. It narrates that Aziza is not happy about her husband and wishes to leave him however she worries about God’s approval. But she also says that because he is such a bad husband God will approve her choice to leave him. The sister tries to tell her that there is no perfect man as the Swahili methali (proverb) ‘Msilile Analile’ implies. The poem ends with Aziza saying that she will think about the advice she had been given. The following poem, untitled, is also a dialogue between Mayasa binti Nassor (indicated in the poem with M), Mjumbe (MJ), and Nassor bin Suleiman el Ismaily (N) and narrates of the beginning of the love story between Miqdadi and Mayasa, of which we have already discussed the specific story ‘Utenzi (hadithi) wa Miqdadi na Mayasa’. N says to MJ to quickly go to Mayasa’s house and bring her because Miqdadi wants to propose to her, although he does not have a dowry yet. However, as for Swahili traditional conduct, Miqdadi cannot propose himself directly to Mayasa, and infact Mjumbe acts as intermediary. The third poem of only six stanzas is entitled ‘Yuwaja mkongwe mate, Watoto mtahadhari’ It was composed by Hemed Seif bin Hemed al-Ismaili from Wagando, Pemba who composed it for Suleiman Ali Mazrui from Kichungwani, Pemba. Suleiman wanted to propose to a family to marry the daughter but the family was apparently very suspicious (wivu), and did not fully trust Suleiman, yet. Suleiman did not tell Hemed that he proposed to the girl because he was scared of Hemedi ruining his proposal. However Hemed Seif mange to find out and composes this poem and sends it to the girl’s family. In the meantime, Suleiman had already paid the dowry, but when the family receive the poem, they suddenly refuse Suleiman’s proposal. The poem sent to the family by Hemed narrates of a strange man but the author says that people should not be afraid of him. Just because he has white bear and he is old, he is not harmful. However, the man is seen as suspicious because he always clicks his eyes at women. So, the author warns women against this man who lives in Wete. Most probably the family of the proposed girl associate the man in the poem with Suleiman. The following poem is entitled ‘Unawapita wakati, shukura(u)ni ndugu zangu’ composed by Juma Yakuti wa Konde. It was scribed by Khamis Hassan Ameir , District Officer of Wete. The poem accuses people who take up western values, especially in the way of dressing. The author praises those who wear kanzu (nguo za asili) and kofia and who fully embrace Muslim values, and he says that those who wear Muslim traditional clothes are called ‘mababindo’, and those wearing western clothes are called ‘mabaroma’. The purpose of the poem is to tell the older generation that their time has passed ‘Shukuruni’ means, in fact, that you have no hope, and that you can give up trying, and here it refers to the fact that traditional society is dying out. However, the author is trying to emphasize that this is a very bad thing and that young people should have not endorsed this change of tradition. The following poems are by Juma Yakuti wa Konde and are entitled as follow: - Tunangiliwa na nzi daktri tupe dawa - Manyasa Mashumu Yangu. Inshallah Watamwondowa - Kushapata utakayo. Rembwera Watani wako - Abdalla mogopeni siku hizi ala pweza - Munaiona Tatani. Ilivyo wafanya kazi - Fenesi talipasua Nnacho kisu kikali The poem entitled ‘Mlangi langi Rihie unahifadhi mana’ is a poetic dialogue and it was composed by Ali bin Said Kamange and by Sarahan bin Matar el Hudhuri. The answers were composed by Msanif bin Bakari wa Mtambwe. The poem that follows is alos a poetic dialogue and it is entitled ‘ Washindwa ni harufu mba. Hujibu wangoja nini?’ by Kamange and Sarahani bin Matar. Afterwards, there is a poem entitled ‘Nusura Ungaliona. Lizamu na darizeni (Bakora)’ by Sarahani bin Matar addressed to Kamange, when the latter was taken to prison because he was simply wearing a piece of cloth (kanga) while walking in town, and the police had mistaken him for a thief. Then there is a poem by Kamange entitled ‘Yasharafa -l- banati. Neleza ukosa wangu’ composed for a woman that rejected him. This is followed by a poem by Muh’d bin Juma el-Kharusi Ruweni entitled ‘Kibega sikukatazi. Mpemba ndio milae’. The final two poems are, first, a poetic dialogue between Mayasa binti Nassor Ruyami and Muh’d Juma el-Kharusi Ruweni, and finally a further poem by Kamange entitled ‘Wepita Usinaombe (Mkondoni). Ukavukia Washanje (mwamba utelezao) (kando ya mkondo)’ ( en )
- General Note:
- Date of Composition is unknown
- General Note:
- Languages: Swahili (Roman script)
- General Note:
- Dialects: KiPemba
- General Note:
- Poetic Form: Shairi
- General Note:
- Extent: 257 leaves
- General Note:
- Incipit: My dear Wilfred, herewith a note on the Pemba verses
- General Note:
- See SOAS University of London manuscripts Mss 255733b, 380370
- General Note:
- VIAF (name authority) : Lambert, H. E. : URI http://viaf.org/viaf/14836137
- General Note:
- Africa -- Eastern Africa -- Tanzania -- Pemba North -- Pemba Island
- General Note:
- Africa -- Eastern Africa -- Kenya -- Lamu County -- Lamu -- Lamu Island
- General Note:
- Scribe: Suleiman Mauli
- General Note:
- Scribe: Suleiman Muhammed
- General Note:
- Publication information: Whiteley W H. 1958. The Dialect and Verse of Pemba: an introduction. East African Swahili Committee, Makerere College, Kampala.
- General Note:
- Publication information: Whiteley, W H. 1964. A Selection of African prose, Vol.1 Traditional oral texts, Vol.2 Written prose. Claredon Press, Oxford
- General Note:
- Publication information: Allen, J.W.T. 1971. Tendi. London: Heinemann Educational, pp. 269-369.
- General Note:
- Publication information: Knappert, Jan (ed). 1964. Utenzi wa Mikidadi bin Alasuadi na Mayasa Mkewe (Mombasa version), ed by Jan Knappert. Kiswahili 34 (1): 120-29.
- General Note:
- Publication information: Werner, Alice. 1932. The story of Miqdad and Mayasa: from the Swahili-Arabic text . Medstead, Hampshire: Azania Press
Record Information
- Source Institution:
- SOAS University of London
- Holding Location:
- Archives and Special Collections
- Rights Management:
- This item may be in the public domain. Its status has yet to be assessed.
- Resource Identifier:
- PP MS 42. S/23-S/37 ( SOAS manuscript number )
PP MS 42. S/23-S/27 ( SOAS manuscript number )
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