MWANA KUPONA...Poetess...Africa,my Africa!

NEGEMA "Come near me"

Negema wangu binti
Mchachefu wa sanati
Upulike wasiati
Asa ukazingatia.

Maradhi yamenishika
Hata yametimu mwaka
Sikupata kutamka
Neno lema kukwambia.

Alinioa babako
Kwafuraha na kicheko
Tusondoleane mbeko
Siku zote twalokaa.

Yalipokuya faradhi
Kanikariria radhi
Kashukuru kafawidhi
Moyo wangu katoshea.

Mwenye kutungo nudhumu
Ni bharibu mwenye hamu
Na ubora wa ithimu
Rabbi tamghufiria.

Ina lake mufahamu
Ni mtaraji karimu
Mwana kupona mshamu
Pate alikozaliwa.

Tarikhiye kwa yakini
Ni alifu wa miyateni
Hamsa wa sabini
Hizi zote hirijia.

Mwana Kupona binti Msham, ( 1790 - Pate island ; 1860 - Lamu island ) Africa.

"Come near me, my daughter
I am unworthy of God's award
Listen to my advice
May be you will follow it

I have fallen ill
It is a year now since I became sick
I have not taken time
To offer you advice.

Your father married me
In a joyous ceremony
We respected each other
All the days we lived together

When his fate came
He blessed me repeatedly
He thankfully and peacefully died
And I was contented in my heart.

The composer of this work
Is a sorrowful widow
The worst of her sins.
The lord will forgive

Her name, take note
She is
Mwana Kupona Mshamu
Born at Pate

The date
of the poem
is 1275
(A.H.ca 1858)"