Wambũi Mũtumia Njorua
Mbaara ya mau mau
Yagũkorire
No diagũkuire
Ukĩhũrana na nyakerũ
Ta mũndũrũme
Wambũi Mũtumia Njorua
Ũkiuga ũkũhikĩra ikenye rĩaku
Kĩũma kĩa goro mũgathĩini
Ũyũ Wa mũtũrĩre
Na ũkĩĩhotora ta mũkũi wa rwĩmbo
Ũkĩina rwa nyarugunga
Wambũi Mũtumia Njorua
Wendo ũhana ũũkĩ mwatũinĩ
Wa ciana, mũthuri na bũrũri waku
Warũũĩra wendo wa mũthuri
Ta nyamũ ya gĩthaka Ĩ ndihie
Na ona watihio ngoro
Dũigana kwĩira
Wambũi Mũtumia Njorua
Mwĩrĩ wa mũthuri na wendi wake
Waũhũranĩire ta hiti na nyama
Na magĩgũtunya nyama Ĩ kanua
Kĩrumi makĩĩhumba ta nguo
Wambũi Mũtumia Njorua
Ta deri igĩthiũrũrũkĩra kĩimba
Maathingata mwĩrĩ waku
Indo ciao, itua riao
We mũtumia
Ta mwana
Dwagĩrĩirwo ni gũkũũrĩra arũme maitho
Wambũi Mũtumia Njorua
Atumia oothe maro oeererea makinya maku
Gũkinyĩra ma na kĩhoto
Ta mũrũũthi wonete thiiya
Huurũka rĩu na mwedwa waku
Wambũi Mũtumia Njorua.
Wambui, Our Warrior
The Mau Mau uprising
Found you and left you
You fought with the white man
Like a man
And won
Wambui our warrior
You chose with your heart
The bead to place
In your life’s necklace
Girding yourself
Like a soloist
Singing praise songs
To Nyarugunga
For bearing you a lover
Wambui our warrior
Your love, like honey in a hive
For your children, husband and country
Was fresh and abundant every day
You fought for your husband’s love
Like a wounded animal
Their stabs to your heart
Left you bruised
But not dead
Wambui our warrior
For your husband’s body and his will
You fought
But lost
And they adorned themselves his curse
Like a bride for her day
Wambui our warrior
A pack of vultures surround your remains
you
Their possession
You,
like a child
Had no right
Raising your voice to grown men
Wambui our warrior
May women try filling your shoes
Fight for truth
Fight for justice
Fight for what is right
Like a lion with its prey
Wambui our warrior
You have now found peace
At the bosom of your lover
Wambui our warrior
Written and Translated By:Njeri Wangari- Wanjohi, 2nd September 2011
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– All rights reserved©
This poem was written in Kikuyu, a Bantu dialect spoken by some people in Kenya. Njeri Wangari-Wanjohi is a Kenyan Writer, Artist, Blogger and poet. You can read some more works from this poet at http://www.kenyanpoet.com/.
