NIMEPITA JETA
Kweli alipoumba ulimwengu
Jeta kajichagulia Mungu
Akamwambia Eva na Adamu
Mbele ya malaika wote kaumu
« Udongo huu muniachie
Niuchore niutunzilie
Uwe karibu sawa Mbinguni
Uwe sawa sawa na Edeni »
Udongo samadi, mawingu samawi
Na ndege angani, zapamba matawi
Na maji angavu, samaki mitindo;
Watu watulivu, busara, mapendo.
Watu rangi zote, bila wasiwasi
Luga za popote, na bila uhasi
Kinshasa nimetoka, Antwerpen sikuchelewa
Tangu Jeta nilifika, anasa nalewalewa.
* * *
Kimbilikiti !
Eh ! Kabile !
Kaburi linatoa sauti
Kaburini wanakemea :
Kumbuka, ebu kumbuka :
“Kwabene kwalibwa
Takutendwe"
Sauti ya mizimu
Wanakemea Mizimu :
“Kwabatu ule usiseme”
Ila sina budi wala woga
Kwa kweli sina woga
Nitakula, nitasema ; nitakunywa, nitalewa !
Nitaimba, nitacheza ; nitapenda, nitapendwa !
Nimeitwa kwa kunena : nimefika, nijifiche ?
Mualikwa mtokambali, bahati kuu niache ?
Wananchi, wandugu, watoto, wakubwa!
Wajomba Wazungu, weusi sawasawa!
Salamu zangu nyeupe, wote ziwafikie!
Uzuni mbali mtupe, cheko liwafanakie!
Natokea mbali mu Kini-Lipopo
Mu Kinshasa-moto, mateso, majuto.
Kitovero chetu, hostia tukufu
Ukimega Christu, shibe takatifu
Ivyoivyo Bukavu, Kindu na Kasongo
Mbujimayi, Lubumbashi, Kwilu-Ngongo
Popote twalia, wote twakimbia
Wapi kufikia, nani kulilia ?
Wandugu, wandugu, nini mtalilia ?
Nchi yenu bora munahimikisha
Milima mabonde munasawanisha
Vijito, visima, pe ! Munasafisha
Njia, barabara munafagilisha
Pori kandokando munaimilisha
Maua bustani uzuni yaficha
Manukato pote raha ya maisha,
Hewa mazingira, yakupumuzisha
Mawingu popote, yakufurahisha
Nyumba na minara !o ! vyastahilisha
Wandugu, wandugu, nini mtalilia ?
Wandugu, wandugu, nini mtalilia ?
Ni nani maskini mtajiri ni nani ?
Ni nani mkosefu, mlala-njiani ?
Bila kachakula, kitanda majani
Hanawe maji, hapate amani
Nani anagonda, kama mwiba, nani ?
Mnyonge nani, atiwa hewani ?
Maskini ni nani, astaki jirani
Kumuita mlozi, jinsi gani ?
Nani hana taa na maji nyumbani
Ni nani asongwa, hata gerezani
Wandugu, wandugu, nini mtalilia,
* * *
Esseghem ! Esseghem !
Nyumba juu ya nyumba,
Madirisha juu ya madirisha
Hakuna vilio vya watoto
Hakuna cheko za vijana
Hakuna sauti za wababa
Hakuna nyimbo za wasichana
Sioni watu
Sioni umati
Watu wachache inje
Wapo wapi wakaaji
Mji, ni minara mirefu
Nyumba kabati mia
Bila sauti, bila moyo
Kimya ni kizito
Kimya kinazidi
Kimya cha hofisha
Mzae, wandugu mzae
Mzae mjaze nyumba
Mzae, mjaze njia, viwanja, mabanda
Mpendane, muoane, mzidishane
Uzazi ndio taifa, uzazi ndio kiburi
Uzazi ni utamu wa taifa
Pasipo uzazi hakuna watoto
Pasipo watoto hakuna vigelegele
Pasipo vigelegele hakuna furaha
Kwani furaha ya leo kuzaa kesho
the poet
Kasele Laïsi Watuta, whose French name is Jean-Robert, was born in the Congolese city of Kamituga (South Kivu) in 1946. He died in March 2012. He wrote poetry in French and Swahili and was part of a generation of Congolese poets for whom the fatherland and roots play a great thematic role. In 1999, he published the anthology Simameni Wakongomani (‘Stand up, my fellow Congolese!'), a collection of patriotic songs in Swahili. Kasele's poetry has a strong prosaic streak. He blended poignant memories with impressions of an unstable modernity. He was also a renowned literary critic and wrote a number of plays and short stories.
The work plays with the different angles of view offered by
the land and the surrounding apartments. From the blocks, the
enlarged writing of the artist’s hand gives to read a verse of the
poet Kasele Laïsi Watuta in French and Dutch. At the bottom, the
elements of the stainless sculpture can be used by local children
to sit or play.
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