GUDO GURU PETAMUSWE

Gudo guru petamuswe

Pamakasvika sekuru takapemberera tikaita mabiko

Dzedu nyemwero nzeve nekunzva. Tikati havano

Sekuru vedu vauya nemanyautsamukanwa. Tikati

Sekuru vauya nerusununguko. Vauya

Kuzosimudzira vazukuru. Takaunganira sekuru

Kuti vatiudze nyaya dzinovakamusha. Nyaya dze-

Pasichigare nengano. Nyaya dzerudo kuti isu

Vazukuru tiwanewo. Nyaya dze-

Kuti tese tisimukirewo tiite savo sekuru

Sekuru vakatimbundira neavomaoko mahombe. Isu ndoku-

Tambarara tikati tadiwa nasekuru. Tirizvedu

Pakati pemafaro sekuru ndokutanga

Kutisvina sehembe nyoro. Kuti tichifema

tatadza. Tichiridzamhere ndopatoona

shavi rasekuru regudo kutipfacha

kusvika. Nechingu vachidiki homwe dzevazukuru dzose

dzazunguzwa ndokupera. Inga sekuru votiita

makwayi ivo vavegava. Sekuru vaitanyoka yapinda

muchikwere chine huku. Sekuru

votiangosimudza musoro ruoko pahuro. Abvunza mubvunzo

banga pamoyo. Aonesesa maziso

tuchu hanzi waonazvisizvako. Achema

nekurwadziva hanzi yatove mhandu. Avadenha

vodzorerwa kwamusikavanhu. Zvino tavekuona kuti sekuru

vakwegura vakabatauroyi. Sekuru vedu wakachekerwa

nyora dzekuba. Iwo moyo wavo

vakaora nechemukati. Kuora semuti wapfukutwa

moyo. Ivo mahobi avo sekuru gudo

akahwandisa umhondi.  Maziso avo anopenya rufu neutsinye

Kuita utsinye hwenyoka inoruma chaisingadye

Kuita hwenda inoruma akaitakura. Kuzofarisa

Senhunzi yaone ndove. Idzo nhafu

Dzavagudo dzekutotemerwanyora. Weduwe

Vedu sekuru umbimbindoga ndehwejongwe. Jongwe

Rinoda kurira rega muchikwere

Maoko avo akazara ropa revazukuru

Iri ndiro riye shavi reruokorurefu. Havaone kuti

vakwegura. Maziso adzoka mumahobi avo

Idzo njere dzapwa setsime muchirimo. Sekuru vedu

Havazivi kuti vanengegudo. Parinokwira

Mumuti gotsi rinengerakashama kumhandu inemuseve

Havaone manyekenyeke emoto arikuuya

Ava ndivo sekuru vaye vatakagamuchira nemaoko ese

Imi sekuru kani. Akurumanzveve

ndewako. Iyi iyambiro kubva kuvazukuru

Chisingaperi chinoshura. Yenyu

Nhambemutambe regai ichanaka. Chiregai

Zvekutamba nedhaka pasina mvura. Vane

Ruzivo vakavayambira vakati. Gudo guru peta

Muswe pwere dzigokuremekedza.

Written by. David W Mwanaka. 2012

Old Baboon, fold your tail.

When grandfather arrived we rejoiced and celebrated

With our smiles ears and listening. We said here is-

Our grandfather who has come with delicious foods. We said

Grandfather has come with our freedoms. He has come to

Uplift his grandchildren. We surrounded grandfather

So he told us stories to build up families. Stories from

Long ago and of fables. Stories of love so that us

The grandchildren, we would find love. Stories of

Success so that we could succeed like grandfather

Grandfather embraced us in his huge hands. We became

Complacent saying, grandfather loves us. When, in the

Middle of this happiness, grandfather started to

Squeeze us like wet clothing. Such that, to breath,

We couldn’t. When we mourned loudly, we discovered the

Baboon’s spirit of our grandfather was to crash us before

We had arrived. In no time our pockets were turned inside-

Outside, and emptied. It seems grandfather has made us into

Sheep. He was the wilddog. He has become a snake in

The hen’s shelter, with the chicken inside. Grandfather

Killed everyone who raised his head. Ask a question?

And you are knifed at the heart. See too much? Eyes are

Gorged, for you saw what was not yours to see. Cry

From the pain? You are an enemy. Provoke him? And you are

Send back to the creator. We now see that grandfather

Has witchcraft in ageing. In our grandfather, it is cut

Into his skin the mark of corruption. His heart is

Decaying in the insides. Decaying like the tree, from

The insides. His deep forehead is like the baboon’s,

Hiding cruelty. In his eyes shines death and cruelty.

Like the snake’s cruelty, biting what it doesn’t eat.

Like the lice that bites its host. He is too excited

Like a fly that has found a mound of cow dung. His greedy is

Like the baboon’s, a mark cut into the skin. My, oh, my

Grandfather’s  dictatorship, is like a cock’s. The cock

That wants to hear, only its crows in the hen’s shelter

His hands are full of the blood of his grandchildren

This is the spirit of huge hands. He doesn’t realize he

Is old. Eyes have shriveled into his deep forehead.

His brain has dried, like a winter’s pool. Grandfather

Doesn’t realize he is like a baboon. When it climbs

Into the trees, its back is exposed to the enemies’ arrows

He doesn’t see the ferocious flames of the fire coming

This is the grandfather we received with open arms

Grandfather, please! Anyone who advises you is your

Friend. This is the warning from your grandchildren.

Anything that doesn’t end is sacrilegious. Your

Delicious food; let it go, whilst it is still tasty. Don’t

Play with soft clay where there is no water. Those with

Wisdom have warned you, saying. Old baboon fold your

Tail, so that little children would respect you.

Translated by Tendai R Mwanaka