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Inspired by poetry: "Ploughing mountainsides" » English to Igbo » Entry by Emmanuel Mpamugo


Source text in English

Translation by Emmanuel Mpamugo (#30182)

The Beginning

All in a moment, years ago,
The boy I was became a man:
Suddenly my life began!
I saw the world before me— So
That ploughman by his horses stands
Sweating on the first hill's brow,
Having left the riverlands
Furrowed in the vale below,
And sees a mountainside to plough,
Barren rock to blunt his share,
Thunder hanging in the air,
And the black peak above him, bare,
Waiting now.
—Let him plough it if he dare!
Mbido

N'otu oge, n'ọtụtụ afọ gara aga,
Nwata nwoke m bụbu bịara tozuo n'ihe e ji nwoke eme:
N'otu ntabianya ndụ m amalite!
M wee hụ ka ụwa dị - Yabụ
Onye ọkọ ubi ahụ kwụ n'akụkụ ịnyịnya ya
ọsụsọ a na-agba ya ka ọ rigooro n'elu ugwu nke mbụ,
O si n'ala dị n'akụkụ mmiri pụta
Bịa kọọ na ndagwurugwu dị n'okpuru ugwu,
Ma hụ akụkụ ugwu ebe ọ ga-akọ,
Okwute na-adịghị nkọ ga-amụnyu mma ugbo ya,
Egbe eligwe sere n'ikuku,
Na urukpu ojii nọ ya n'elu, gba aka,
Na-eche ugbua.
- Ya kọọ ma ọ bụrụ na ọ kara ya obi!


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