Listen Now

Yalipowashika, magonjwa na njaa, na umasikini  Mukahangaika, kwa zenu fadhaa, kusaka auni Mukatawanyika, kukimbia baa, kwenda ugenini  Mukamiminika, mote kasambaa, kote mabarani  Nako kapokewa  Mukaauniwa  Mwengine mukawa, kwa yenu khiyana, munamukoloni 

Taaluma yake ni Rasilimaliwatu, lakini fani yake ni ushairi. Jina lake ni Ali Mohammed, mshairi kutoka visiwani Zanzibar.

We agreed to have an election and not the warWe agreed to have open and fair campaignWe agreed to listen to the voice from the ballot boxBut for your treacheryAll that we agreed You easily tore them upThen you started your perfidyYour banditryAnd full of hooliganism!

Sakina Taki, a poet from Nairobi, has found her peace in Zanzibar and for that she chose to launch her poetry collection, My Little Yellow Book, on the island. She speaks about healing, redemption, and redefining space, existence and essence. #ThePoetcast#Mshairikasti#MyLittleYellowBook

Ni nadra siku mbili kupita bila kukutana na shairi lake mtandaoni. Ni kama kwamba analielezea kila jambo maishani kwa njia ya ushairi.  Anaamini ushairi ni rahisi, ni halisi na ni mwepesi. Jina lake ni Mfaume Khamis, na lakabu yake ni Mshairi Machinga. 

Mara nyingi, Waswahili hurejelea misamiati inayohusu mambo ya baharini kwenye fasihi yao. Kuna misemo na methali kadhaa zinazowagusanisha Waswahili na bahari, na sababu ni kuwa wao ni watu wa pwani. Msikilize Ali Othman Hamad kwenye Mshairikasti.Many a time, Swahili people engage in sea affairs when talking about issues in their literature, because they are people of the seas. So say Ali Othman Hamad, an experienced sailor from Zanzibar.

Nina furaha ya kumualika kwenye MSHAIRIKASTI mshairi kijana na mwenye kipaji wa Kiswahili kutoka Tanzania, Bashiru Abdallah, ambaye amechapisha diwani yake ya pili iitwayo Wino wa Dhahabu.I am very glad to invite to THE POETCAST the young talented Swahili poet from Tanzania, Bashiru Abdallah, who has recently published his second book, Wino wa Dhahabu (The Golden Ink). 

About six years ago, I had an opportunity to meet with Adi Keissar, an Israeli poet with Yemeni heritage, in Bayreuth - a city in southern Germany, where we were both invited to attend a cultural festival under the theme CULTURAL FUSION. Therefore, this interview is older than the  THE POETCAST but, nevertheless,  very informative  on the significance of culture to building the brigdes in divided societies. 

Si jipya nilinenalo, lilishanenwa dahariMote linanenwa lilo, na miye nalikaririJambo nikushaurilo, hupaswi kulighairiSubiri akhi subiriKwamba kila lianzalo, ndilo pia liishalo

Crying for you, o dear Pen, for not sticking to my fingersWhy don't you stay there for me to write down - All that I wanted to, before I depart this world?Crying for you, o dear Time!Kalamu oo kalamu, mbona hukai vyandani?Mbona hukai ‘kadumu, kuyaandika bukuniYote niliyoazimu, sijauka dunianiWakati oo wakati!Shairi: Mohammed GhassaniMuziki: Ally Fadhil JumaDiwani: Mfalme Ana Pembe (Uk. 70-71)

Yaleli kipenzi, fuadini mwangu, ulojifungiaUkajihifadhi, jua na mawingu, yangakunyesheaJapo umeridhi, wito wake Mungu, kuuitikia -Mbona mtimaniUngalimo ndani?Hukunifundisha, kukufungulia, nikuache wende?

Muendao Nyali, mahabuba wetu, kumtembeleaMwambieni hali, maishani mwetu, alotuwachiaNgumu kwelikweli, hatuwezi kattu, kuja izoweaBali twashukuruHatumkufuruIlahi Ghafuru, aliyemuita, akamwitikia!

Yes, it’s true that you were old, but you were not weak As for us, the old age means not inactiveness But rather much wiser, much stronger and more powerful You were built with stones and soil and woods To present the epitome of pride and of greatness Barghash made you stand high So as to be our focus and our pure character And on the shores of the Indian Ocean –  The tropical sun had you blessed!

You wanto pay me back everything we sharedSo you could have way out of this bondWell, then this is the list:Gimme back my heart, my love, my time, my sufferings and my pain. 

Tarehe naikumbuka, ni sita wa ishiriniKamwe haitaondoka, itasalia moyoniUlikuwa wa mashaka, usiku wake yakiniWatu wangu wadhikika, kwa kushushiwa balaaTangu Konde ya Msuka, na Kangagani KojaniNako Tumbe kadhalika, hadi Nungwi na KinuniNa Ngwachani walifika, na Garagara MtoniMote humo ‘meumuka, kwa huzuni zilojaaKangagani weondoka, watu wengi masikiniNyumbanikwe alitoka, Asha Haji wa HasaniRisasi ikamshika, peupeni uwanjaniWanawe wayayatika, sita alotuwachiaAbdallah wa Hamadi, kwao Tumbe MbuyuniWalimtwanga kusudi, risasi nne tumboniMbichi ‘kamuhusudi, aruba wa thalathiniHimkumbuka huzidi, machozi kutandawaaHamadi wa Shehe Ali, alikuwa pirikaniKwao Konde sio mbali, kweupe si machakaniWempiga mara mbili, risasi za kifuaniKaacha wake wawili, na mayatima waliaKombo Hamadi Salimu, miakaye thalathiniEkuwa kaskatimu, nyumbanikwe barazaniMara ikaja kaumu, huko kwao KangaganiWakazimimina njumu, rohoye wakaitwaaChudi Salimu Fadhili, yatima huyu yakiniKinda bichi na mkweli, kumi na sita sininiRisasi ya asikari, ikampenya mbavuniWingwi Mafya yedhihiri, bado ‘mepigwa butwaaMjukuu wa Mjaka, Mohamedi KhalfaniWawi kwake kamfika, majeshi ya SaimoniKijana bado awaka, thineni wa ishiriniRisasi kampachika, kama wapigavyo paaKijana Omari Juma, Mwembe Makumbi nyumbaniAmekaa kasimama, hana kitu mkononiJunudi wakalituma, risau lisimkhiniHadi Siku ya Kiama, itawaka yake taaBayusufu wa Shaame, babuye ni MuhidiniNa wenziwe wanaume, walikuwa barazaniKamvamia mandeme, kwao jimbo la KojaniHicho kipigo ‘siseme, akaihama duniaKuna Saidi Makame, wa Garagara MtoniMiaka kumi na nane, mtoto wa masikiniAlipigwa nyundo nane, na marungu thalathiniWalitaka asipone, na Mungu akamtwaaNaye Musa Haji Musa, wa Nungwi kasikaziniMiaka kumi na tisa, ndiyo kwanza ashainiRisasi ikamfisa, Kivunge akenda chiniNduguze wajipangusa, machozi ‘mewazidia Ali Saidi wa Kombo, kwetu Wingwi KinaziniRisasi moja ya shingo, ikamkata kooniKama vile Chumu Kombo, yeye kwao MicheweniHayatakwisha kitambo, machungu yalotujaaAbubakari Khamisi, aliwania PandaniWakamrushia risasi, mule mwake maguuniIkavunjika nafusi, kwa kinyongo cha moyoniMwisho Ilahi Mkwasi, kamwita akamtwaa Kuna kijana Saidi, alikuwa SaateniKosale kutaradadi, na wake mkokoteniBure wakamuhusudi, kwa risasi ya kichwaniNa kisha kwa zao kyedi, uongo kasingiziaAmeri Bin Ameri, Bwejuu alwataniWemtwaa kwa kikiri, kenda naye mafichoniHuko wakamuadhiri, adhara ziso kifaniMwisho naye kahajiri, Zenji nzima yaliaNa wengi waloumizwa, kwa mwingi uhayawaniMachafu waliyotenzwa, ya nuni na FirauniHakika yanaumiza, yachoma mwetu nyoyoniNa bado yaendelezwa, kuwahujumu raiaRabbi Wewe ni Hakimu, ya haki yako mizaniWaujuwa udhalimu, ulotendwa visiwaniNasi ndio madhulumu, twaja kwako Ya MananiPitisha yako hukumu, uonayo inafaa Bonn2 Disemba 2020

Tuna vitabu moyoni, mengi tuliyoandikaMengi siri za sirini, funiko 'mezifunikaNa japo mwetu ndimini, hatuwezi yatamkaHata mwetu akilini, hatutaki yakumbukaLakini kuyaepuka, hilo haliwezekani!Humu mwetu vifuani, kurasa zajiandikaNyingi zisizo kifani, hakuna zinachorukaZayaweka hifadhini, siku, saa na dakikaKuna siku ya Manani, kurasa zitafunukaZifike kwa kukufika, mambo yawe hadharani!Tuna hati ulimini, herufi zilopangikaQafu na Lamu na Nuni, na Hamza kadhalikaTuna Swadi, tuna Shini, na shadda ya kupachikaNa irabu za sukuni, twajuwa pa kuziwekaKwa leo twayavumbika, tumejilisha Yamini!Winoni humu winoni, muna maneno yafokaYanataja kwa mizani, kila kitu kilotukaHata kiduchu yakini, wino kinakikumbukaKitawekwa andikoni, thumma hakitakaukaIpite myaka na kaka, sikuye iko njiani!Twenenda nazo kichwani, simulizi za hakikaHakika si ya kubuni, mambo yaliyotufikaKuvamiwa viamboni, na mitwana mijikakaWatumwa wa Firauni, kwa maguvu kutushikaLeo hatutatamka, lakini pindi mwakani!Bonn 05 Novemba 2020

As you are in a right fight For the right people Believe in your course And fight!