Mandela Tọ Leah Wá

Yorùbá 

Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún

‘Rárá’ ó wí, ‘Òmìnira ò gba ìwọ̀sí’

Ṣẹ́kẹ́ṣẹkẹ̀ sì padé mọ́ ẹlẹ́wọ̀n àgbà Robbìnì lẹ́sẹ̀.

‘Bẹ́ẹ̀kọ́’ òun sọ, ‘Ìmọ̀ kìí gba ìyàsọ́tọ̀’ –

Àpá pẹ̀lú àìbẹ̀rù rèé lójú Omidan Pakistánì.

‘Rárá’ òún wí, ‘Ìgbàgbọ́ kìí ṣe tipátipá’ –

Ohùn àhámọ́ onírẹ̀lẹ̀ onígboyà ní Dapchi, 

Àtùpà rẹ̀ kò seé pa nínú ihò àwọn agbawèrèmẹ́sìn. 

Tórínáà, láti inú ìgbà wá, ohùn ẹ̀rí tó ń padà wá –

Mandela, Malala, Leah Sharibu – àtùpà tó ní

‘Bẹ́ẹ̀kọ́, ni Prometheus wí’, iná àti orin, 

Ń rí ìyapa, ìmọ́lẹ̀ yòyò kan bú jáde sí 

Chibok àti Dapchi láti mú ayé mọ́lẹ̀ síi.

—

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

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Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún is a linguist, writer/critic, and language professor. He recently co-edited a collection of essays on African linguistics. His work has appeared in various publications, including Aké Review, Brittle Paper, KTravula.com, International Literary Quarterly, The Guardian, Maple Tree Literary Supplement, and recently in Literary Wonderlands, an anthology edited by Laura Miller. He is the winner of the Premio Ostana “Special Prize” 2016 (awarded in Ostana, Cuneo, Italy) for his work in indigenous language advocacy. He writes in English and Yorùbá, and curates the multimedia dictionary of Yorùbá Names at http://www.YorubaName.com.