Chants and rants I hear,
That ruin, herein, tranquility.
Teachers, medics, whores and cane cutters...
Afar, frail and hungry,
Carry forests and placards--
Ravenously chorusing,
The anthem of the oppressed:
... Solidarity forever,
Solidarity forever,
Solidarity forever!
So our state they irritate,
As its balls they tickle...
From sweet slumber, owners awake--
After decades of loud silence:
Our wine gulping; venom spitting,
Thus loosen grip on heavenly dreams,
As outside voices grow hoarse, and sonorant:
... Haki yetu tunataka!
Haki yetu, tunataka!
Tunajenga, kwa gharama,
Na kihali tumeinama...
Iweje tumesoma, na tumesota!
Mapato duni, maisha noma,
Twataka usawa, tuache kulalama...
Haki yetu, tunataka!
Tu! tu! tu!
Rusty rifles sing;
Butts spit bullets,
Arousing tension thus:
Feet shuffl, a stampede!
Some bodies fall,
Groan, thence into silence veer--
Eternal silence.
Ah, here comes boys from Kiganjo!
Engorged with fury and distaste...
They are here to riot;
They are here to provoke violence,
To outlaw lawful demos!
Oh, run brother, run!
They are here to issue death:
To whoever is bored with life--
Thus dare toys with his father's testicles;
thus dare hit their hand against the wall!
*Swahili for funerals of Africa.
Wafula p'Khisa.
