Cracking The Oyster - Fiasco Press: Journal of Swarm Scholarship

8/3/2019 Cracking The Oyster - Fiasco Press: Journal of Swarm Scholarship

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Fiasco Press www.fiascopress.org Journal of Swarm Scholarship

Cracking the Oyster

Translated by Richard Prins

Deep sea divers, from waves and surf

who plummet through the undertow

stroking bellydown, swelling your joints,

I’ll sell you my silence. What will my netting get?

I know you swimming sages, you can’t resist my riddle,

unstringing every hint, one by one like beads.

Every iron-beater must get himself a hammer.

I’ve tangled it up in my hand. Maybe you experts

can open it up, or enlighten me:

The sky has a cloud (may its rain explore the world)

windflown down the coast and dripping wet pebbles

that plunge so deep, rippling apart the surface

to penetrate the ocean and its yawning folds

like threading the eye of a needle, a single silky string

through the lip of the oyster shell, shutting in the pearl.

So dear, this gem, unrivalled yet engulfed.

The oyster shell will hang from a tree on the bottom of the ocean

which receives no light in its long submergence

with branches invisible to the world, no matter how they multiply.

But this is no miracle tree. It can take root in any earth.

Once the pearl is finally perfected

its encasement cracks apart. It crawls from its nest

poured through a chute of waves until mooring on some beach

dragging behind seaweeds, a glistered tail of glory.

Luminescent sunlight! Everywhere glows!

Anyone who passes, they must be transfixed

and whoever gets it, let them seal it in a chest.

For many men, this is their silver, their gold.

So back to you geniuses. I am releasing




a cluster of kites into the sky.

Have a shot now at their tangles.

I’ll weigh them on a scale. The reward is quite dear.

I’m returning to my station and dropping my anchors,

one off the stern and one off the prow.Your captain has been Nabahani, who’s known the sea

and fears no wave, nor any of its baleful associates.

Shaza

Ahmed Sheikh Nabahani

Wazami wa uziwani, wa mawimbi na miuya

Muzamao zizimbwini, mahodari wa koweya

Kwa kuwama na kwa t’ani, kubenuwa zenu ziya

Nauza changu kimiya, kichatiya chashikani

Nayuwa siwatanizi, hamugagwi yaweleya

Yafumbuweni wayuzi, mutongowe moyamoya

Kula aliye mfuzi, na nyundo huitumiya

Kibafute natatiya, tatuwani watatuzi

Welevu kitatuweni, munambiye nielewe

Kuna kiwingu yangani, mvua itandaziwe

P’epo husukuma pwani, nyunyu ni kama zijiwe

Kwa kasi zitandushiwe, na kushukiya maini

Hupenya ndani kwa ndani, ya uk’eto wa bahari

Kama uzi sindanoni, upote pota hariri

Yakashukiya shazani, na kufuma lulu duri

Hapitwi na johari, nda k’uu mno thamani

Shaza lengetwe mtini, zizimbwini mwa nyongoza

Haupo kitalaleni, haupati muwangaza

T’andu hazionekani, yapokuwa zatepuza

Si miti ya miujiza, yenezee duniyani

Lulu ikikamilika, yuu la mti shazani




Dondole huk’ek’etuka, ikatoka kiotoni

Wimbini huisumbika, ikegesha ufuoni

Yafumapo mkwambani, kitoche humemetuka

Mianaza na miandi, eneo hung’eng’ezuka

Huvuta kila mwenendi, kijopo hukusanyikaAipatao ni kandi, kashani akiiweka

Wengi wametajirika, kwa ng’andu na tu chandi

T’at’azi zingatatiya, mafundi zitatuweni

Rajai naregezeya, kishada changu bwagani

Nitawapa mwingi mwiya, fundo hili funguwani

Niwapimiye kwa mani, tuzo t’unu na hidaya

Narejea kituoni, nanga zangu nazitiya

Moya t’ezi na omoni, sambo ipate tuliya Nahudha ni Nabahani, bahari alozoweya

Hachi shuu na miuya, wala wimbi uziwani

Cracking The Oyster - Fiasco Press: Journal of Swarm Scholarship

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