Harriet Anena writes a poem in Acholi, a language spoken by the Acholi of Northern Uganda. Enjoy!
Dako ikin Mon
Awinyo Akello celo nyero ki I bur lyel – calo latone mo tye ka gido labute
Aneno gweng ma i wi lyel pa Akello yenge – calo oyeng-yeng tye ka twak ki bur lyel
Ce gwok bene tye ka nyono lamola ba! Ce gwok bene tye ka goyo kijira ba!
Kadi in bene onongo wang ma inginyo
Kadi in bene onongo wang ma iryenyo laki I kin kaka
Kadi in bene onongo wang ma imako pyeri, i ilo dwoni ikin mon luwoti
Pien
Lutino ni, ma tin tuk ki dege ka wiyi ni
Gulari ki i pala lucwan me yet pa dano Laliya
Lalur ma iye ki yamo ma lyet – neko lutino aneka
Gulari ki i ngala ma lyet pa mon luwoti
Lajok ma onyo lutino ne aonya ki jok ma ite pii
Pien
Kadi bed i too i dog nywal
Lutino ni – Acen gin ki Opiyo tin gitye kwot ni
Lutino ni – Acen gin ki Opiyo gukwo oweko tin imyelo – kadi bed ki ibur lyel
Pien
Kadi bed tin itye i puti abicel
Itoo ma onongo itye mego
Lubangani oneno kit ma pig wangi omol kwede. Mwaka Acel. Aryo. Adek. Angwen. Abic
Lubangani okwano wel lutino ma o ony ki iyi. Litino Acel. Aryo. Adek. Angwen. Abic
Kadi bed agulu pii otoo i dogola
Lubangani olaro pii kikobo aryo mo – Acen gin ki Opio
Lutino ma oweko itoo ma onongo itye dako-adaka ikin mon luwoti
ENGLISH
Woman among Women
I hear Akello laugh from the grave – like her lover is tickling her
I see the stones on her grave shake – like an earthquake is rocking the grave
She could even be dancing!
She could even be ululating!
You would have broken into dance too
You would have shown your white teeth among your kin too
You would have held your waste, raised your voice among your fellow women too
Because
Your children, who today trot the world in planes
Rescued you from the sword of abuse in Laliya Village
The barren one, whose womb keeps killing her unborn
They rescued you from hot ridicule of your fellow women
The witch, who kills her unborn children and offers them to gods of the underwater
Because
Even though you died giving life
Your children- Acen and Opio are your shield today
They are the reason you’re dancing today, even if from the grave
Because
Although you’re six feet under
You died a real mother
Your god saw the tears that rolled down your cheeks. For One. Two. Three. Four. Five years
Your god counted the number of children you lost to miscarriages. One. Two. Three. Four. Five
Even though the water pot broke by the doorstep
Your god saved two cups of water – Acen and Opio
The children who made you a woman among women
