Mandela Kohn tu Leah

Belize Kriol

Translated by Ivory Kelly with assistance from Ubaldimir Guerra

‘No’ ih seh, ‘Freedom noh eva gat kandishanz’ Ahn shaklz klamp pan di Robben Island vetaran.

‘No’ shee seh, ‘Nalij noh permit no eksklooozhan’ –
Skaard, bot noh skyaad, di fays a di Yong Gyal fahn Pakistan.

‘No’ ih seh, ‘Fayt da noh bai kompolshan’ –
Wahn kyaptiv vais, dimyoor bot difaiyant eena Dapchi, Ih toach stay brait eena di den a zelats.

Soh, kraas taim, testimentari vais eko – Mandela, Malala, Leah Sharibu – di toach a ‘No, Prometheus seh’, flaym ahn antem, Fain kraks, wahn briliyant flaym bos chroo Chibok ahn Dapchi, fi lait op di werl agen.

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

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Ivory Kelly is the author of Point of Order: Poetry and Prose and Pengereng, a bilingual short story collection that includes the first work of fiction written entirely in standard Belize Kriol, her mother tongue. Her works have appeared in journals and anthologies in the Caribbean, the UK, the US, Mexico, Brazil, and Belize. She currently teaches in the Languages and Literature Department at the University of Belize and is a founding member of the Belizean Writers Guild. 

Ubaldimir Guerra was born in Belize City, Belize.  He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Belize and Master of Arts degree in English with a concentration in Multicultural and Transnational Literature from East Carolina University.  He works as a full-time lecturer of English and literature at the University of Belize. His poetry has appeared in the anthology Bookmarked: PREE New Caribbean Writing as well as in PREE: Caribbean Writing, BIM: Arts for the 21^st Century, and Interviewing the Caribbean.  He is a recipient of the National Institute of Culture and History’s Poetfree Awards, 2021, and is currently working on a collection of poems.