This poem Wendo nĩ ihũa (Love is a flower) is part of a collection of 10 poems that I wrote themed around Indigenous people, culture, life, love, nature, and the advocacy for indigenous languages against cultural imperialism. The 10 poems were commissioned by The Joint Board of South and North Korea for the Compilation of Gyeoremal-Keunsajeon for the 2nd International Academic Forum on Sustainable Development of Indigenous Languages. The virtual event took place on November 25th & 26th 2021( Watch a video of the event here)
My Aunt, Nelly Gaciku Kimani did the video recital below. Find the poem in its original text (Gĩkũyũ below) as well as the English translation
Mũthenya wa mbere
ta wone ũtumĩirie ũkengu
ta riũa rĩ nyunjurĩ wa matu,
tũmĩtheko gũtumĩria
tũmathangũ kũhitha ũthaka,
wendo nĩ ihũa
Mũthenya wa keeri
Ũcio wendo ũgicema
ta mũkungi na mũcemi.
Ndũngĩanĩrĩra ũgĩũka
Ũcio wendo ũgĩkunũka ta ikunũ
wendo nĩ ihũa
Mũthenya wa gatatũ
Kũringũka, gũtambũrũka, gũkeenga
Mũtararĩko wĩtaga njũkĩ kuuma ng’ongo na ng’ongo
Kĩĩrorerwa gĩtũmaga mũtũrĩre ũgĩe riiri ni marangi
Maica magacama ta maya mekĩrĩtwo cukari
ngoro ĩkaihũrwo nĩ ciĩhuruta
wendo nĩ ihũa
Mũthenya wa kana
Kũrĩrĩmbũka rĩrĩ rĩrĩ, dagĩka ĩno
Ĩrĩa ĩngĩ nĩ kũhora werekeire kũhora
Wendo yũcio ũtambũrũkirie mathangũ moothe
Weonania marangi moothe
Ũtegwĩtigĩra kana gũconoka
Weitũrũra woothe wehena wothe
Mũthenya wa gatano
Ũcio ũkĩhoha
mwaki wa njĩbĩ ũkĩhwererekera
Ũcio mũnyanya agĩtwarĩra ũngĩ mahũa
wendo nĩ ihũa
Translation: Love is a flower
The first day
see it hiding its shimmer
like the sun hiding behind the clouds
its laughter peeping behind closed lips
its leaves shielding its beauty
love is a flower
The second day
There goes love playing peek a boo
it- the cat
you – the mouse
silently creeping as it approaches
there goes love Puff! -like a mushroom
love is a flower
The Third Day
see it arise, bloom, blossom
its sweet nectar calling bees
from valleys and rifts
a beauty to behold
that makes life so colourful
sweetens the days
as the heart fills with butterflies
love is a flower
On the Fourth Day
See its fire burn brightly now
the next, look as the embers slowly die
there goes love, spreading all its leaves
showing all its colours
un-ashamed – unafraid
pouring itself over – every drop
On the Fifth Day
Look at it as it withers
the weak fire with no log to keep it going
there goes the lover
offering flowers to another
love is a flower