Yira Ng'o Mugga
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Yira Ng'o Mugga |
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Translating ‘Sing Like A River’ by Susan Kiguli |
Listen to a reading of this poem |
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I enjoyed the translation of this poem very much basically because it proved such a fascinating mental, emotional, visual, aural and oral exercise: my true feeling of what a poetic experience should entail. I first worked on my own until I was satisfied that I had on paper a dynamic translation of the original poem. I then asked two of my colleagues in the Institute of Languages here at Makerere University to listen, read and help with ensuring as good a translation as possible. The colleagues are both experts and lecturers in Luganda. Both of them are translators of Luganda into English and sometimes other languages. One of them is very good at Luganda grammar and the other is a well-known Luganda dramatist. The joint editing was an absolutely intriguing exercise. It forced us into a captivating poetic analysis. We all agreed that one could not translate or even edit a poem without capturing the spirit of the original. I think it was a beautiful experience trying to capture the spirit of the original because Luganda poetry thrives on image and I think the strongest aspect of the original are its images, paradoxes and rather staccato rhythm. I and even my colleagues, to whom I have read the poem, think the Luganda version appeals to us because it has crystallized the images for us and accentuated the sound of the poem. The poem is sound and image and a Luganda listener could not ask for more.
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Yira Ng'o Mugga Mufu wabula tegunazaalibwa Amaloboozi ganneetooloola Olulimi lwange – ekidde ekiri e mabega Nganseka, ne ngeegenya oluyimba Lino ddaala lyambuka Amaanyi agazza Bwe nayiga okuyira ng’o mugga Engero zino, bwe bugga obuyiwa Omukisa, ekikolimo Omulabe akutulugunya Kye kisumuluzo ekiggulawo buli kye weetaaga mu bulamu bwo Musoke eyeeyaze
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Biography
Luganda, my local language, is a widely spoken language in Uganda. The reasons for this are both historical and political. Luganda is the language of the kingdom of Buganda which was one of the largest ancient kingdoms in East Africa. Secondly, Buganda was one of the kingdoms where colonial rule first took root in East Africa. The British used the system of indirect rule to establish their power outside Buganda and therefore deployed the Baganda administrators, who used their language as a vehicle of administration, in areas outside Buganda. I must mention, too, that Luganda is a Bantu language and has a lot in common with other Bantu languages, Kiswahili inclusive. |
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My name is Susan Nalugwa Kiguli, a Ugandan (African) poet. I live in Uganda in the Eastern Region now popularly known as The Great Lakes Region. I compose, write and recite my poetry in Luganda and English. I perhaps need to clarify on this further. I usually write either in English or Luganda so I rarely translate my poems from one language to another. This is mainly because I feel poems are very strong willed beings and take on a different and autonomous life whenever translated. English is, strictly speaking, my second language. Even though I learnt it at roughly the same time I was learning my local tongue - and because I hail from a multi ethnic nation (and went to boarding school at the age of seven) - English has been my main mode of expression although not, necessarily, my first love.