Awen nyo Kuryonchotei: Nta Amunee to Kuweti Kuryong’otei Kimukulmet

Marakwet

Paul Kipchumba

Ngo kenyis chachang cho kisirto kiwere kelyen ang’wan kimukulmet kile tyony, kichoitoi kisir mpo kiplekwa, mariil nta kipau. Kelyen ngo erun kilekito kei kisir komosipo por wolino tokol: kiting’ei mukungon cho kerei kei: pokolos ngo kutung; chaat ngo kiptiltil; kelyen ngo erun. Tokol kiwontorei moriin mut chopo keel ngo moriin mut chopo er, ngo sirinoi. Kinele morinopo kelyen ngo chopo erun kikerei kei. Nele morinani ou kilekito chocho walak. Kelyen ngo erun kile tupchen.

Kitorotei kei kikalap porto kuwo wolino tokol kimorei. Neki siro, tukani, kilang nta kiroki keet ngo tulon, wolino tokol kimorei kuwo. Mpo kimi per wolipor kitorotei porto kimochut per, kipireno per. Kiterchini kei akutorotei kei. Kimukei kisom irut chopo porto komosik walak kile mpo ng’alala kut, tersho it, ng’uchinipo ser, nta mpo suwonityo kong’.

Kiturchimoo terchinityonyenyi porto komosik walak. Mamar kuto irutikwak tupchenikwak chwechu. Matakupkat kilo kelyen ngo erun cho irei akwanek kumanata. King’et nyun kiirchi kiplaklak tupchenikwak chwechu.

King’et ng’alyap kisom or kunyit kitowu ngo poroin nya manang kitep keel kile ting’ei erun ngo kelyen matol nya tyan? King’et tupchenike po erun ngo kelyen kisom ng’ololin king’ete kut akikuro kakeloku nyo moting kemoto kisir chopo chucho walak. Makany nya tyan, kitep kei akwanek kilo ng’onyi le pakat. King’et erun kiterkei kile koro akutenteno morinichuch, kimi kimulei keleyen kile nwoko akunyikiso morinichich. Kuloku kelyen kirorochi moorinipo erun kile tentento kile kiam kiprapas. Kitastas mulshonyenyi ngo peretus chachang kitu ki-ir akwanek mataki-ir poit tuwai. Netun ki-it saait nyo kasintan kei kile ng’onyi ting’ei kiptiltil. Neng’wanit kukur por wolinowalak king’ololchi akwanek.

Ki ng’alyap nyi kimwa kile chesintana kei. Kupkat tokol akucham kile kir nya karaam. Kilenee nyun? Kile walak chewira kei kiptang’at – pkotei kile sintanei kei kelyen ngo erun. Kile walak chesintana kei poryo chok, kewirte matiring’kwa nta chepiro chepenet. Kile walak achicha mukei ki-ir keel nta er kisintan aka ngo or nyakuskus. King’et ng’alyap kinyil kusom kunyit akou kutorot kupkat or nya kaikai. Kile kanya ki-ir por tokol kisintan kei ngo aka ngo poroin nyo makarkei. Kuran erun ngo kelyen.

Ki-iraka sintantanyenyi ngo yo lekito en nyomi kerti. King’et komosik tokol chopo por kitowu kipa marar ntanan kululuka porto kimi akwanek kisintenei kei. King’et konyin kusamsam wolino tokol kuro nemi kir nya ra, king’et itin kiterta kir aka tokol, king’et ng’alyap kilo alekit onycho neiraka kir.

Kichomu wolino tokol lokoichwechu po sintana. Kikiteruno ngo kerti tokol, ngo per nta ngo yomet. Tyony chopo kelyen ang’wan chopo tai ki-itu eri. King’et tyony chu echen kinamanu sek chonyerilen kung’utu kile po kalya saparing’uang. Nele lukon’nyenyi ki mpo mariil, chita, ng’otuny, kipau, kimakeet, pelyon, tamas, tany nyo koro kuyiir ngo soo nyo nwoko kuyiir, siran, chemil, kiplekwa, pung’pung’o ngo muryan. Chomong’ei-per, kipopotamus, karak, ngo kurkur kung’usu portowoikwak kamasitokan kicho sang kutuk kamasiporon ngo per. King’et tyong chopo kelyen ereny chole ositirich, solola, ngo tousi kikwerokwer kapapaikwak ngo poipoityo; king’et terit kicheryo ngo keet. Kutum kipchirit. Kapomporo, kutyan, tokolo kapisyon, kiptang’asng’as kimanata ngo ng’weny nta kilang keet. Kimanata nyirit mutyo nyo mater chiich, kimi kilamat kimonotei. Warany ngo mayosoi kisokorosokor ara keet tamar im. King’et keeti mpo kuwiswisto kei king’ete kamas ngo kamas, kuwar akisisyo.

King’et kut kutyar tum:

Mi keirei kile nyenyi ta kepoipoitui
Mi keirei kile nyenyi ta kepoipoitui
Mi keirei kile nyenyi ta kepoipoitui
Amu kichan tokol
Kepkonei koroni

King’et eru ngo kelyen kuam muma kilo kuranei wolo koloku; mokululukei sintanani.

King’et erun kimworu sintane nyo tai. Kinam keet akuwirchi ng’weny. Kilechi kelyen kimar keeti kai akiwirta. King’et kelyen kiwirtara moriinichich mamuk. Kile ketite, kiswoloto nya matyan. Kinesuwa eru kilo mamuk kelyen, kisom kut ng’alala takirorochi kelyen. Kimantalata erun okoi kutu kimar keeti kai. Nekakinam kiwirchi kerti ngo or nyokicham tokol cho kimi sintanekai. Kurer kung’utu ortinek walak chole kemar ashak chomi mong’kwo muchelo, kechut perkeyo kata, keir matiring’kwa nyo kipure keet; keir ng’otwei aketorta kilowit. Chwechu tokol ku tukun cho mukei moriin chopo keel kityon. Kitopisyo kelyen akimarar wolo kuskusta tupchenikwak. King’et erun ngo wechikwak kirorochi kelyen. Ma wirwirta kei kelyen. Kisi kimi kupkotei aree aka nyo muktoi sintane.

Ne kiteno kiloku napas nyopo kelyen ngo moriinikwak kimworu wolo kisintenei kei. Kilechi erun kikalap porto tokol. Kiwolu moriinipo erun kile sintanani komworu kelyen ngo moriinikwak kipo solwonti. Kinechoripen tukun chokiiraka kipo kwong’ut. Kinam porto kimarar im ngo ng’weny. King’et erun kinam ng’weny; king’et konyin kilekitit ngo ng’weny kutu makimarartoi kikaraam; kipechi nyung’uny serum ki-ir kitisyon; king’et kelyen kimarar im. Kutowu chakai tokol mi kimorerei sintana kitumchi erun ngo solwonti:

Kelyen kelyen im
Momi ng’ala
Tupa kelyen
Momi ng’ala
Chesokoro im

Kimi chucho tokol kimorerei erun ngo kelyen. Kamosipo por cho kotokung’utui ortin cho ki-irei sintana, mamuk kimanata. Marok nya tyan king’et erun kiriryo, king’et kelyen kichosyo kutukung’unta porto kichinta. Kumung akunap kutyam. Sip nyenyi kumuk kutyak moriinik takinam ng’weny kikaraam. Mamukaka king’otu morinani ou kipat. Kipeel rorat morinani ou. Kisom ng’alale nyo nyikis nyo sintanei nyopo morinipo erun nya taltal. Kineter erun wolo kakimulto, kurer kutyam kunaitara porto. Kinemamuk kimoto. King’et kelyen kutyam kung’utu wolo irtoi poit kikaraam. Kimantalamantal, kisokorosokor kimair porto kiwirta kei. King’et chakai tokol komorerei kutyar ng’weny kung’utu kile kicham mpo ta mapoipoiti erun.

Nerok kung’utu kei kir nyole walakisho ngo erun. King’et morine nyi ou kutyak kei. Kitomtomo ki-iraka kito aka nyopo kwong’ut. King’et erunakai kitowu kinam tukun kikaraam. Nenyi? Kaluluket nyo kawala kiloku matol nyopo irwa.

Shalatani kikimorei kesowu kile ng’onyi kisintan kitastai ngo peretus mut. Mamuk kilowen omu kelyen ngo erun ki-irei poit tuwai. Kutowu kupkotisho kitepkei kile, nele por kinee? Kisowu akuran kile porto ki kikwanek tokol. Ani nyun taki-ir por poit kikaraam kumerei kamosik tokol ki-ir poit kikaraam.

Ketil ngo ine kile ngo peretus chomi tai taki-ir por poit kikaraam tokol kuryong’oto. Aketil kile kikenyei lakok kipera kelyen ang’wan takupkoti akwanek tokol wolo kipkanta. Kechar poit. Kelo opei kelyen porto ngo yi weti, king’et erun ki-ir kir aka tokol nyo morei por mpo kutukinamchi silaichik. Kineme kelyen kikelepei por, king’et erun kutyam ki-ir kir aka tokol mpo kutukuchut kir kut. King’et kut nta kelat kinyar akiwirta kirek morok. King’et moo kinyapiranyapir takichut porto tokol. King’et chu kong’otu kiwiru kimka sang. Chwechu kapka sang mukei kisat parek kipityo nya karaam, king’et erun kipit akuchut kut, kurer kile nyone.

Kikichar mpo pire kemeti kut tumsho, rorat, ngo ng’alala; kemeti kelyen kerwoi ngo kesokor; kemeti erun mpira nyopo erun chole pesipol ngo pasiketipol, kung’otu kiyi kimworei nyo kikimeti kelyen. King’ete kinyenyi le charwa poit, king’etei poit kiloku kir nyo sopei nyo molokui chucho tokol ngo owun ngo woloirtoi.

King’otu kipkat kile wolo kitopto komosichu po por mukei kuopu kolowo. Mukei kupkotikei met kile oing’wang’wa kisir kelyen cho tyorei ng’weny. Ketil kile nele met ngo komosik chucho tokol kitenityo. Takuran tokol ketil kile ng’wonin nta poipoityo kipinchini akwenek tokol. Keng’ololchi kut kile neng’ololei kisowu kile ng’ololchini porto komosik tokol.

Kitum akwanek:

Ngo portanychan
Momi kipoityon
Ngo portanychna
Momi kipoityon
Ki-irchinichan kei poit
Kichan kichanech
Ng’alyap ku ng’ololtoin
Naman akanamin
Kitek por nyo momi ng’olyon
Pakatyonti ki ketuyo tokol
Tokol keirei
Tokenyoru por nyo momi ng’olyon
Ketuyo tokol ki matoltonyon

Kiloku nyenyi Ng’olyonto Por. Ngo peretuni kitokimi porto kitumei akiloku nyenyi ng’ulatana kimukulmet ngo tyony, nta choch kimarar awen nyo kuryonchotei.

Mpo takisuwa chachang, tyonypo kelyen ang’wan makusa kong’ awentenyenyi. Kiro kiyi kitumei kilo po solwonti. Kilechi kut kuam kipat amatum. Kiloku chomowolisho.

Netuptara kimukulmet wolo irtoi por poit, ki-ir nya karaam. Nero por ngo met kile purin chomi poryot nya ng’wan, mi aka imi aka, kimar kiloku tupchenikwak tyony cho kichal awen nyo kuryonychotei.
~
Read the English translation – The Upright Revolution: Or Why Humans Walk Upright by Ngugi wa Thiong’o

Paul Kipchumba studied literature and language at the University of Nairobi and at Tianjin Foreign Studies University, in China. He is a writer, a researcher, and a founder of the Kipchumba Foundation that promotes education in Marakwet. He is also the author of ‘Oral Literature of the Marakwet of Kenya’.