Mandela Abịakwute Leah

Igbo

Nzube Ifechukwu

Ọ sịrị ‘Mba, a naghị enye Nnwereonwe ọnọdụ’

Na agbụ e kedoro onye agha ochie nke Robben Island.

Ọ sịrị ‘Mba, Mmụta anaghị anabata mwepụ’—

Apa dị ya, ma ụjọ adịghị ya, ihu Nwaada nke Pakistan.

Ọ sịrị ‘Mba, Okwukwe abụghị na mmanye’—

Olu e ji eji, ọ dị nwayọ ma ọ kweghị ekwe na Dapchi,

Ọkụ ya jụrụ ndanyụ n’ọdọ ndị aka ike.

Ya bụ, kwa mgbe, olu akaebe dịrịrị—

Mandela, Malala, Leah Sharibu—ọkụ nke

‘Prometheus sịrị Mba’, ire ọkụ na ukwe,

chọta mgbawa, ire ọkụ na-amuke amuke si na

Chibok na Dapchi tiwapụta, ịchawapụkwa ụwa.

—

Read the English translation – Mandela Comes to Leah by Prof. Wole Soyinka 

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Nzube Ifechukwu grew up in Onitsha, where he was born on May 25 1992, and Ichi, his father’s hometown. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He has published poems in English and Igbo and an Igbo translation of a fable by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, all on Jalada.