13469760.0026.110Absinthe2377-3456Michigan Publishing, University of Michigan LibraryAnn Arbor, MI13469760.0026.110http://hdl.handle.net/2027/spo.13469760.0026.110ArticleM-Diag | Nani?, Who?Mpesha (author and translator) Nyambura04112019261VIBRATE! Resounding the Frequencies of Africana in Translation2019This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact mpub-help@umich.edu to use this work in a way not covered by the license. M-DIAG<xref rid="n1" ref-type="fn">1</xref> Uanzaye mwaka mosi sikiliza za DIAG Ipo hapo mbele, puani pa Hatcher Habari hizi sikiliza Si mzaha, si mchezo Iko wazi ya buluu, na herufi yake M 'Sikanyage 'sichezee, uko mwaka mosi 'Kikanyaga 'taanguka, mitihani utafeli Utafeli, utashindwa Miaka yote utashindwa ‘Sikanyage M-DIAG Ni mwiko! M-DIAG You starting first year, listen about DIAG It’s there in front of Hatcher’s nose Listen to these news It’s not a joke, it’s not a game It’s open, in blue, its letter M Don’t step on it, don’t play with it, in first year Step on it, you’ll fail, you’ll fall, exams you’ll fail You’ll fail, defeated All years defeated Don’t step on M-DIAG It’s taboo! Nani?<xref rid="n2" ref-type="fn">2</xref> Walinizunguka wengi wao Bila kunipa shikamoo Na mie nikanyamaza Nione walilowaza Ya mkongwe wa misimu elfu. Mwanifungiani jamani Mwanivuta kwa nini Tangu lini akahama Mzee wa misimu elfu, kahama Mmesikia wapi kahama? Japo sitembei Nyumba ninazo mbili Ya sasa ya lazima Japo si ya kuazima Na ya kwanza nisahau. Who? Many surrounded me Without a respectful greeting I kept silent To see their plan Concerning the old one of a thousand seasons. Why tie me Why pull me Since when did one move An old one of a thousand seasons Where did you hear of such a move? Though I don't walk I have two homes The current one is forced on me Though not a borrowed one And the first I forget.

This poem was written in Swahili for my Swahili students. I could not find a better title in Swahili because M-DIAG is presented as a proper noun and I wanted the readers to recognize the place name. Translating the poem into English proved challenging. The verbs –ANGUKA, –FELI, -SHINDWA mean the same thing and in Swahili they are emphatic. The English words FAIL, FALL, and DEFEATED do not seem to convey the same seriousness. The Swahili poem and its English translation have different rhythms. Hatcher Library is personified as having a nose but the image only makes sense in Swahili suggesting the proximity of M-DIAG with reference to Hatcher as similar to the proximity EYE to NOSE on a human body.

The poem was first written in Swahili when a tree was removed from the University of Michigan’s campus. It was written as a riddle for Intermediate Swahili students. With time the tree has been forgotten and often the students are not able to decipher the riddle. The answer to question WHO is THE BUSINESS SCHOOL TREE. This riddle is used when the class is learning Swahili riddles and conundrums.