• Home
  • Bio
  • Media
    • Read
    • Watch/Listen
  • Speaking
  • Work with me
  • Contact

MsAfropolitan

FEMINISM. PAN-AFRICA. SOCIAL CRITICISM. DIASPORA. CULTURE.

  • feminism
  • Africa
  • Pop Culture
  • Social Criticism
  • decolonisation
  • Afropolitanism
  • seven
  • Sensuous Knowledge
    • Sensuous Knowledge references and recommended reading
    • International
    • Sensuous Knowledge news
  • Other Books
  • The MsAfropolitan Philosophy Book Club @ Waterstones

My poetry featured in Naija Langwej antoloji

May 2, 2012 By MsAfropolitan 5 Comments

Three of my pidgin/brokin English poems have been featured in a new anthology titled ‘IF YU HIE SE A DE PRIZIN’’ (Antoloji of puem-dem fo Naija) edited by Edwin Eriata Oribhabor

This anthology contains 93 poems and themes of the poems span all fields of human endeavour; love, politics, the environment, corruption and the Niger Delta discourse amongst others. Apart from the entertainment and didactic values of the poems, they are also of pedagogical importance since they teach the over 100 million speakers of Naija how to write and read the language.
The anthology of poems in Naija langwej; the first of its kind in Nigeria is a contribution to the pioneering efforts of members of Naija Langwej Akedemi (NLA) towards popularising the standardisation of Naija langwej in Nigeria.

Unfortunately the anthology is only available in Nigeria at time being.

Below are my contributions.
(Give it a try even if you don’t speak pidgin, and let me know if you were able to understand them?)

“Ghost” Man

Anoda pesin “ghost” don enta mai bodi
A no nou im nem
Bot a nou se na man
Fo di we a fil di “burn” fo front of mai leg fo nait
I bi laik se…
Fo monin we a wek si lait shain fo windo
Bifo a go rich mai wok fo oga kompaund

Luk mai fes insaid lukin glas
Mai “hair” we plet laik snel
Mai “teeth” we de shain wit fain gap fo senta

Mai bobi we im flesh soft laik bred
Mai yansh we raund an kom braun laik kokonot
An a fo sho, dat di pesin fo mai front na wuman
Na fo niat
Wen di onli tin a fit si bi di insaid of mai ai
Di won we vex pas di “moon”
Di red we ‘’sting’’ pas moskito
Na fo nait
A nou se na man “ghost” we don enta ma bodi
A wan nou im nem
Fo wen i tel mi mek a tek smol gon
Mek a go fo insaid kompaund
Mek a put pilo fo mai oga fes
Mek a pul smol gon
Mek a finish am
Mek a tek im moni
A wan tel dem se no bi mi
Na dis pesin
We enta mai bodi
Na im, we go kil gud man.

Yes Sa!

Yu bi big man
Oga man

A bi big biznes intanashonal hostlaman

Yu no respet wuman man
Shebi wuman komot fo yo big man bodi

No bi se yu no laik wuman dem
God sef sabi dis won
Yu laik dem wel wel

Bot yu de wonda hau big man

Fit de empti an notin notin
An a ask yu
Weda yu “reap as you sow”
An yu se no

So mi tu riplai
Yes sa!

Sef-poblishment

A jos de tink hau i go bi
if a de get som moni fo mai puem buk
we a de polblish, bot pipul we de poblish
buk de tel mi se, pipul de onli laik puem we
dem rait wit konk Langwej an fo mai maind,
i go beta mek pipul we laik konk Langwej,
mek dem go rid di baibul oo di Koran
an a de tel dem se mek dem geraut
bikos onli mi go poblish dis buk bai maisef
if fo England pipul de laik buk we bi laik se
na God rait am, a jos de se, mi no bi God
so wai dem no go de rid laik se dem bi human bin
bot a go jos de wonda fo laif, a go de ask maisef se
wai a go de west ol mai taim de rait ol dis puem dem
wen i no go ivun fit mek mi get moni we a go tek
pe fo mai rent, mai fud an to bai klot, an ol dis puem dem
de mek mi no de fit wek op kwik fo monin wit laf fo mai
fes, an de hapi wit mai family pipul
so, a de pre to God we sabi rait koret koret puem dem
wai a no go wek op tumoro an kom de laik to stop
to de rait puem bikos, di tin no go mek mi rich
so, a de pre to God to helep mi stop to de rait puem.
an wen a wek op fo monin, an wen God kom ansa
mai preya, a kom de krai
a no nou wetin a go du.

© Minna Salami

 

Filed Under: events

Comments

  1. Anna Renee says

    May 4, 2012 at 8:03 pm

    Minna, I don’t understand Naija language completely, but I’ve heard it spoken. I wonder if it’s slightly different as its spoken here in America, than in Germany or even Nigeria? Different nuances?

    Then the second thing. I see huge similarities to Naija language and Jamaican patwa or “patois” language! I did a post a couple months ago
    https://nachalooman.wordpress.com/2012/03/11/jamaican-patois-version-of-the-bible-legitimate/
    THEN I did another post on black “substandard” english
    https://nachalooman.wordpress.com/2010/10/06/the-rules-of-african-american-language/

    The post on Jamaican version of the Bible is so pioneering. They are doing the same type of work, to legitamize their Jamaican language by translation of the New Testament.
    Then the other post is the work of Dr. Lisa Green, She’s Associate Professor of Linguistics at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and Director of the Center for the Study of African American Language. The work to legitimize our black language seems to be occuring everywhere across the globe!!! FANTASTIC!

    Reply
    • MsAfropolitan says

      May 4, 2012 at 9:46 pm

      Thanks for sharing the links, you always find those great clips! There are many similarities with patois, which makes the theory you speak of truly probable. The import of certain words like pickney/pikin, dem, dey…although we modify them differently they must share a cultural currency right!

      I have heard nuances amongst Nigerians depending on their region but not noticed whether it keeps developing outside the continent, would be interesting to ask friends actually…

      I think the patois Bible is great, and that we ourselves reject it is too sad (if I may include myself briefly through a shared African heritage:) ) !

      Reply
  2. Anna Renee says

    May 4, 2012 at 8:07 pm

    THEN, my dear, I’m so proud of you that you have your own poetry in that anthology!! That’s major! Congratulations on that Ms Afropolitan. You put the Afro and the Politan in Afropolitan!

    Reply
    • MsAfropolitan says

      May 4, 2012 at 9:49 pm

      Thanks sis! Your encouragement means a lot. I’m very proud to be part of such a pioneering and important effort, love that it is unapologetically its own langwej

      Reply
  3. akau kuol says

    November 17, 2012 at 5:24 pm

    I like this anthology

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Feminism. African Studies. Social Criticism.

Hi! I'm Minna Salami, I'm a Nigerian-Finnish and Swedish writer and social critic, and the founder of this blog. Read my full bio here

View My Blog Posts

Subscribe to my newsletter

* indicates required

Follow My social media

Visit Us On InstagramVisit Us On FacebookCheck Our Feed

The New Institute

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=go_ddI8Lu9k&t=7s

Sensuous Knowledge – Get the book (US version)

Sensuous Knowledge – Get the book (UK version)

Recent Comments

  • Evgen on There were no matriarchies in precolonial Africa
  • ทางเข้าเล่น joker on The challenge for western feminism in the 21st century
  • Schües on On Abortion
  • AneM on Polygamy in Africa has little to do with sex
  • Khalifa on Polygamy in Africa has little to do with sex

Archives

  • March 2023 (1)
  • February 2023 (1)
  • August 2022 (4)
  • May 2022 (1)
  • January 2022 (2)
  • December 2021 (1)
  • August 2021 (1)
  • May 2021 (5)
  • April 2021 (3)
  • March 2021 (4)
  • December 2020 (1)
  • October 2020 (1)
  • September 2020 (3)
  • May 2020 (1)
  • April 2020 (2)
  • March 2020 (4)
  • February 2020 (2)
  • January 2020 (1)
  • December 2019 (1)
  • November 2019 (1)
  • July 2019 (1)
  • May 2019 (1)
  • March 2019 (4)
  • February 2019 (1)
  • December 2018 (2)
  • November 2018 (1)
  • October 2018 (2)
  • August 2018 (1)
  • July 2018 (2)
  • June 2018 (2)
  • May 2018 (2)
  • March 2018 (2)
  • February 2018 (2)
  • January 2018 (1)
  • December 2017 (1)
  • November 2017 (1)
  • October 2017 (2)
  • September 2017 (3)
  • August 2017 (6)
  • July 2017 (1)
  • June 2017 (3)
  • May 2017 (6)
  • March 2017 (2)
  • February 2017 (3)
  • January 2017 (2)
  • December 2016 (1)
  • November 2016 (3)
  • October 2016 (3)
  • September 2016 (2)
  • August 2016 (2)
  • July 2016 (2)
  • June 2016 (1)
  • May 2016 (3)
  • April 2016 (1)
  • March 2016 (2)
  • February 2016 (2)
  • January 2016 (3)
  • December 2015 (2)
  • November 2015 (3)
  • October 2015 (4)
  • September 2015 (4)
  • August 2015 (3)
  • July 2015 (2)
  • June 2015 (3)
  • May 2015 (4)
  • April 2015 (4)
  • March 2015 (10)
  • February 2015 (4)
  • December 2014 (3)
  • November 2014 (5)
  • October 2014 (1)
  • September 2014 (2)
  • August 2014 (4)
  • July 2014 (3)
  • June 2014 (3)
  • May 2014 (5)
  • April 2014 (4)
  • March 2014 (2)
  • February 2014 (4)
  • January 2014 (3)
  • December 2013 (3)
  • November 2013 (4)
  • October 2013 (3)
  • September 2013 (4)
  • August 2013 (5)
  • July 2013 (4)
  • June 2013 (4)
  • May 2013 (6)
  • April 2013 (3)
  • March 2013 (7)
  • February 2013 (3)
  • January 2013 (5)
  • December 2012 (4)
  • November 2012 (9)
  • October 2012 (8)
  • September 2012 (4)
  • August 2012 (6)
  • July 2012 (6)
  • June 2012 (5)
  • May 2012 (8)
  • April 2012 (7)
  • March 2012 (5)
  • February 2012 (4)
  • January 2012 (6)
  • December 2011 (5)
  • November 2011 (6)
  • October 2011 (6)
  • September 2011 (8)
  • August 2011 (6)
  • July 2011 (5)
  • June 2011 (5)
  • May 2011 (5)
  • April 2011 (4)
  • March 2011 (7)
  • February 2011 (6)
  • January 2011 (7)
  • December 2010 (5)
  • November 2010 (9)
  • October 2010 (7)
  • September 2010 (5)
  • August 2010 (4)
  • July 2010 (6)
  • June 2010 (5)
  • May 2010 (3)
  • April 2010 (3)
  • March 2010 (1)

more articles

Black feminism and the polycrisis

March 17, 2023 By MsAfropolitan Leave a Comment

… [Continue Reading...]

New writing on the Eco Gender Gap

February 16, 2023 By MsAfropolitan Leave a Comment

… [Continue Reading...]

Privacy Policy

https://msafropolitan.com/gdpr

Copyright MsAfropolitan © 2023