Mwana Kupona Binti Msham (19th Century Kenya)
Poem to Her Daughter
Daughter, take this amulet, tie it with cord and caring.
I’ll make you a chain of coral and pearl to glow on your neck.
I’ll dress you nobly.
A gold clasp too – fine, without flaw,
to keep with you always.
When you bathe, sprinkle perfume, and weave your hair in braids,
string jasmine for the counterpane.
Wear your clothes like a bride,
anklets for your feet, bracelets for your arms…
Don’t forget rosewater,
don’t forget henna for the palms of your hands…1
Little is known about Mwana Kupona Binti Msham whose poem Utendi wa Mwana Kupona, “the book of Mwana Kupona”, is one of the most well-known works of early Swahili literature. She was purportedly the last wife of sheikh Bwana Mataka, ruler of Siu. Mwana’s poem is dedicated to her 14 year old daughter Mwana Heshima.2
1Retrieved April 20, 2011 from Book Aid web site: http://www.bookaid.org/resources/downloads/schools/resource/eight_kenya_profile_1.pdf
2Retrieved April 20, 2011 from Wikipedia web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mwana_Kupona
Featured image: First Swahili Poem “Hamziyya” by Aidarusi retrieved April 20, 2011 from web site: http://blogs.warwick.ac.uk/zanzibar/gallerydetail/culture_and_arts_in_zanzibar/?imageNum=6
