AIDS TO THE STUDY OF 
 KI-SWAHILI 
 
Dictionary of the Suahili Language 
 
 By L. Krapf. 30 - net. 
 
 Comparative Grammar of the Congo 
 Languages, and of Swahili. 
 
 Witli a Vocabulary. 
 
 Bv W. H. Stapleton 6 - net. 
 
 KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH TRUBNER & Co., Ltd. 
 
AIDS TO THE STUDY 
 OF KI-SWAHILI 
 
 FOUR STUDIES COMPILED 
 AND ANNOTATED 
 
 By 
 MERVYN W. H. BEECH, M.A., F.R.A.I 
 
 Examiner in Ki-Swahili in the East Africa 
 Protectorate 
 
 Author of "The Tidong Dialects of Borneo," "The Suk — their 
 Language and Folklore," etc., etc. 
 
 KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRUBNER & CO., LTD. 
 New York : E. P. BUTTON & CO. 
 
PREFACE 
 
 The objects of this little compilation are two. Primarily 
 it is intended to assist those students who, already well 
 acquainted with the elements of the Swahili language, 
 are desirous of entering for the Government " Higher 
 Standard "" examination. Study I has been compiled at 
 the request of a number of individuals, and because, as I 
 believe, no such treatise on writing ki-Swahili in the Arabic 
 character exists in English. 
 
 There is a tendency nowadays to discourage this form 
 of writing, but there can be no doubt that, putting aside 
 the question of its suitability, a knowledge thereof is still 
 essential for coastal administration. The student will 
 find that, after having become proficient in reading good 
 clear writing, there will remain the unpleasant fact that 
 he will still be able to decipher only about one in every 
 six of the letters that he receives in the course of his duties. 
 It is to assist him in this difficulty that the letters in this 
 section have been chosen. 
 
 A model was first selected and subsequentlj' specimens 
 of letters, which in a small space would contain the greatest 
 variety of methods of Avriting, were carefully chosen. 
 
 To decide upon the model was by no means so easy as 
 it may sound, for of the large number of authorities ques- 
 tioned, both Arab and Swahili, I never succeeded in finding 
 two whose views entirely coincided. 
 
 The selection, it is hoped, will prepare the student for 
 any variety and. with the exception of letter No. 1 which 
 is the model, must not be taken as teaching him how to 
 ivrite but as giving him a practical knowledge of \\o\\ to 
 read. 
 
 In Study II I have endeavoured to draw attention to 
 
 v 
 
 435709 
 
vi PREFACE 
 
 idioms and notewortliy constructions of which I made 
 notes when I myself was learning the language. Con- 
 sequently I have occasionally slightly stretched the context 
 in order to include a note that I have considered would be 
 useful. .Some of the points to which I have drawn attention 
 may seem at first sight trivial or unnecessary. But it 
 must be remembered that many phrases of which the 
 translation is obvious, and which are apt to be passed over 
 unnoticed, will ))^ found on closer inspection to be in reality 
 idiomatic. 
 
 Study III consists of aphorisms and riddle^. Some of 
 these have doubtless been published before, but 3, great 
 proportion are new, and all have been collected from the 
 natives by myself. 
 
 If some of the explanations, all of which were given to 
 me by Wa-Swahili, are rather unsatisfactory I prefer to 
 leave them so rather than to risk inventing a false interpre- 
 tation myself. 
 
 A knowledge of aphorisms is not only most useful in 
 emphasizing a point, but also gives the student many 
 glimpses of the national character. Not that the Swahili 
 acts up to the high level of his maxims, which are probably 
 in many cases derived from the Arabs — or perhaps it is 
 that he would say as did Ovid, " Video meliora proboque 
 deteriora sequor." 
 
 Study IV may be of anthropological interest to some, but 
 it is inserted here chiefly as an example of pleasing and 
 harmonious language. 
 
 The whole of the four studies have been compiled direct 
 from non-English speaking natives and no interpreters have 
 been used. 
 
 Secondarily the aim of this little book is to endeavour 
 to create in the student an appreciation of the euphony 
 of this language, and, in spite of its composite character, 
 ki-Swahili well spoken is most euphonious. 
 
 Language is not only a science but an art, and, if perfec- 
 tion is to be attained, it should be studied from both these 
 points of view. 
 
 The science consists in attaining to grammatical correct- 
 ness ; the art in acquiring idiom, intonation and gesture. 
 
PREFACE vii 
 
 Knowledge of the former without tlie latter is incomplete. 
 
 To publish a book on ki-Svvahili, however small, requires 
 some boldness, and 1 should scarcely have ventured to do 
 so but for the encouragement received from Mr. A. ('. Mollis 
 and the Rev. John Hamshere of the Church Missionary 
 Society, after they had perused my MS. To the latter, 
 who has resided for over twenty years on the' Coast, 1 am 
 especially indebted for his kindness in giving me many 
 valuable suggestions. He is referred to throughout the 
 \\ork by the initial H. 
 
 I must also acknowledge the assistance received from a 
 large number of Arabs and Wa-Swahili, notably the late 
 Sheikh Muhamad bin Salini bin Hamis "1-^Iazarui, " Liwali " 
 of Takaungu; Sharif Ahmad l>in Uusuf, "' Kadhi "" of Fort 
 ♦Smith ; his cousin Sharif Said Hasan bin Aloi ; ^luhamad 
 bin Salim and Shaaban bin ^luhamad. 
 
 Nor must I omit to mention the kind encouragement 
 I have received from the Royal Anthropological Institute, 
 the African Society, Sir Harry .Johnston, Chief Justice 
 Hamilton, and the publishers, all of whom in one way or 
 another have by their sympathy and interest enabled me 
 to have the book produced. 
 
 M. W. H. B. 
 
 Mombasa. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Preface ......... v 
 
 SwAHiLi Traditions as to Themselves . . . xi 
 
 Study I. — Ki-Swahili Writing ..... 3 
 
 Study II. — Ki-Swahili Stories, with Translation 
 
 AND Notes on Idiom . . . .58 
 
 Study III. — Enigmas and Aphorisms, with Explana- 
 tions AS GIVEN BY Wa-SwAHILI . .117 
 
 Study IV. — Magic in Pemba ..... 134 
 
 XX 
 
SWAHILI TRADITIONS AS TO 
 THEMSELVES 
 
 To obtain a satisfactory answer to the question as to what 
 a Swahih really is, it A%ill be necessary to divide oiu* inquiry 
 into three stages. In the first we shall attempt to satisfy 
 ourselves as to the original meaning and significance of 
 the term. In the second we shall endeavour to trace its 
 development ; whilst in the third and last we shall attempt 
 to describe what is generally understood by the term at 
 the present day. 
 
 It must be remembered that the arguments are to a 
 ■great extent those given by the people themselves. Limits 
 of space and the absence of books of reference will of necessity 
 preclude the subjecting of these arguments to a minute 
 and critical examination, but, whilst some of them may be 
 unsupported and unconvincing, it is nevertheless claimed 
 that the conclusions are substantially correct. 
 
 The First Stage. 
 
 The Arabic word signifjang a ' coast ' is ' saJiil ' (JiiL») 
 and its plural is ' suahil ' ( Jjtl^) 
 
 The final " « " A\'ith the teshdid ^ is a genitive affix. 
 
 Thus we obtain an Arabic word -)ifcl^ ' Swahiliyi,' which 
 means ' (« man) of the coasts.' 
 
 When we have once grasped the fact that this is a term 
 which the Arabs appHed to those of themselves who settled 
 on the African coast, ^ and not to a native coast tribe which 
 they found already there upon their aii'ival, we shall have 
 advanced a considerable distance in the solution of our 
 problem. 
 
 Now as there are still a large number of persons who 
 
 * It is said that the Arabs also use this term to designate the 
 Coast people in their own country. 
 
 xi 
 
xii SWAHILI TRADITrOXS AS TO THEAfSELVES 
 
 persist in l>c'lii'viiig in tlu' original existence of an Afi'ican 
 tril)c called the Wa-S\vahili, it will be as well to give some 
 of the evidence obtained from local tradition and old M8S.,* 
 although we are unable to guarantee its truth. 
 
 There can be no doubt that the settlement of the 
 East Coast of Africa dates back to pre-Muhamadan and 
 even pre-C'hristian times, and that it was effected by peoples 
 from Arabia, Persia and Sp'ia, all of whom came probably 
 by way of the Persian Gulf. In Mombasa and its vicinity 
 the most important divisions of the S^^'ahili are the ' Thelatha 
 Taifa ' - or ' Three Tribes,' and the ' Tissa Taifa ' 2 or ' Nine 
 Tribes.' The ' Thelatha Taifa ' or ' Three Tribes ' consist 
 of the Wa-Kilindini, the Wa-Changamwe, and the Wa- 
 Tangana. Of these the first Kilindini ^ i;^ said to be a 
 
 ^ c 
 
 corruption of ' Jilindan-iyi' ( JIJjJ^) this being the 
 name of an Arab tribe living near Maskat. Changamwe is 
 
 said to be a corruption of Taglmmaiv-iyi (^^UiJ) an 
 Aral) tribe in Syria.* 
 
 The origin of Tangana is disputed. Some derive it from 
 the Swahili word ' Ku-tangamana ' (to mix), and explain 
 Wa-Tangana as being the name given to all Arab and 
 Persian settlers in Mombasa, w^ho did not belong to the 
 two first-mentioned tribes — as we might say ' The Miscel- 
 laneous.' Others declare that the Wa-Tangana came from 
 Shiraz in Persia. The ' Tissa Taifa ' or ' Nine Tribes ' 
 similarly boast of Asiatic derivations. 
 
 There is considerable disagreement as to the composition 
 
 ^ The oldest Swahili MS. that I have seen is written on rice 
 paper obtained probably from Persia. It consists of a number 
 of verses explaining the meaning of difficult words. It is said to 
 be over 500 years old and both Arabs and Swahili have found it 
 very difficult to translate. 
 
 * Be it noted that these designations are in pure Arabic. In 
 Ki-Swahili, Miji mitatu, Miji Tissia. 
 
 3 Kilindini. Some would derive this word as follows : Ki- 
 lindi-ni : lindi, a hole or pit ; ni locative affix. Hence ' the place 
 where there is a hole,' or the ' place of deep water,' which, it must 
 be admitted, seems more probable. 
 
 * Altho\igh ' Ku-changanya ' (Zanzibar dialect) (to mix) is a 
 tempting suggestion, wliich, if correct, would place the tribe in the- 
 same category as the Wa-Tangana. 
 
SWAHILI TRADITIONS AS TO THEMSELVES xiii 
 
 of the ' Nine Tribes.' It is difficult to obtain two identical 
 lists from two different Swahili.^ 
 
 We can, however, examine some of those about whom 
 there is no dispute. 
 
 The Wa-Jomvu are said to be settlers from the country 
 
 c 
 
 of Jauf («-j^) in the Yemen. 
 
 The Wa-Kilifl are said to be an Arab tribe from near 
 Mecca. The tribe is called ' Kulfah ' (aM^) after its 
 founder Kulfah bin Hanthalah (dlij;^ ^j dsK). 
 
 The Wa-Mtwapa are said to be the Tahia {^^^) a 
 tribe who live near Maskat and also in Syria. The true 
 Wa-Pate, of whom there are said to remain only about ten 
 families, are said to have come from 'Ajam' (^sS^) i.e. 
 Persia. 
 
 The Wa-Gunia , who speak what is generally called a 
 barbarous dialect of Ki-Swahili, are said to be Persians from 
 Kangoni, near Shiraz, but it is admitted that they are very 
 much mixed up A\-ith a tribe fi'om the Sudan called Muilli 
 
 {Ay) whose chief town is Bana. ' Gunia ' is supposed 
 to be a corruption of Kangoni. As to the Wa-Malindi it 
 is not suggested whence they came. The town of Malindi - 
 is said to have been called ' Muludh ' {^jb^) but changed 
 
 1 This is, I think, due to the fact that each tribe has a number 
 of subdivisions, and, if the speaker belongs to one of those sub- 
 divisions, he is apt to refer to his particular section as being the 
 comprehensive name of the tribe ; e.g. the Wa-Pate are divided 
 into Wa-Pate, Xabahani, Ma-shariju, 'Arabs' (Abdi Salam), Wa- 
 Kilio and Wa-Pokomo. The first fovir are of Asiatic origin, the 
 fifth Xyika and the last descendants of natives of the Tana river, 
 of wliich hereafter ; cf . infra, p. xv. n 2. 
 
 The Wa-Siyu again are said to be divided into the Wa-Siyu, 
 Wa-Famau, Wa-Katwa and Ma-Sharif u. 
 
 2 Malindi. Local tradition says that the present town is the 
 sixth which has been built on the same spot. It is said to date 
 from 1271 A.H. 
 
 The previous town is said to have been destroyed in 1017 A.H. 
 which date is the same assigned to all ruins on the East Coast, 
 e.g. Gedi, Kilifi, Xgomeni, etc., etc. The story is that the Asiatic 
 settlers attempted to enslave the Galla, but were defeated and so 
 weakened that they became an easy prey to the people of Witu, 
 who swept down the coast and overwhelmed all the towns except 
 those situated, on islands. 
 
xiv SWAHILI TRADITIONS AS TO THEMSELVES 
 
 to * Maliiidi ' out of conipliinont to Vascoda Gama's wife 
 whose name was Linda ! 
 
 However unconvincing these derivations may be, they 
 are sufficient to convince us of tlie Swaliili tradition of 
 their Asiatic origin dating from a very long time ago.^ 
 
 The Second Stage. 
 
 We need not doubt that it was the quest of slaves 
 which first brought the Arabs and Persians to East African 
 shores, and that subsequently they decided to employ some 
 of these slaves in cultivating the fertile coast lands. 
 
 Now these slaves were almost invariably pm-chased in 
 the large slave market of Kilwa, an island in, what is as I 
 now write, German territory, and Zanzibar. They con- 
 sisted of natives of central Africa, e.g. Wa-Nyassar As 
 was customary, many of the women they took as concubines. 
 
 We now have a number of Arab and Persian tribes settled 
 along the East Coast of Africa, living with a host of Bantu 
 slaves by whose women they were frequently having children. 
 What is the next stejD ? 
 
 The child of an Arab by a slave-concubine (Suria) takes 
 his father's nationality. He is an ' Arab.' His child in 
 turn by a native woman is an ' Arab ' ; and again his child 
 under similar circumstances -is an ' Arab ' : — and so on 
 indefinitel}'. If, however, the hybrid child is a female and 
 
 ^ Of other Swahili tribes it might be added that the Wa-Shimazi 
 are said to belong to an Arab tribe called Shemzi after their founder, 
 one Ahmad bin Ali Shemzi. The Wa-Faza are said to have come 
 from Faza near Halab in Syria. The Wa-Pemba are said to have 
 come from Shiraz in Persia and settled in Pemba island in 1771 
 A.D. No derivation is given for the word Pemba but their dialect 
 of Ki-Swahili, ' Ki-Jezirati,' is obviously from the Arabic Jezirah 
 {ijiy^) (island). 
 
 - These slaves of Central African origin are called Wa-Shambara, 
 which does not mean, as far as I can find out, a native of Usambara 
 in Gerinan East Africa. Here we have the origin of the Ki-Swahili 
 language, viz., a compromise between Arabic and primitive Bantu 
 languages of Central Africa evolved in the efforts of master and 
 slave to understand one another. It is a mistake to regard Ki- 
 Swahili as a mixture of Arabic with Ki-Nyika or with the language 
 of a primitive Bantu tribe found by the Arabs on the Coast when 
 they first arrived. 
 
SWAHILI TRADITIONS AS TO THEMSELVES xv 
 
 this female does not many an ' Arab ' but a native, her 
 child is not an ' Arab ' but an ' Mzalia ' which is the identical 
 term applied to the offspring of a slave man and a slave 
 woman. ^ 
 
 We have now springing up a new class — the ' wa-zalia,' 
 who in some cases are pme Africans but in others have a 
 modicum of Arab blood. 
 
 Again the ' masikini,' or slaves freed by their masteis 
 in expiation of religious or other backslidings on their part, 
 were frequently allowed to become incorporated into that 
 ' Swahili ' tribe to which their Arab or Persian ex-masters 
 belonged. 
 
 Thirdly, certain Wa-Nyika, Wa-Pokomo and persons of 
 other African tribes of the near hinterland, became, after 
 being converted to Islam, included in the Swahili tribes.'- 
 
 The pure Swahili, i.e. those of Asiatic descent on the 
 paternal side, in order to distinguish themselves from these 
 three new classes, then styled themselves ' Wa-ungwana.' ^ 
 Now, although in many cases there is little or nothing to 
 distinguish the ' Wa-ungwana ' of to-day from the * wa- 
 zalia ' in the eyes of an European, they are nevertheless 
 knoMTi to one another and the native population in general. 
 
 The Third and Present Stage. 
 
 A fresh immigration of Arabs, e.g. the Mazrui some 100 
 years ago only, together with the advent of Europeans, is 
 responsible for the third stage. 
 
 For a long time past the Arab traders fi-om the Persian 
 Gulf had come to look down upon their brethren the Swahili, 
 due no doubt to a very great extent to the fact that the 
 descendants of these settlers continued to absorb more and 
 more the facial and boldly characteristics of the Afi'ican — 
 
 ^ Such an union would, in the early stages, doubtless be extremely 
 rare, but it is easj' to see how later, after several generations of 
 absorption of African blood, that it would become more and more 
 common. 
 
 - Ngombeni and Kidutani are said to be tribes of Islamized 
 VV^anyika ; and vid. xiii. note 1. 
 
 ■* JMu-ungwana, pi. iva-ungwona, is said to be derived from 
 Ku-ungana, ' to be joined together in lots ' (i.e. for the purpose 
 of distinction from others\ 
 
XV 
 
 i S\\ AUILI TRADITIONS AS TO THEMSELVES 
 
 •children of ihi'ir motliers ' they contempt uouBly called 
 thcni. The Poitugiiew not unnaturally classed all the 
 peoi)lc they found on the coast as SwahiU, a custom which 
 lias been consistently followed by all Europeans. Arab 
 tribes like the Mazrui fostered this idea by jn-oudly styling 
 themselves ' Arabs ' as opposed to Sicahili ; whilst the 
 • Wa-zf(li(i ' and ' Ma-Haji ' {i.e. Africans converted to 
 Islam) invariably style themselves Swahili when introducing 
 themselves to Europeans. 
 
 Conclusion. 
 
 A Swahili ' Mu-ungwana ' and an ' Arab ' is therefore 
 exactly the same, A\'ith the exception that the former may 
 have Persian blood in his veins. It is quite impossible 
 to distinguish many of the Wa-Swahili ' Wa-ungwana ' of 
 Mambrui fi-om the ' Arabs ' of that jjlace, or any other. 
 Their families have certainl}' bf'en there very much longer 
 than the ' Arabs,' and occasionally, though by no means 
 invariably, tliej^ are, owing to having absorbed more of 
 the African characteristic, of slightly darker tint. Both 
 must be descended from an Arab (or in the case of a 8\\ahili 
 an Arab or Persian) on the paternal side. This is a sine 
 qua non, even though the mothers may have been pure 
 Africans for fifty or more generations. The children are 
 still * xA.rabs ' or ' Swahili ' as the case may be. Conse- 
 quently though many show their Asiatic descent in their 
 appearance, in very many cases there is in appearance 
 nothing whatever to distinguish them from ' wa-zalia ' who 
 have no Asiatic bl6od in them at all. 
 
 Again an ' Mzalia,' if he succeeds in marrying an 
 ' mu-ungwana ' Avoman, may produce a child possibly more 
 Asiatic in appearance than many ' wa-ungwana.' Still this 
 child is an ' mzalia,' as descent on the maternal side is not 
 considered. 
 
 In fine, there need be no difference in appearance between 
 an ' Arab,' a ' Swahili ' and an ' Mzalia ' in the eyes of an 
 European, but it must never be forgotten that the distinc- 
 tion is there, very often recorded in genealogies handed down 
 fi'om father to son, and that it is very jealously guarded by 
 the peoj)]e themselves. 
 
STUDY I 
 Ki-Swahili Writing 
 
PRELIMINARY REMARKS 
 
 Ki-SwAHiLi, or Ki-Sawahili, is written in the Arabic 
 character. 
 
 That this character, however, cannot be said to he well 
 adapted to the language may be demonstrated by the 
 following :— 
 
 There is nothing in the Arabic alphabet to correspond 
 to the letters p, v, ch, ng, ny. 
 
 The fact that all these letters occur very frequently in 
 Ki-Swahili makes the wiiting at first somewhat difficult 
 to read. 
 
 For p the Swahilis have to use «__» ba — b, 
 ,, c7i ,, ,, ,, ,, jk^ shin— sh. 
 
 ,, V „ ,, ,, ,, > fa — f. 
 
 For the sake of distinction beginners are taught to write 
 p as <_> and v as *-j, but these forms are seldom to be 
 met with in expert handwriting. 
 
 Hard g has to be written c ghain (gh), the Arabic 
 guttural, which letter is not found in the Bantu, but only 
 in the originally Arabic words. The letter -- which takes 
 the place of hard g in Arabic is occasionally used. 
 
 It is unfortunate that Ki-Swahili has not adapted the 
 useful letters ^ ch, S" g (hard), ^ ng, cii ny, which are to 
 be found in the Persian, Urdu and Malay alphabets.^ 
 
 ^ Since writing the above I have received a letter from a Hajun. 
 a native of Lamu. This is inserted on page 45. These Swahili 
 are said to be of Persian extraction. It is instructive to Hnd that 
 the writer uses some of these letters. 
 
4 AiDN TO THK STUDY OK K1-S\VAHILT 
 
 The absence of iig aiul iiy is ])articularly to lie regretted, 
 as Ki-Swahili al)ounds in words containing these sounds. 
 The contrivances are chimsy and confusing — 
 n very commonly goes out altogetlier before g or y. It 
 does so indeed ])efore most consonants — 
 e.g. ku-andika ^.^^ 
 
 C t J 
 
 =ngombe, aii ox t_~».c> or c_»^c> 
 
 = nyumba. a liouse t__~».j 
 What is actually spelt is ghombe or ghobe and yumba. 
 
 -C^C CJC ' cc 
 
 <-_.^^ »__^4Jtj and <-r-*-fr' if niore correct are far less fre- 
 quently used, 
 
KI-SWAHTLF AI.PHABET. 
 
 Name of 
 letter 
 in Ki- 
 
 Swahili 
 
 Alifu 
 
 Bei 
 
 <— J 
 
 Tei 
 
 
 Thei 
 
 , . 
 
 Jimu 
 
 2" 
 
 Hhei 
 
 r 
 
 Khe' 
 
 e 
 
 Dali 
 
 Thali 
 Rei 
 Zei 
 SIni 
 
 Shini 
 
 Sadi 
 
 Thadi 
 
 Twei 
 
 Thwei 
 
 'Aini 
 
 Ghaiiii ^ 
 
 Fei 
 Kafu 
 
 Kiafu 
 Lamu 
 Mimu 
 Nunu 
 Hei 
 
 Wall 
 Ya 
 
 A 
 
 
 
 r -• 
 
 rroiiunciatioii 
 
 1 ^ 11 
 
 Can only be joined wlii'n it follows anotluT 
 , letter, e.g. ba U hut ab c ^ 1 
 
 " b or |) " 
 
 I) is soniotinios di.stinKuishcd thus < > 
 
 ordinary t as in ICmkUsIi Can appear finally as x-^ <■.«. X;; sanat, 
 
 a year. Also when isolated can appear 
 llnally as d 
 
 th'asiii iMiglisli ■ three ' e.j 
 
 Athnian, - vU.iiC^ 
 
 > > 
 
 k k 
 
 a. c_A 
 < ^ 
 
 ^ \ ^ ■ 
 
 stronyly aspirated li ' 
 
 ' kh ' guttural as in 
 Scotrli ' loch ' or CJer- 
 nian ' rfi ' 
 
 Can be used also for hard ' g,' but r.ire. 
 
 L^E:» =IIhasani 
 Sheikh 
 
 Can only be joined finally e.xcept occasion- 
 ally in writing quickly as <J,JsaJ =• 
 Wahadahu 
 
 'I c 
 
 ' th ' as in English ' they ' eg- Jwvi —fetha (Zanzibar dialect) 
 
 ■ r ' I Both these letters are joined when follow- 
 
 j ing a letter only. 
 
 ' z ' or ' lazy ' s 
 
 ' sli ' or ' ch ' 
 
 Often written as a straight lit 
 ^ sanat „ . 
 
 ' uipishi * or ' mbichi ' 
 
 In Lamu, the Urdu, Persian and Malay /T 
 is used for ch. " ^ 
 
 emphatic and very sibilant e.g j^J =nusu 
 ss, also s(w) " i. ^ 
 
 ' dh ' or emphasized ' d ' 
 
 very dental ' t ' = ' tt ' 
 
 ■ th ' pronounced as near- 
 ly as po.ssible ' z ' also 
 = th(w) 
 
 a liamzah sound, vide p. 7 
 = Greek rough breath- 
 ing or 'a 
 
 ' gh ' guttural ' r ' or ' g ' 
 hard. Also = ng 
 
 ' f ' or ' V ' 
 emphatic ' k ' 
 
 ordinary ' k ' 
 
 ■r 
 
 ' h ' (ordinary 
 
 (jA^ =Fedha (.Alombasa dialect) 
 
 o 
 
 lkU = s 
 
 Sultan 
 
 , Ikj = nathannl 
 
 d)JU-^=' 
 
 Abdaliali 
 
 u—^.*^ = ngombc., A'v» =Faragha 
 
 ' V ' is sometunes distinguished t_3 
 
 c 
 , waLS =Kadlu (Mombasa dialect) 
 
 appears occasionally thus -T or ^g 
 written ((uickly as in ^^ ' 
 
 mimi 
 
 Final ' h when joined written as in 
 diJtX-^O^Abdallah 
 
 ' w,' u, o, consonant or long Joined when folllowiiig a letter only 
 
 vowel . 
 
 y, i, e, or ny, consonant l^. or A-S = \li 
 
 or vowel 
 
 Tor & Hamzah vide page 7. 
 
 ' , ■ fl == nyumba 
 liani-Alif=Ia is Reldom used by Swahili. 
 
VOWELS 
 
 Ki-8wahili is written in many ways, as the examples will 
 show. There is considerable disagreement as to which is 
 the correct method, but since the wTiting was introduced 
 by the Arabs, that approved by the Arabs may be safely 
 followed. 
 
 The first example, page 15, is a letter from Muhamad 
 bin Sali bin Hamis to myself. 
 
 This rnani is the Liwali or Arab Governor of Takaungu, 
 and is the second most imjjortant member of the royal 
 household of the Mazrui. His letter is therefore inserted 
 as an .example of correct writing. 
 
 The short vowels, it will be seen, are signified by the- — 
 
 ' Fatha a. 
 ' Kesra i, e. 
 -• Dhamma o, u. 
 
 Long vowels are shown in the alphabet on the preceding 
 page. 
 
 Words beginning with an a, e, o, u, or i sound are in- 
 variably commenced with ) (alif) or c ('ain). 
 
 These are changed into the vowel intended by means 
 of the vowel signs attached or by the vowel immediately 
 following. 
 
 Thus ) a, ) i or e, 1 u or o. 
 
 e.g. Jl ule, jl ile, «-_aJI alif. 
 
 - C " 
 
 ^j.--j:> Isa, ^l*-ii^ Athman. 
 
 ^ and ^ can however begin a word when — 
 ==w and y, i.e., whenever they have the signification of 
 a consonant. 
 
 Thus ^_2 ^^y^> ^ =wa, U4^. :=yetu, «.lii^ =watu. 
 
 1 He has died since this was written. 
 6 
 
Ki-SWAHILI WRITING 7 
 
 NUMBERS 
 
 Tlicse being borrowed from the Sanskrit read from left 
 to right. 
 
 • ^6 
 
 SI V 7 
 
 V 2 , ^8 
 
 ^3 =S 9 
 
 f 4 S* 10 
 o 5 
 
 A sum in addition. 
 
 <P V S = 479 
 
 S V *C = 123 
 
 "^ f V = 647 
 
 S V f ^ 1249 
 
 OTHER ARABIC SIGNS EMPLOYED 
 
 Tlie teshdid - which doubles a letter — 
 
 e.g. <)JJ)=Allah. 
 The suhun c which marks absence of vowel after a conso- 
 nant, and indicates the long vowels ^ and ^ as 
 
 J^ c 
 
 opposed to two distinct syllables, e.g. <^^»* = mt\x, a 
 
 ' C J 
 
 man, and 5C^=kufika not kufiika. 
 
 The hamzah = An abrupt cutting off of the breath. 
 
 The chief use of the hamzah in Ki-Swahili is to mark 
 where ^ and ^ are used as vowels, and not as consonants. 
 
 -^ofe.^— One however frequently finds the hamzah omitted 
 and the dhamma used over, 
 
 e.g* «.:i»byi =uli-o-pata or «.^^byi 
 
 whereas <.^ LJ 1 = uli-yo -pata 
 
 ci»i--Jj =nili-i-pata 
 
 ^Ijjtj =baada-e (Mombasa dialect). 
 ^Ijju — baada-ye (Zanzibar dialect). 
 j[J=> ^tayari. 
 
8 
 
 AIDS To THE HTllDV OF KI-SWAIilLl 
 
 MONTHS 
 In letter- writing tlie Arabic months are employed. 
 As the year is hmar the months appear at all times of 
 cm' year. 
 
 Their names are — 
 Swahili Months. 
 
 Arabic Mo^iths as 'pronounced and 
 written by the Sioahili. 
 
 1. 
 2. 
 
 3. 
 
 4. 
 
 5. 
 
 'Mfiinguo 'nne) 
 ( ,, tano) 
 ( ., sita) 
 ( ., sabaa) 
 .. nane) 
 
 Muharam /^js^ 
 Safur ji.^ 
 
 Rabii-l'-Awal J^Ol ^i^ 
 Rabii-i-thani ^ili' ^j 
 Jemad-l'-Awal J^DI ^q^W 
 
 6. 
 
 7. 
 
 8. 
 
 9. 
 
 10. 
 
 ( ,, tisia) 
 
 (Rajabu) 
 (Shabani) 
 [Ramadhani) 
 (Mfanguo mosi) 
 
 Jemad-i-thani or Jemad-1-akhir 
 
 Rajab <-— s^^ 
 Shaban ^^W*-i* 
 Ramadhan ^^,^^^^J 
 Shuwal A^y^ 
 
 11. 
 2. 
 
 ( „ pili) 
 ( „ tatu) 
 
 Thal-ka-adi ^J«Jl)l^i 
 Thil-Haji. ^s^l .^^ 
 
 Written by a Swahili. 
 
 ^^ 
 
 U^< 
 
 LETTER WRITING 
 
 Ai-abic days of the week are sometimes em^jloyed. 
 
 Arabic, 
 (Sunday) '1-ahad J^^Ul J^^l 
 
 (Monday) '1-ithnain 
 (Tuesday) '1-athalatha 
 (Wednesday) '1-arbaa 
 (Thursday) '1-khamis 
 (Friday) '1-jumaa. 
 
 (Satm-day) 'Sabti 
 
 The letter is usually headed by some such religious 
 
 phrase as — wahadahu (Ar. w^l^ one)=pekeyake S. 
 
 '1-hamdullilahi wahadahu ! 
 Praise to God the only God ! 
 or J*j- 
 
 <U.i 
 
 .51 
 
 
KI-SWAHILI WRITING 9 
 
 Taala Biminihi ! 
 
 Great God who wards off all ills ! (S. Mkubwa mwenyi 
 kuzuia maovu.) 
 
 Whereafter the letter opens mth a string of compliments 
 in Arabic. The following words appear most commonly — 
 
 ^ /T-Hathwarat (Ar. i^xfa-^) Presence (H. kilicho tayari 
 
 mbele) (cf. ku-hudhm'ia). 
 '1-Jenab (Ar. «t-jI£>) (?) Absent (S. mwenyi kuwa 
 
 mbaU). 
 '1-Moheb (Ai-. s-st^). Friend, beloved (S. mpenzi), 
 
 c a 
 
 2 '1-akaram (Ai-. ^^1} Honoured (S. mtukufu). 
 T-muhtaram, Desired (S. mwenyi kuaniwa). 
 
 ^ '1-aziz (Ai'. }-:'/>) Noble, beloved (S. mpenzi). 
 
 '1-miikaram (Ai'. /^^) Honom'able (8. mtukufu). 
 '1-afham Clever (S. Mwenyi aldli). (Ar. root ^♦a^j). 
 '1-heshim (Ar. j^ifO^^) Respected (modest) ' (8. mwenyi 
 
 heshima). 
 '1-maatham Holy (8. mtakatifu). 
 
 Some special words are used almost exclusively in letters — 
 e.g. Ku-arifu to inform. . (Cf. Malay ^jC»jl^y,), 
 Ku-wasili, to arrive (of a letter). 
 
 The general form for closing a letter is— 
 (Date) ^j\i name ^^^^^ ^i)~v>l^ 
 
 Year (sanat) 1330. x _^^^ ^ 
 
 Swahili make the following distinction when using Chris- 
 tian and Muhammadan dates. 
 
 Thus jb X ^^^''^V \^ =sanat 1332 h. 
 
 r ^— ^2^lL— ~* —sanat 1914 m. 
 
 * Thus the plxrase 'L-jenab '1-hathwarat, whicli so often com- 
 mences a letter, would have the signification of ' he who is far away 
 but yet is near (owing to his being able to be approached by letter). 
 H. imderstands jenab to signify ' the excellent ' but Krapf makes 
 Ila jenabi =to the side of. My rendering is the result of independent 
 inquiry. 
 
 - H. suggests generous ? cf. ku-kirimu. 
 
 » H. would render = 'tvikufu '= mighty. 
 
Hi aids to TIIK STl'DV OKKI-SWAIIIl.l 
 
 The it (li) slaiidK for Hogeira^^tlu' fliglit (i.e., Miihamad'e 
 flight fi'oni .Mecca to iMedina). 
 
 The /* (m) stands for Miladia^tlic birthday (i.e., of 
 
 Christ). 
 
 ,. .,. '. 1 V wakatabahii ) = mwenyi kuandika 
 
 (Ar. ^^Tltlllg 5jU6 ^. ,. , . / 
 
 "^ *=• , Biyedihl j = signature. 
 
 . The follo^nng are stereotyped beginnings and endings 
 
 of letters — 
 
 ■From child to father. 
 
 ^-oJI Mj^^ jJi^i ry^^ fj^^ Tt^\ <__»U^ ijiis^ ^\ 
 
 <jJ^ <^■^ii^^ 
 
 Fi'om brother to brother. 
 ;>i;>AJl ^Ul ^j:^^\ ^/y p/Ul Jr^DI ^^^1 c^U^ J\ 
 
 < ^y^l <4-^^^ 
 
 From, friend to friend. 
 
 ji,y^\ j^c:^\}\ ^1)1 p^<kl ^/01 u^^y ^-^1 ^l^ J) 
 
 N_j£a <\-j;x.* 
 
 The fpllo^Aing original letters are inserted in exactly the 
 same form in which they were received. No corrections 
 have been made in the originals and several mistakes will 
 consequently be found. 
 
 In the Roman version, however, mistakes are corrected. 
 
 It can safely be averred that the student, who is able 
 \nthout assistance to decipher the examples here given, 
 may be said to be competent to read any letter that may 
 be addressed to him in Ki-Swahili. 
 
 It has not been thought necessary to give Enghsh trans- 
 lations of the several letters, it being assumed that the 
 student will not address himself to the study of wi'iting 
 before he has attained a certain proficiency in the sjDoken 
 language. 
 
 Letter No. 1 is given as a specimen of writing 
 that should be followed. All the rest are carefully 
 selected specimens of kinds of letters that the 
 student may any day have to decipher. 
 
iL' AIDS TO TIIK STUDY OV Kl-SWAIIIIJ 
 
 Letter fi-om the late Li wall of Takaungii to the author on the 
 subject of joiu'iieying with him to Mombasa. This is 
 an example of the best \\Titten Swahili. 
 
 Taala Bimanihis 
 
 Ila hatharati janabi '1-ajali 'hakrami '1-azizi Bwana 
 ' Beech ' balozi wa Takaungu. . . . 
 
 Wabaadu nakuarif u barua yako tukufu inieN\ asili mkononi 
 mwangu jana usiku; na uliyoniarifu nimefahamu ahasanta 
 Sana, na mimi nitafm-ahi sana tuldfuatana sote kwenda 
 Mombasa, lakini nataka kA\a ihisani yako uniarifu safari 
 yako itakuwa lini walsalamu, wakatabahu mohibeka 
 Muliamadbin 8alim b. Khamis, bij^adihi, tarekhi 9 Jemadi-1- 
 akhii'i sanat 1329. 
 
KI-8WAHILI WRTTINr; 
 
 13 
 
 ^- 
 
 <>/ .a. 
 
 
 
14 AIDS TO THE STUDY OF KT-SWAiriLT 
 
 Letter from the author to LiwaH Muhamad bin Salim 
 apologizing for not ^^Titing ])efore and informing liim 
 of his fiitm-e movements and of the return of a ))icycle. 
 
 Taala Bimanihi ! 
 
 'L-jcnab '1-sheikli '1-moheb '1-akram '1-mukaram '1-afham 
 '1-sheikh '1-aziz Muhamad b.tSahm b.Kamis '1-Mazrui salamu 
 Sana baada ya salanm nakuarifu hali yangu njema tafadhali 
 nisamehe sikukuandikia barua mbele ya hii kwa sababu 
 ninashikwa sana ni homa tangu niHpotoka Mombasa wala 
 sina nguvu ya kuondoka kitandani hatta leo nami nasiJiitika 
 sana kwa sababu sikupata- kuonana nawe tena Mombasa ; 
 Insliallaliu tutaonana tena siku nyingine ; nami na bibi 
 yangu 'taketi Dagoreti karibu na Nairobi ; imkhabari ya 
 maghari yako moja nalirudisha ^ Mombasa nataraji uhhpata 
 salama ahasanta sana; nami nisalimia Sheikh Raschid na 
 Kadhi na Mazrui wote ; inshallahu wapate baraka, salam 
 aleik warahamata Allah wabarakatah wakatabahu mohibek 
 • Beech ' Tarekh 7 Rajab tSanat 1329. 
 
 * Tliis word both in original and transliteration should have 
 been ' niliUrudisha.' 
 
KI-SWAHILI WHITING 15 
 
 ^ \}\ ^JX\ ^Ji\ \_^\ Jc^N c^Ur J 
 
 ^l^ Ljil.i-.::^^ Vci.:^ L^ Ir^^ /^^)^ r-A;^ 
 •^^^5 /^3)9^ C^^ —V-^*) ^^tr^ C-$~T:^^ r^ 
 
 W^^ Xi& »c)— ^^^^r i.^\53 ^^^ ?V>Lv!>) 
 
16 AIDS TO THE STUJ)Y OF KI-SWAHIU 
 
 1329. 
 'L l^audar Takaungu, Fi Gonjora, 
 
 Assistant Commissioner, 
 Takaungu. 
 
 'L-jenab '1-moheb '1-akram 'l-asham '1-afham '1-aziz 
 ' mister ' Beech, wabaada '1-athi aarafaka barua yako aziz 
 imeniwasilia, jamii uliyoaiifu nimefahamu ahasanta sana 
 '1-ajili ya furaha ya nafsi yangu kupata barua yako, namimi 
 sina shughuli ya kunizuia kuja aagana nawewe, basi natumaT 
 kesho nitaazimu kuja kukutezama wewe lazima Inshallahu 
 Taala ; namimi nasildtika kwa kulla Bwana mwema 
 haketi Takaungu na labuda inte yetu haina bahati aalam 
 hatha katabah mohibeka '1-muktari Khamis bii). Said, 
 biyadihi, (illegible) Jemad-1-akhir, 
 
 The above is a letter from an Arab-8wahili to the author, 
 wherein he informs him that he will come to see him, and 
 politely expresses his regret that the author is leaving tlie 
 district. 
 
 This is included as a sample of letters fiequently received 
 in East Africa which are very difficult to decipher o"v\dng 
 to tlie curious handwriting and the mixture of Ai-abic. 
 
KI-SWAHILI WRITING 
 
 j:^X^ 
 
 » ^r 
 
 "C^ ^ 
 
 W''>'^^y. 
 
 S^Ji 
 
 at 
 
 ^'^,\^lc^''.::',<.^<^' 
 
 ^ '^ r\^ \^ J^ 
 
 
 ^.^"ii^'u-t-L 
 
 / ^^ >^ 
 
 
 17 
 
18 AIDS TO THE STUDY OF KT-SWAHTLI 
 
 Letter set in the Higher Standard Swahili Examination, 
 
 1911. 
 Mombasa, 
 
 'High Com-t.' 
 
 'L-jenab '1-aziz 'l-akram '1-maatham '1-asham bwana 
 Hamilton 'judge.' 
 
 Wabaadu nakuarifii nyumba yangii ni rahani katika 
 ' Com-t ' nami nataka kiiiuza hiyo nyiimba ao kiiiweka 
 rahani nipate fedha kulipa deni nimwayo katika ' Com-t ' 
 — basi sikuthiibutn knfanya haya ela kwanza nipate ruhnsa 
 kwako — basi naqmba kwa ihisani yako kupata jawabu — 
 wasalam katabahn Tijara binti Mzee tarekh 21 Jemad-1- 
 akhir sanat 1329. 
 
KI-SWAHTLT WRTTTXri ]o 
 
 
 
 
 / 
 
 - ' \ r r 1 
 
20 AIDS TO THE STUDY OF KI-SWAHILI 
 
 Letter from a Swaliili to the author exciiBing himself fi'om 
 attending com't owing to a fall from a horse. 
 
 Ila '1-miibajali '1-afhami I'-haldm '1-aathami Bwana 
 Beech aazahu '1-malikii '1-azizi amina wabaadu nimetoka 
 saa thenashara u nnssii sikii ya i-jumaakuja katika ' koti ' 
 kusikiliza amri jako nimejjanda jim ya farasi ameniangusha 
 nimevundika shingo na mkono wa ku-shoto sikuweza kufika 
 Dagoreti basi nataka msamaha bwana wangu katabahii 
 Sheikli Abudi bin Sheikh Kali 1-Ansari tarekh yaiime 
 i-jumaa 9 thil-Haji sanat ' 1329.' 
 
KI-SWAHILI WRITING 
 
 21 
 
 o':^) ^, 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 f^ ^ ^ 
 
 J o^ o^y^^ ^ j:i^y^ ->^ 6\^/ 
 
 o>j^. 
 
 
 
AIDS TO THE STUDY OK Kl-SWAHfLI 
 
 Letter from Sherif Ahmad bin YuKiif, a native of Pemba, to 
 the author, wherein he informs him that he is sending 
 a Nubian cook, also the story on page 44. 
 
 11a hatharai basha Ndagoreti Bwana Beeclii harasahu 
 thatuhu Avabaada naarafaka kuwasilia mpishi Abdula 
 Fathili INIola Sudani mtezame kazi yake namimi natumai 
 mutasikizana wasalam salamna ala ahali-'l-beiti min sharifu 
 Ahmad bin Yusiif biyadi. Nahizi hadithi zitezame walakini 
 nambari sikuziweka uzuri nambari ya tatu ilikosa mahali 
 pa kuA\eka ^^■alakini hivyo nilivyotia sindano ndivyo 
 hajiana hofu wasalam tarekh 21 Rabi-'l-awali 8anat 1330. 
 
KI-SWAHILI WRITING 23 
 
 
 
 «J^JA^^*» -p^ t^ ^ «_-»:*) J,?--» A^ J occc-^ 
 y,' y^ ^ -^ y ^ r " ^ / ^ 
 
24 AIDS TO THE STUDY OF KI-SWAHILI 
 
 Letter set in the Higher Standaid SwahiH Examination, 
 
 1912. 
 
 Ha jenab '1-sheikh '1-moheb 'l-ala-am '1-akhasham Hamid 
 bin Muhamad bin Isa '1-Timami salamahu All^hu Taal^ 
 wabaadu nakiiarifu hah yangu njema wa thamma nawe 
 kin\a kathahka ya aha wa zaidi khabari sikii nyingi sikiipata 
 bariia yako wala salamu yako na barua ni nussu ya kuonana 
 basi siwate kiiniarifii hah yako walsalamu wakatabahu 
 Ahmad bin Ah bin Sahm biyadihi. 
 
KI-SWAHILI WRITING 25 
 
 
20 AIDS TO THK STl'DV OF KI-SWAHILl 
 
 Taala Bimanihi. 
 
 28 July, No 23. 
 
 1911. 
 Ila jenab, hathaiati bwana Beech, ' Assistant District ' 
 (Coniinr.) wabaadu iiakiiarifu ahasanta sana nimefiu'ahika 
 kujaata barua yako tarekhi mwezi ' 28 ' July sanat ' 1911 ' 
 nimifahamu uliyoniarifu yote katika barua yako aithaa 
 nimetakabathi ' sitampu ' ya ' senti ' sita anuwani ya 
 barua yako nimefahamu na huku Takaungu Liwali Mu- 
 hamad bin 8alim hawezi homa siku hizi naye amepata 
 aniri kwenda Mombasa kufanj^a dawa kwa dakitari '1-mudiri 
 \va Mtanganyiko Abdallah bin Rashid amekuja kushika 
 kazi yake nasi tu wazima sote ' office ' salamu sana kwa 
 watu wa ' office ' na mimi natumai ya kuwa tutaonana 
 Insha Allahu Taala Katabaliu Athman bin Jafar karani 
 Takaungu Tarekhi mwezi 1 Shaaban sanat 1329. 
 
 Letter from Athman bin Jafar, a Beluchi clerk at 
 Takaungu, acknowledging receipt of a six cent stamp and 
 giving other news of the place. 
 
KI-8WAHIL1 VVRIT1N(; 
 
 27 
 
 ti^ f^ 
 
 O o 
 
 ^^.\- . 
 
 \ 
 
 VX:- 
 
 
 \\ 
 
 
 9 ^ 
 o - 
 
 
 O' 
 
 yV ^ 
 
 7 7 
 
 ^ I ^L ^^ (^ '^^ ^>^ "JU U3 Jv^ 
 (,/^ ^^ • • • ^ ^ 
 
 
 
28 AlU.S TO THE STUDY OK KT-SWAHILr 
 
 Salam Allahu Taala. 
 
 Ila jeiiab sheikh '1-ajil '1-akmal kitabak Sharif 1-wasil 
 jazaka Allahu walfakhira (?) '1-akh bwana Beech ' Collector ' 
 Naivasha salainu Allahu Taala insh-Allahu salam aleika 
 warahamatu Allahi wabarakatuhu waazka-tahiyat ama 
 baadu nakuarifu mimi hadimii j^ako habari ya kuku nime- 
 mwambia yaya kufunga anambia tiitafunga namna gani na 
 kuku hawa hawana posho hutuma wenyewe tutakapowa- 
 funga watapata wapi jjosho ndio habari ya kuku lakini mimi 
 sitakubali sharti tawafungia kesho na wewe bwana zidi 
 kunisamehe sana 'siuthike kwa sababu nimekuletea barua 
 maana naona barua ni adaabu zaidi kama kukabiliana kwa 
 midomo na wewe zidi kujitalamisha sana kuandika na 
 kusoma wasalam wakatabahu T-haldri Illahi Taala Abdallah 
 bin Seif ' bo}^ ' wa bwana ' Tew ' ' Police ' ' Naivasha.' 
 
 A letter from Abdallah bin Seif, a boy working for the late 
 A.D.S.P. Mr. Tew. He is in trouble about some fowls. 
 
 The wi'iter has gone somewhat ' out of his depths ' and the 
 result is a specimen of very inferior wTiting and grammar. 
 
- KI-SWAHILI WRITING 
 
 29 
 
 
 
30 AIDS TO THE STl'DV OF Kf-SWAHTIJ 
 
 Ila hatharati '1-waziri Bwana Beech hafathahii Allahu 
 Taala. 
 
 Wabaada naarafaka hali zetu njema wa tliama na wewe 
 kuwa kathalika '1-afia waaitha imepita kalaiim ya Mngu 
 ina 1-allahi wa ina Illehi rajiiina amefariki dunia aliali yangii 
 yule aliyekuwa mzazi na mimi nikaleta bariia Dagoreti 
 nikasikia bado hukuwasili nawewe mwarifu bibi habari 
 kaiUa hii wasalam na bibi nisalimia sana "svakatabahii 
 '1-barua mfanyiza kazi ' Fort Smith ' Hasani bin Hamis 
 21 shahari Thil Haji sanat 1329. 
 
 Sharif Ahmad, writing on behalf of Hasani b. Hamis, in- 
 forms the author of a death. The letter contains a sentence 
 in Arabic from the Koran. 
 
KI-SWAHILI WRITING 
 
 31 
 
 j'Ull>A!< ^4^0>ii_> 
 
 
 \pS J<}j ^;/!^ ji'c^J^^Ja ojy^Jj 
 
 /v' / 
 
 \Trl 
 
 
 >a^. 
 
32 AIDS TO THE STUDY OF KI-SWAHILI 
 
 Ila jenabi sheikh '1-mukaraiii Bwana Beech wabaadii 
 nakuarifu aniekiija Msomali jiiia lake Adani . anapeleka 
 makitabn amshitald Mkikiiyii aitwa Wanguii zamani 
 Wanguri alikopa mbiizi mmoja riipia sita akatoa tatu zika- 
 baki tatu hatald kiitoa hata jana akenda Adaiii kudai 
 rupia zake Wanguri akatoa kisu kumpiga Msomali Adani 
 akakinga kisu kikapiga mwavuli na mimi nikamwuHza 
 Wanguri kweli huyu Msomali akudai ruj)ia sita Wanguri 
 amesema huyu Msomali mimi nilinunua mbuzi kwake 
 nikatoa rupia taslimu kwa bei ya rupia 'nne hizi sita sifa- 
 hamu wala mimi sikutoa kisu ni mrongo na Msomali asema 
 anao mashahidi walakini mimi nimewambia wende zao waje 
 I-Jumaa. 
 
 Sharif Hasan informs the author of a quarrel between a 
 native Kikuyu and a Somali that has occurred in his absence. 
 
Ivl-8WAHILI WRITINCJ 
 
 33 
 
 
 •*^"-' - ^ 
 
 ;-^5^-'?«%ii 
 
 
 
;j4 aids to TJIE STUDY OF KI-SWAHILI 
 
 • Fort Smith ' ' Kikuyu ' 20 Rabi '1-awal Sanat 1330. 
 
 11a hatliarati basha.Dagoreti Bwana Beech harasahu Allahu 
 thatahu A\al)aada bariia yako imewasiU niniesoma iiiniefa- 
 hamu uhyoniarifu na habari ya Fimdi Sudi na Hasani bin 
 Hamisi aamih Kikuyu nimeona uzuri kama uhvyotengeneza 
 Fundi Sudi kuUpa rupia khamsiiii ni kama siihihu walakini 
 katika sharia yetu suluhu hulipwa ujDesi na mimi nime- 
 fanyiza taratibu Fundi Sudi aUpe nipia hi^i kwa siku 
 ithenashara na wao wameiidhia maneno haya wasalam 
 Sharif Ahmad bin Yu8uf biyadihi. 
 
 A case decided according to Muhammadan law by the 
 author is approved of by the kadhi mth one reservation 
 as to time. 
 
Kl-,S\VAHlLi WKlTINe^ 35 
 
 tr^ 
 
 -J^!J?-^H^^^^j_, ^^ 
 
 -" ^^^io^ ^.^\i:^^^ 
 
 M^;^'^-^ y^h ^5f:>>J O^^ 
 
 K 
 
 ^ -<J ^ 
 
 
:j() aids 'J'u tiik s'h |)\ oj- ki swaiiili 
 
 July, 
 
 Taala Binianihi. 
 
 Ila jeiiabi (illegible) '1-aziz Bwaua Beech ' District Com- 
 missioner wabaadu nikuarifu ' case ' ya ' number ' Kumi 
 ' Criminal ' iinekuisha kuja kutoka Mombasa mancno yalc 
 yalc }'ako ulivyohukumu aitha babaake Hamisi bin fSuidi 
 mzee wa Gonjora amekufa tarekh mwezi mosi ' July ' sanat 
 1911, amekufa Tezo aitha na hahari ya '1-kathi !Sulcimani bin 
 Ali sasa hajambo amekuja daldtari Takaungu kufanya dawa. 
 
 Na homa iko kama kwanza na sasa Liwali Muhamad 
 bin SaHni hawezi homa na niimi natumai ya kuwa tutaonana 
 kama kwanza na sasa natumai kwa ]M\ven3dezi jMngu kama 
 hayo hatha wasalam na watu wote wamesikitika nafsi zao 
 kuondoka wewe Takaungu hata mjemi vtr Roka ' ^ amesi- 
 kitika sana bwana wetu wamesikitika hatha salaam kata- 
 bahu Athman bin Jafar Karani Takaungu. 
 
 Athman bin Jafar informs the author of a death and of 
 the unhealthy season at Takaungu. 
 
 ' Mjeuii wa Roka, a iiickaame for the Mudir of Jioka, who was 
 continually seudiug letters coiuplaiuing of ma-jcuri or •hi«iiUs' to 
 himself. 
 
fvT-y\V.VTJILT WPITTTNG 
 
 37 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 
 "^^ ^J/o_l^ -^"jS^yx^ ^-^JA lJ^ Js\^- 
 
 O^^u:,:^,- .UL.'>'ciiu 
 
 
 -:/i 
 
38 AIDS TO TITR STUDY OF KT-SWAII 1 1-[ 
 
 Bwaiia Bceeli nifalnie salanialni Allahu Taala. 
 
 Ila T-mohebi aalim hatharati iiiufahimii T-haldmii 
 '1-akram '1-aziz essalam aleika warahamat min Allahi 
 wabarakatiiliu ama baadu aarifaka T-kitabu ile bania 
 iiliyoitaka ni hiyo hati 3^a mkouo wangu minii wa kathalika 
 nataka \vino maana wiiio wangu umekiusha nami nimepata 
 maneno mengine nataka andika wa kathalika nimesikia 
 ya kiiwa wataka kusafiri lakini sijiii siku gani nataka nijue 
 siku ya safari Allah Allah usiwate kiinijnvia wasalaam 
 wakatabahn T-barua Shaaban bin Mnhamad bin Sheikh 
 'l-Bajuni '1-kiwaiyu tarekha yaiinie wahidi wa a.sheiin 
 Jemad-1-akhir sanat 1330. 
 
 Shaaban bin Miiliamad writes a sj^ecimen letter for the 
 author. The M^'iter is a native of Mombasa. 
 
KI-SWAHTLT WRITING 39 
 
 
 •-.i 
 
40 AIDS TO THE STUDY OK la-SWAHrU 
 
 'Fort Smith' 21 Thil Haj sanat 1329. 
 
 Ha hatharati '1-waziii Bwana Beech hafathahu Allahu 
 Taala wabaadu naarafaka barua yako imewasih na uliyonia- 
 rifu nimifahamii ahasanta sana wa aithahu imepita kalamii 
 almakadi aniefariki dunia mke wa Hasaiii bin Haniisi Yule 
 aliyekuwa na mimba ukamletea dakitari ameknfa jana saa 
 tano za mtana tiiniemzika saa kumi kahi-ina-'llahi wa ina 
 Illehi rajiuiina wasalam wakatal)ahii Sheiifu Ahmad bin 
 Yiisuf. Na bibi tusalimie sana na Hassan aknsalimn. 
 
 The author is informed of the deatli of the wife of Hasani 
 bin Hamis, 
 
KI-SWAHTM WILTING 41 
 
 ' y" ^ ' y ^ .. . ^ ' — ' 
 
42 AIDS TO TTTE STUDY OF KT-SWAITTLT 
 
 Tarckh 12 Kal)i-1-Awal. 
 
 Salama Illahi Taala. . 
 
 Sanat Hejeirat 1380. 
 
 I la 1-ajil l-akram l-niukaTam 1-balozi Bwana Beech bin 
 (?) salani aleika warahaniatu lUalii wabarakatiih'u azka 
 tahiyati aleilia aladawanii satlarheti 1-amra fi miii bandaij 
 ' Ngongo " ila ' Dagoreti ' wa-l-hai-akati sakin iniii fatliil 
 lllalii l-wahi(l 1-kahari waaitlia tafathali saiia hvvaiia /idi 
 kuwaradlu sana kwa hayo nitakayokid<militlia nafahauiii 
 unapacha kiijifunza niaiUMio ya kisawhili hasi iia])i'iida- 
 peiida kukuvulitlia zicJiii za kisawaliili kwaiiza kinia kicliii 
 liuichwa ' kisliinda ' pana na kichu huichwa ' shinda ' na 
 kichu tena huichwa ' inda ' na ' kingine ' huichwa ' infucho ' 
 na kichu tena liuichwa ' kitunguu ' pana na kichu tena 
 huichwa Matembe matembe (?) pana na kichu tena liuichwa 
 niai tini hatha Illathi wasalam katabahu '1-hati nichuniishi 
 wako Muhamad bin Muhedin bin Ali bin Ahmad-1-Bajuni. 
 
 This is the letter referred to on the note to page 3. The 
 letter is of course in the Ki-Amu (Lamu) dialect. In this 
 letter the wi'iter asks the author if he can explain the local 
 meaning in Ki-Amu of several words. 
 
 He has subsequently explained the words as follows : — 
 
 Kishinda. When a coconut (nazi) is cut in half one half 
 is left with the fruit inside and the other half is 
 scraped out. The empty half is kishinda. 
 
 Shinda is a half shell of coconut with the thi'ee holes 
 stopped up with wood. It is used for measuring 
 tembo or coconut toddy, in Ki-Mvita it is upawa 
 or kasi. 
 
 hida is cotton wool (parnba) put in ' mafuta ya ucho ' 
 (kittvita uto) and then wrung out. 
 
 Ufucho. A piece of Avood sharpened like an ' msuaki ' 
 (tooth-brush-stick) and used to clean the scum off 
 ■toddy' (Cf. f//&/o?-H.) 
 
 Kitiinguv. A ladle for taking tembo and putting it into 
 the ' shinda.' 
 
 Mai tini (maji chini) is the scum of oil or fat {mafuta). 
 
 The writer is Muhamad bin Muhedin (Bajun). 
 
 He omitted to explain " matembe matembe,' nor have I 
 been successful. I may be mistaken in the transliteration, 
 or perhaps =' kidogo kidogo ' from tembe, a grain. 
 
TsT-SWAirTLT WKTTTNO 43 
 
 ^^ ^Xai^o\^^J^^J^^ o\>j ilU, i-laii' Oti't^J ^ 
 
 ^-^cf^ av:e?^' L>>, y^^, Lr%i ^V%; ^^S \$^ 
 
44 AIDS TO TIIK STUnV Ol' KT-SW.MIIII 
 
 Dialect /\ i-.J izirat. 
 
 A,sii/e hirnotiitcd ni Mngu naiwhvrnwie. 
 
 Alioiidoka iiitii iia iiiUcwc wakasatiii liata \valij)ofika 
 luliaiii wakaona iiitii amciigia un\ it uni a])i^a kck'k* akilia 
 aseiiia ' Eiiyi jainaa hapaiia watu kaiihu liapa I ' \Vali|)()- 
 sikia yiilo iiitii na mkewe wakasimama kunitezama, mwa- 
 iiamko akainwanibia munic wake " Tweiule tukamtezamo 
 yuk" nitu aiiiesiil)iwa ni kitii gani ' mwana miinic akaniwaiii- 
 l)ia mke wake ' Twende zotii tuna kin na ndaa." ^Mwananikc 
 asiridhie wakenda hata wali^jofika wakamwona ni kipofn 
 mato* yote mawili. Mwanamke akamwambia mnmewake 
 tnsimwate hnyn nitn ki])ofu kibnda ataliwa ni jama ania 
 atazidi knpotea. Mwananuime akamwambia mke wake 
 ' Asiyehurumiwa usimhurumie/ Mwanamke asiknbnli ma- 
 neno ya mume wake akamtukua kwa liurimia zake. 
 Ikawa yule kipofu hawezi kwenda mwanamke alikuwa 
 juu ya punda na mmne wake ametanguba kwa maguu 
 })unda wao alikuwa nimoja, alipoona kipofu bawezi kwenda 
 akamwambia mume wake. 
 
 ' For v^hom God has no pity have no pity.' 
 
 A man and his wife started on a journey, and when they 
 were on the road they saw^ a nian who had got into the 
 forest. He was shouting and crying out these words, ' 
 my people, is there no one in the world near ? ' 
 
 And on hearing him the man and his wife stood still to 
 look at him, and the w^oman said to her husband, ' Let us 
 go and see what is troubling that fellow.' But the man 
 said to his wife, ' Let us rather be going : we are hungry 
 and thirsty.' But the woman A^ould not consent and went 
 up to the stranger and found him to be a man ])lind in both 
 eyes. Then the woman said to her husband, ' Let us not 
 leave this blind man here, lest he be devoured by great 
 Avild beasts or else get more hopelessly lost.' But her hus- 
 band said to his wife, ' For whom God has no ])ity have no 
 pity.' But the woman would not listen to her husband's 
 words and in her pit 3^ took charge of him. 
 
 It happened that the blind man could not walk. Now 
 the woman was mounted on a donkey and her husband 
 was walking in front. Thej' had but one donkey between 
 tliem. So the woman, when she saw that the l)]ind man 
 could not Avalk, said to her husband : 
 
I 
 
 As written by a Swahili, Sharif Ahmad bin Yusuf. 
 
 ' , ' . ' ', ' • ' // ' '/,/.•• 
 
 
 11 
 
 As written l)y the author m accorJance with rules hiicl 
 down ill this book. 
 
 't^ oLs^ ^^ ^5'!, p^l ^jifl JiXr^^^l c^^ Cj*^' 
 yj^-;^ Kj^^ '-^^^y "^^ -^^^^ c^J^' -^^ 
 
 Ui-» ^P» uuv«-^ J«^y<» oyootf' • .S^yo ^h^y lju. '->^ 
 
40 AIDS TO 'I'lIK ST(■|)^' OF KI-S\V.\III IJ 
 
 ' Miini iiilasliiika tweiide kua luafiiiu liuyu kipofu 
 apaiicU' liiiyii piiiula tupate kufika injini iijK'si.' Munie 
 akainjil)!! " Asiyohunmiiwa usiiiihuriiiiiie.' Mvvananike 
 asikubali akaslnika lulani ya piinda akanipandislia kipofu. 
 Wakenda' hat a wakaHka karihu ya iiiji wakaiuwambia 
 'Hull lulio mji tiimcHka tukupelekc niahali gani ? " Na 
 yule inwaiiainunic na mke wake na ki|>ofu wote ni wageni 
 hawaujui mjiule. Kipofu akasema nipelekani sokoni 
 nipate kuomba. ^^'akenda naye hata sokoni yule niume 
 akamwanibhi '■' Tuniefika sokoni sliuka na sisi tukatafute 
 mahali ])a kufikilia.' Akashuka kipofu na punda akam- 
 shika, yule mwananiunie Idpofu akapiga kelele ' Huyu 
 aninyanganya.' Watii wakakusanyika kusikiliza habari 
 ya kipofu watu \va mji na asikari, ^^'akam^vuliza ' Una nini 
 we Idpofu.' Akasema ' Mimi nimetoka na mke wangu na 
 punda wangu na punda nimepanda na mke wangu ameni- 
 shikia punda hata ndiani tumekutana 
 
 ' I wall dismount and we will both walk and let the blind 
 man get on the donkey ; and then we shall reaeh the town 
 quickly.' 
 
 But her husband answered, ' For whom God has no pity 
 have no pity.' But the woman would not listen; she dis- 
 mounted from the donkey and set the blind man upon it, 
 and they went their way to the outskirts of the town, Avhen 
 they asked the blind man, ' Now that w^e have reached the 
 town where shall we take you ? ' The blind man, as well 
 as the man and his wife, were all strangers, nor did they 
 know the town at all. And the blind man said, ' Take me 
 to the market so that I may beg.' So they went with him 
 to the market, and then the husband said, ' Here we are at 
 the market ; get down and we will find a place to take j^ou 
 to.' 
 
 The blind man tlismounted whilst the husband held the 
 donkey, ami the blind man shouted out, ' This man is 
 robbing me ! ' People collected, both guards and towns- 
 folk, to hear what the blind man had to say, and they 
 •asked him, ' What is the matter, blind man ? ' 
 
 And he said, ' 1 started out \\ith my ^^'ife and my donkey ; 
 1 mounted the donkey with my wife, who held me on the 
 donkey. ^Vllen we were on the road we met 
 

 
 
4.S AIDS TO THE STUDY OK KI-S\VAII1IJ 
 
 iia liiiyii inuananiiunc pcke yuke akasema na liuyu inke 
 wangu wakaondoka inuda mkubwa nikimmwita mwananikc 
 simwoui kiniiitika, na inimi sina mato kama nitamfiiata 
 hata aliporiuli sikuweza kiisenia naye maana n'na kliofu 
 kuiiiwata iidiaui. Hata nimefika hapa nasikia amwaml)ia 
 mwaiiamuiiic ' Tiimnyaiiganyc na huyu puuda twende zetu 
 na niinii ndipo-dipo nika piga kek'k' anu'iiinyanganya nike 
 wangu ataka kuuinyanganga na hiiyu punda wangu Naye 
 ndiyo mato yangu ndiyo niaguu yangu.' Watu wakaona 
 ni kvveli aliyonena kipofu a.sikari wakaiuishika yule mwana- 
 mume na yule mwanamke na j)unda wao akawekwa katika 
 sirikali. Na siku ile ilikuwa ni I'-Juniaa hapana hukumu 
 mwanamume na mwanamke wakafungwa kil a mtu chumba 
 chake hata asubuhi wakaitwa katika njumba la hukimiu 
 akaulizwa kipofu, akasema kama jana akaulizwa nn\ana- 
 mume, akasema kama Uivyokuwa 
 
 this man by himself, and he spoke with my wife and they 
 were away for a long time, and I called and called the woman 
 without getting (lit. seeing) any response. And I have 
 no eyes, so could not follow her. When she came back I 
 could not chide her (lit. speak), for I w^as afraid she would 
 leave me in the road. ^Mien we reached this j)lace I heard 
 her say to the man, ' Let us steal the donkey and go our 
 way,' and that is w^hy I shouted out that I was being robbed : 
 my wife wants to rob me of my donkey — ^the donkey who 
 is both my eyes and my legs.' And the people were con- 
 vinced that the blind man's words were true, bo the guards 
 arrested hoth the man and the woman, and their donkey 
 was impounded. 
 
 Now that day was a Fi'iday, so the Com-t was not sitting ; 
 therefore the man and wife were both locked up in sejiarate 
 cells. Next morning they were called to the great judg- 
 ment -hall and the bUnd man was asked what story he had 
 to tell. And he said the same as he had said the day before, 
 but the husband on being questioned related the true facts 
 

 II 
 
 cS^^^' '^'y^ ^~^ l>2-iL«J 
 
 
50 AIDS 'I'O TIIK STl'l)^ ()!• Kl-SWAII I LI 
 
 inwaii/o liata inwislio. iia yiilc intaliiu' akali-zaiiia hiikumu 
 yao akasenia Jiiiyii mwaiiainkc mtieni udaui ya chumba 
 poke yake, na liiiyii inwaiiainuinc' chiiniha cliakc iia liuyu 
 kij)ofii c'hinnl)a cliako liata kesho itakuwa hiikiiimi yao. 
 Wakarudishwa ndaiii ya N'iuniba ua ki])ofii akatiwa iidaiii 
 ya cluinil)a hata iisiku liakiimi akaamiisha asikari watatu 
 kusikiliza kwa killa iiitu atakalosema iidani ya cliiimba 
 ' Ki])ofii akasema.' Ania hajiii watii nitamtwaa punda 
 wake na in kc wake, wote niwapande. naye arndi kwao hana 
 j)unda hana mke : Yaral)i nakuclie upesi ! ' na nnvanamke 
 akasema ' Ama inumc wangii alinaml)ia. ' ABiyehuruniiwa 
 nsimhnrumie nisikul)ali sultani akasadiki maneno ya ki])ofn 
 nilafanyaje mimi ni.'^ikose niiime waiigu nitwaliwe iii kipofu 
 kwa wema tuliomfanyi/ia manibo kwa Mngu. 
 
 from beginning to ejid. Then the king pondered as to 
 what judgment he should give regarding them, and said, 
 ' Put this woman in a cell })y herself and her hnsband in a 
 cell by himself and the blind man in a cell by himself until 
 to-morrow, when judgment will be deliveicd.' So they w^ere 
 returned to their cells and the blind man was put into a cell 
 by himself. But at night time the judge ordered three 
 guards to listeji to what each of them should say in his cell. 
 
 The blind man said, ' Indeed the judge is no reader of 
 character ! I shall get the man's wife and his donkey and 
 mount them both ! — and he — he will return to his home 
 donkeyless and wifeless. May the dawn quickly come ! ' 
 
 And the woman said, ' Indeed my husband said to me, 
 " For whom God has no pity have no pity," and I wouldn't 
 listen fo him. Now if the king believes the blind man's 
 words, what shall I do so as not to lose my husband 
 and be taken by the l)lind man — ^and all because of the 
 good we did to him in God's sight. 
 
I 
 
 V. V > ^,^ ^^^P ^J-^ ^--:^.j^ \.^^ y ^-^ yj^ J 
 
 II 
 
 
52 AIDS TO THE STUDY OK Kl-.SWAHILI 
 
 Mwaiiaiiuiiiu' akasciua "Mtu iiasliiki iiciki la luwanamke 
 ininii k'o iii sikii ya pili ni kifim^oiii iia nikc waiigu na 
 pimda wangu siwajui iiitawapata ania "tapewa kipofu burc' 
 Niliinwambia mke wangii ' hiiyu kipofu Mngii aniemjioka 
 niato, amenipoka mali. hakiinipa mtoto \va kunishikia 
 Hinho. Asiycluiniiniwa ni Mngu usiinliiiriiinic asiiiclhie 
 inwanamko huyii leo iiitafanyizajt' iiiinii hata mke wangn na 
 puuda waiigu nisiiiyanganywe ni kipofu iiuyii. walakini 
 mambo kwa Mngu. Hata asuhuhi killa nitu akapeleka 
 tinuunu kwa hakiuiu ua hakinui akauuisha kuletwa wa- 
 fuugwa. Wakaulizwa ki})ofu akaseiua Huyu ataka ku- 
 ninyanganya mke na punda wangu kwa ajili sina mate 
 akaulizwa mwanamke akasema ' Mume wangu ni huyu 
 walakini kipofu nalimkutia ndiani apotea ndani ya mwitu, 
 mume wangu akanikataza kumtukua. akanambia ' Asiye- 
 hurumiwa usimhurumie.' Mimi nisikubali nikamtoa mwi- 
 tuni nikaja naye ndiani. liawezi kwenda nikashuka punda 
 wa mume wangu naliokuwa naye mimi nimepanda nikaona 
 afathali nimwazijne huyu kipofu luita nipate nuihali penyi 
 watu tumweke. na sisi twende zetu na mume wangu na punda 
 wetu hata tulipokuja hapa sokoni tukamwambia shuka 
 tuona akipiga kelele tukashikwa mimi na mume wangu naye 
 asikamatwe, naye ndiye mwivi wa vitu vitatu kwanza 
 mwivi wa fathih, pili mwivi wa punda tatu ataka kuniba 
 mimi ; basi angalia w^ewe hakimu. Hakimu akahukumu 
 mwanamke na mumewe ruhusa, na kipofu ndiye mwizi, 
 walakini sirikali inamsamehe kwa kuwa hana mali wala hana 
 mato. (Wasalam Tarekh lelat hamsat niin .shahar Raniadhan 
 5 sanat 1,330 wakatabah Sharif Ahmad bin Jasuf biyadihi). 
 
 And the husband said, ' A man shouldn't listen to what a 
 woman says. This is my second day of imprisonment, and 
 I don't know whether I shall get my wife and donkey, or if 
 they will be given to the blind man. I told my wife that 
 God had taken away the man's eyes — had taken away his 
 property, and had given him no child to hold a staff for 
 him, and I said, " For whom God has no pity have no pity," 
 but she wouldn't listen to me, and now what shall 1 do to 
 prevent my being robbed of my Wife and donkey by a blind 
 man ? Well the matter is in God's hands.' 
 
 Next day each guard made liis rejjort to the judge who 
 ordered the prisoners to be brought. When they were 
 
KT-,SVVAI[rj>I WlUTTNri 
 
 n:? 
 
 j^'f (> ^ r '^^ v>j t^ r^ ^ /';ij>^ 
 
 u y ^ ■' ^ , ' 
 
54 AIDS TO THE STTT1)Y OF KT-SWAiriLT 
 
 questioned, the liliiid man aiisweicd. 'This man wants to 
 rob me of my donkey and mv wife because 1 have no eyes.' 
 
 But tliQ woman saicK ' 'ITie other man is my husband. 
 This blind man 1 met on the road. He was lost in the 
 forest, and mv husband forl)ad me to take charge of In'm, 
 saying, " For whom God has no pity have no ])ity.'" 
 
 ' But I would not obey and took him out of the forest 
 and ^^•ent with him. and when I found he could not walk 
 I got down from my liusband's donkey on which I had been 
 riding, and I thought it better to lend it to the blind man 
 until w^e should come to a populated place where we could 
 set him down and go on our way, I and my husband and 
 the donkey. 
 
 ' When, however, we had reached the market here to 
 dismount we heard him making a clamour, the result of 
 which was that I and my husband were arrested and he 
 was not. And it is he w^ho is really three times a thief. 
 
 ' Firstly he stole oin* kindness, secondly he stole our 
 donkey, and thirdly he wants to steal me. Thiid-c A\ell, O 
 Judge'! ' 
 
 And the king gave judgment that the woman and her 
 husband were to be acquitted and that the blind man was 
 the real thief, but the Court pardoned him because he had 
 no money and no eyes. 
 
 (The end. Date 5 Ramadhan 1330, signature of Sliarif 
 Ahmad bin Yusuf.) 
 
^V^i^ oejrsi ^;ir;' 2^>^>r:' 'vie 
 
 w^;e >^: f^rh Ir-'?^] >;^' 
 
 ^ £>i (1*5 ju ti^ yy^fs^\ ^x-' 
 
STUDY II 
 
 Ki-Swahili Stories with Translation 
 and Notes on Idiom 
 
THE BANAWA8I. 
 
 There was a banavvasi who lived near a king, and every 
 day wlien people attended the council the banawasi also 
 attended. 
 
 And a certain vizier got up and said, ' O our king. i)er- 
 haps you do not know that the banawasi is no human being; 
 he will bring some big trouble on the town.' But the 
 king said, ' Never mind, vizier.' 
 
 Now at times when they were sitting in council the kijig 
 would call otit ' vizier ! ' and the vizier would answei', ' Your 
 servant.' And when the vizier reached the king, the Idng 
 would bend his head and whisper to him. Now the bana- 
 wasi was very desirous of obtaining a like favour and said, 
 ' Oh, king, I (h'eamed that you must also summon me every 
 day and whisper to me, even if you really have not anything 
 to say.' And the king was so fond of the banawasi- — ^for 
 
 1 Banaivani, " ni rntu mwenyi akiii nyingi na maan'fa, asiyeshindika 
 kwa neno,' i.e., a man who always has an answer readj', who excels in 
 repartee — a man, in fact, who laiighs best because he always laughs 
 last. Miss A. ^\'e^ner tells me the derivation is Abu-nmvasi, i.e., 
 it is a proper name, but it has become a common noun and had 
 better be left untranslated. Tlie story originates from tlie "Thou- 
 sand and One Nights." 
 
 - alikaa is naore idiomatic than aliyekaa. Akakaa is also used. 
 
 ^ The noun jirani, a ' neighboiu%' becomes an adverb by the 
 addition of no. 
 
 * mfaume or mfalinc. 
 
 5 Si mtu. One woiild expect Si bin-Adamn. Si mtu may mean 
 ' a person of no consequence.' — H. 
 
 " Oratio obliqua is expressed in Ki-Swahili by introducing the 
 phrase with a conj. such as ku'a7nba, katna or ya ktnva, meaning ' tlmt, 
 followed by the sentence in oratio recta, just as in English. Uses 
 of tense and person are, however, idiomatic. 
 
 The present tense follows a past verb, e.g., ' Kakujua kama nytima 
 ySingu kuna mtu anifuata ' =She did not know that there was some 
 one following behind her ; lit. ' She did not know that " behind me 
 there is a man — he is following me." ' Note, too, the change to 
 the first person. 
 
 ' Akozingatia yakuwa huyu nikimpiga VLta/mchanganyn na huyu 
 mtoto ' =' And he thought that if he were to hit this n^an he would 
 mix him up with the child ' ; lit. And_ he thought that ' If I hit 
 
 58 
 
BANAWASI.i 
 
 Told by Sherif Hasan bin Aloi, a native of Pemba. 
 
 Dialect Ki-Jizirat. 
 
 Knlikuwa na banawasi alikaa ^ jirani na ^ mfaiime, na 
 kiilla sikn huenda watu wakibarizi, na banawasi hnenda. 
 
 Akatoka waziii akaniwanibia ' Ewe mfanme ^ wetii bujiii 
 kama banawasi si mtu,'"' atafanya mambo niakubwa sana 
 katika mji ? ' " INIfaiime akajibii ' Haithiiru waziri.' 
 
 Naynle mfaume anipenda banawasi kwa liabari ya zihaka, 
 bata '^ siku moja wanakaa ^ barazani mfaume hiiita. ' Wa- 
 ziri ! ' waziri buitika ' Lebeka ! ' yule waziii akifika kwa 
 mfaume huinamisha kicbwa mfaume akanofigoneza. Na 
 yule banawasi, ajienda sana apate kama yale. Banawasi 
 akajibu ^ ' mfaume nimeota ya kuwa kulla siku shot! na 
 
 liiin you will mix him up with the child.' Here we have all three 
 persons singular in one sentence, all referring to the same subject. 
 (H, thinks so many changes must be considered abnormal. This 
 is probably correct, for a later version inserted before utamchanganya 
 the words upanga tvangu. Thus by addressing the sword the subject 
 is changed in the case of this one word. Note, too, that in the 
 oratio recta the future is used not the conditional. (H. justly 
 remarks that oratio obliqua is also expressed as oratio obliqua (not 
 merely oratio recta, the conjimetion ' ya kwamba ' or ' kwamha ' 
 being used to introdiice the indirect speech depending on the opening 
 clause.) 
 
 ' Hata, "until' here =' so much so that.' 
 
 ^ Wanakaa, here =when they were sitting ; lit. thej^ are sitting. 
 Much simpler and much more idiomatic than walipokmva wakikaa. 
 
 ^ akajibu. The ' ka ' tense, usually described as the ' narrative ' 
 or ' historical ' tense, would perhaps be better designated the ' Con- 
 nective ' tense. It is to be noted that it is not solely used in relating 
 a story or in describing events which have occurred in the past. 
 It is connective merely and irrespective of time. The following 
 examples will make clear some of its uses. 
 
 (a) Narrative. Aliondoka akatamka — ' he got up and spake.' 
 - (6) Final. Alijarihu hata ukasikia — he tried imtil he heard. 
 
 {c) Subjunctive connective. Aje akai^hnke chi/ui=Liet him come 
 and {let him) go down. 
 
 ((/) FuUirc connective. ' Waliokuja kuniba niie n'na Jiofu kurudi 
 
 59 
 
no AIDS TO TIIK STUDY OK KF-SW All ILI 
 
 ho lovi'd a jcst^ — that lie answcicd. '(iod A\illiii<r \ -will do 
 8o, Banawasi/ 
 
 Next morning early lie set foith, and on his arrival at 
 the palace the king called to liim. ' Banawasi ! ' And he 
 ajiswered. ' Your servant, sire.' And he ai)|)joached' the 
 king, who had nothing but a joke to say to him. And the 
 banawasi bent his ear. and the king jested, and the banawasi 
 started violently back and said, ' God willing I will perform 
 nil that yon have told me, my king.' 
 
 The people were troubled, and the vizier said, ' It is just 
 what I have always told you, O king ; this banawasi is no 
 human being ; and now this town will be luined.' 
 
 And the king said, ' Well, what can T do to rid the town 
 of this banawasi ? ' 
 
 Tlie 3'oungest boi'n who was present said to the king, 
 ' Do you want a pretext to -get rid of the bana\yasi ? ' And 
 he said. ' I do.' 
 
 ' Veiy well,' he said, ' let every man who comes here 
 to-morrow wrap up a hen's egg in his girdle ; and at the 
 end of the meeting, you, O king, must decree that every one 
 present lays a hen's egg, and that you will execute any 
 one who fails to do so. Yery well, the banawasi won't 
 know anything about this. What more ? we shall have 
 got the better of him. Either he y\i]\ die or remove himself 
 from the toAvn.' 
 
 wa)s.amba ' — I am afraid lest those wlio came to abduct me ivill 
 return and steal me. 
 
 (e) Infinitival. Nili'pataje kuja nikangla nikaona. ' How did I 
 come to enter in and see ? ' 
 
 (/) Consecutwe. ' Kwaniwe kudanganya icatu xca^nachinja nyama.' 
 ' ^^'lly did you cheat men so that they slaughtered their animals ? ' 
 
 {g) Use with Itnperative. ' Hainu haja kumtosa tiikftrmoekeni.' 
 ' We must not sink him, let us rather jxit him. . . .' 
 
 * ' Shoti na tnimi ttniite '—' You must also call ine ; lit. 'It is 
 necessary that with me you call me shoti ' =Zanz. sliarti or asharti 
 or shurti. 
 
 - ujapo. Note, tliis may be separable from the verb. 
 
 •^ akenda for akaenda. 
 
 "• ' Imna neno aitivalo ' ; lit. has no woi'd which he is called for 
 = 'had nothing to call him for." 
 
 •'" shime' =nfitrnha (?). I was given 'joy " as a translation, but 
 
Ki-8WAHILI STORIES, TRANSLATION AND NOTES (il 
 
 minii uiiiite ' uiiiuongoneze ujci})o - huna neiio.' Mfaume 
 akajibu ' Inshallah banawasi.' 
 
 Asubuhi akonda ^ alipofika mfaiime akamwita ' E 
 banawasi ! ' banawasi akaitika ' Lebeka Seidina ' akcnda 
 kwa mfaume na mfaume hana neno aitwalo ' ela zihaka. 
 Banawasi akainamisha mashikio akafanya zihaka mfaume 
 banawasi alingoka kwa shime' '" akamwambia " Jnshallah, 
 ntafanyiza yote uliyonambia mfaume wangu.' 
 
 Watu wakasikitika, waziri akajibu ** yakuwa mimi nili- 
 mwambia zamani mfaume l)anawasi si mtu, na sasa mji 
 huu utaharibika. 
 
 Mfaume. akasema ' mimi nifanyeje hata aondoko kat ika 
 mji Imu banawasi ? 
 
 Yupo kichinja-mimba ^ akamwambia mfaume ' wataka 
 neno la kumwondoa banawasi ? ' akasema ' Ndiyo ' 
 Akamwambia. 
 
 ' Kesho kulla watakao kuja liapa Iculla ^ mmoja na 'fun- 
 dike ^ yaii ^" la kuku, ikiisha baraza Ave we mfaume ujibu 
 kiafa muliopo^^ kulla mtu atoe yaii la kuku, asiyetoa ntam- 
 wua, na banawasi hajui — basi atashindwa, atakufa ao 
 ataondoka katika mji.' 
 
 H. says, " J n all the cases where 1 have heard this \\ ord used it has 
 been equivalent to saying " kaza,^'' e.g., a boats crew urged on to 
 greater exertions by the captain — " to spurt." It is a noun of 
 course. I wonder if it is connected with janya kinioe — " to act the 
 man." The nearest to it in sound is " shume " in " paka shume.^' 
 I have no remembrance of shime meaning " joy.' rather it =effort, 
 exertion. Since writing this I have found a native (not, however, 
 a Swahili j^roper) who thought it could mean " joy." ' 
 
 " kiijibu throughout can often be translated as ' to say ' or ' to 
 exclaim,' etc. 
 
 "^ kichinja-mimba =the little fellow who slaj-s pregnancy, i.e. 
 the ' yoimgest-born.' 
 
 ^ kulla seems alone in I'etjuiring the two Is. It is not pronounced 
 ku-la, nor can it be divided in spelling. It is lK>th Arabic and 
 Hebrew. — H. 
 
 '* na' jundike. Na is the regular sign of the cohortative : cf. 
 atakae ri'aje, etc. ='He who wishes let hini come.' — H. 
 
 ^" yaii in kiMvita is ' i ' [la kuku), plural inai. The division of 
 syllables makes yaii difficult ; some write yayi, but [)erhaps yai is 
 nearer the actual sound and more scientific* in its spelling. — H. 
 
 ^' Kiafa tnuliopo—All ye who are present. Kiaja=Jumii. 
 
(>2 AIDS TO TIM-; STl I)^" OK KI-S\VAII I LI 
 
 This was what tho youngest -1k)iu saitl. aiul hardy wt'ie 
 tlie words out of his mouth when the king ])roclainied his 
 edict that every one on the following day should hring an 
 egg, just as the yoinigest-horn had suggested. 
 
 The banawasi was of course not j)resent at the time. 
 
 Early next day his s\d)jects came and sat in council before 
 the king, and as they wei'e about to disiKMse the l-cing said, 
 ' Every one lay an egg ! ' 
 
 Every one let fall an egg exct-pl llic haiiawasi. w ho had 
 not got one. 
 
 Said the king, 'Where is your egg '( ' And the banawasi 
 replied, ' Are you making fun of me oi* are you serious ? ' 
 But the king answered, ' I am not joking. 1 tell you that 
 if you have failed to lay an egg you shall die ; for such is 
 my edict.' 
 
 ' Oh,' said the banawasi, ' the reason I have not laid an 
 egg is that all these here are laying hens, whereas I anrthe 
 I'ooster ! ' 
 
 The king was nonplussed and had nothing to answer, so 
 he called to the banawasi and said. ' You have my per- 
 mission to go.' 80 he went. 
 
 Up got the youngest-born again and said to the king, 
 ' To-morrow when the banawasi comes tell him to sew a 
 millstone.' ' All right,' said the king. ' Because,' added 
 the youngest -born, by telling him to sew a stone you will 
 be ordering an impossibility.' 
 
 Next morning early the banawasi came, and on being 
 called ' Banawasi ! ' he answered, ' Yes, Baramaki.' The 
 king said, ' There is a stone of mine with A\hicli I grind 
 
 ^ yn kalika kianwantbia ; lit. ' he is ia tlir act of telling liiiii,' i.e. 
 
 as we sa\', ' Bareh' had he finished telling him ' — ' Hardly were the 
 
 words out of his mouth.' 
 
 "•^ hayupo. Note present tense and not ' hakuwako.' 
 
 ^ karibu ya kuondoka. Note the simple way of expressing ' Just 
 
 as they were about to get up.' 
 
Kl-SWAHILI STORIES, rUANSJ.ATlON ARD NOTES ()3 
 
 Maneno haya asenia huyu kicliinja-minil)a, yii katika 
 kiinnvanibia ' mfaunie iiifaiiiiio akatoa ainri ' Kcslio kulla 
 mtu alete yaii kaiiia alivyoseina kicliiuja-miiiiba, iia wakati 
 huo banawasi hayupo.^ 
 
 Asubiihi wakaja watu wakakaa baiazani kwn nifaiiine, 
 karibii ya kuondoka ^ nifaiinie akajil)ii, ' Kulla mtu azae 
 yaii.' 
 
 KuUa mtu akaaiigusha yaii ; aliychaki ui l)aua\\asi, hana 
 yaii ye. 
 
 IMfaume akajibu, ' Li wapi lako yaii 'i ' Banawasi 
 akajibu, ' Waniziliaki ao wauamljia ^ kwt^b ? ' Mfaume 
 alvajibu, ' Siua zihaka, iiakuambia kama liukutoa j^aii 
 Qtakufa sababu ni amri yangu .' Banawasi akajibu, ' Sebabu 
 ya kuwa mimi sina yaii hawa ni mitamba,^ mimi ni jogoo ! 
 
 Mfaume akashindwa hana '• la kusema akamwita, ' Ewe 
 banawasi nenda zako nakupa ruhusa.' Banawasi akenda 
 zake, akaondoka yule yule " kichinja-mimba akamwambia 
 mfaume ' kesho atakapokuja banawasi mwambie ashone 
 jiwe la mtama.' Mfaume akasema, ' Inshallah.' Kichinja- 
 mimba akajibu ' maana kumwambia shona jiwe hataweza 
 kushona.' ^ Asubuhi banawasi akaja mfaume akamwita 
 ' Banawasi ! ' akaitika ' Baramaki ! ' ^ akamwambia ' Lipo 
 jiwe langu mwenyewe nasagia ^" mtama na nganu na kulla 
 kitu, Una j)asuka nishonea.' Banawasi akajibu, ' Hiyo 
 udiyo kazi ndogo sana,' akamwambia, ' Kesho weka jiwe 
 
 ^ wanambia for wa-ni amhia. 
 
 ^ Diitamba. Mtatnba =obviously here a laying-hen, tliough 
 neither H. nor I have ever known it elsewhere to mean anything but 
 a cow or a heifer. 
 
 *• hana. Graphic present tense. 
 
 ' ytile yule =that very same. Reduplication for emphasis ; cf . 
 ' vile-vile,'' ' sawa-sawa.^ 
 
 ^ maana kumwambia shona jiwe hataweza kushona ; lit. ' Reason 
 to tell him " sew a stone " he will not be able to sew,' i.e. ' For 
 by telling him to sew a stone you will be imposing an impossible 
 task upon liim.' hataiveza. As the present tense ' haioezi ' generally 
 means " he is ill ' the future is frequently employed in a present 
 sense to avoid confusion. 
 
 2 Baramaki, tr. ' juggler,' ' 7ii mtu mwenyi kitzidisha akili ya 
 banawasi.' 
 
 ^^ Nasagia — the prep, and relative ' tutlo ',' with which,' is under- 
 stood. 
 
Gl AIDS TO TIIK STl•|)^■ OK Kl-SW AIIILl 
 
 inilU'l and wheat and cvci-yl liiii^' t'Isc- — it is hrokoii- — please 
 Kew it for nie.' ' That is a very easy matter,' said the bana- 
 wasi. and told him that if he phieed the stone on the verandah 
 the next day he would sew it at onee. 
 
 Every one ^^•a8 very astonislied ; and som(> even remarked^ 
 ' Can a stone l)e seAvn ? ' 
 
 Next day early he eame- — lie had taken olf his eap and 
 filled it with pebbles, and on arrival he called the Idng and 
 said. ' Here I am, give me my woik to do.' And the king 
 said. ' Your work is wliat I told yon of yesterday." The 
 Bana^^'asi answered, ' If clothes are torn they are sewn 
 witli thiead of the same material : when the seams of bags 
 become unstitched they are sewn with thread of the same 
 material as the bags : when a rush basket is torn to pieces 
 it is dained with fibre : and this is a stone which is broken, 
 so I have brought thread of stones ; wiW you please roll 
 my thread and / Avill sew.' 
 
 And the king said, ' Oli you banawasi, is there such a thing 
 as stone-thread ? ' And he answered, ' When j^ou told me 
 to sew the stone didn't you know that no one could sew a 
 stone? well, if such a thing as that is possible I pray you to 
 roll my pebble-thread.' 
 
 The king was again nonplussed and said, ' Oh, banawasi, 
 are you not to be outdone ? ' And the banawasi replied, 
 ' No, O king, you know that I am not to be caught napping ! ' 
 
 Off went the banawasi. - Then the same man — the 
 youngest-born — came and addressed the king and said, ' 
 king, I have just remembered something.' and he said, 
 ' What ? ' And he answered, ' The banawasi has a dappled 
 ox, borrow it and then slaughter it. If this ox is slaughtered 
 the banawasi will no longer stay in this town.' 
 
 >So the king went to borrow the ox and the banawasi lent 
 it him, and directly he gave it him the king slaughtered it 
 
 ^ kanajaza for akajaza. It is not luicommon to prefix the ka 
 uf this tense to the pronouiLaal prefix. 
 
 - kuchanika : to be rent straiglit np from end to end. 
 ^ kufumuka : to become imrii^ped (of the seam). 
 
 * kanda =kikapo dta iikindu : ungongo =iihve : kutotneica ^ to he 
 darned. 
 
 * li)iaposuka. Note idiomatic absence of relative. 
 
KI-SWAHILI ST0RIE8, TRANSLATION AND NOTES OiV 
 
 hapa barazani ntalishona mara moja.' Watu wakataajabu 
 Sana, tena wakasema ' jiwe hushoneka ? ' Asiibuhi akaja 
 amevua kofia iia ndani ya kofia kaiiajaza * kokoto. Ali- 
 pokuja akamwita mfaunic ' nifaunie n'nakiiwapo lete 
 kazi nifanye.' Mfaume akajibu, ' Kazi yangu iii hii ya 
 jana.' Baiiawasi akajibii. ' Ngiioikicluiiiika - hushonwa 
 kwa iizi \va ngiio ; giinia likifiimiika -^ huslioiiwa ui iizi wa 
 gunia ; Icanda likiraiiika hiitomewa Icwa iingongo * — na 
 hili ni jiwe linapasuka, •'* naini naleta uzi wa jiwe, na uzi 
 hull we we sokota miini nishone.' Mfaume akajibu, ' He we 
 banawa.si jiwe lina uzi ? ' Banawasi akamwambia ' ulipo- 
 nambia ni.shone jiwe ba^i hiijui karna hakiina awezaye 
 kushona jiwe, na kama yiiko nisoketea kaniba ya kokoto.' 
 
 Mfaume akashindwa akamwambia, ' E banawasi hiishin- 
 diki ? ' Banawasi akamjibii. ' Kesve mfaume wangii unijua 
 ya kiiwa kama minii sishikiki ! ' ^ 
 
 Banawasi akenda zake,' akaja yule-yule kichinja-mimba 
 akamwita mfaume, akamwambia, * Mfaume sasa nakiim- 
 biika neno moja,' akamwambia ' neno gani ? ' akamwambia 
 * Yupo ngombe wa banawasi, mwikanga," kamuazime ** 
 akiislia kiipa mchinje. Akichinjwa ngombe liuyo banawasi 
 hakai^ katika mji liuii.' Mfaume akenda kuazima ngom})e- 
 banawasi akampa, alipomi^a mfaume akamchinja, bana- 
 wasi hana ^" habari, akapelekewa nyama. Banawasi akau- 
 iiza 'nyama hii ni ngombe gani ? ' akaambiwa ' ni ngombe 
 wako.' Banawasi akajibii ' Kana nitenda ^^ mfaume, lakin 
 
 " sishikiki = ' I am not to be outdone.' Kn-shika, to hold, 
 kiishikika =to be holdable — ' to be able to be caught ' as we say 
 colloquialh', ' You can't catch me out.' 
 
 ' mwikanga =jivu-jivu, ' dappled.' 
 
 ** kamuazinie. The ' ka ' has a peculiar and significant force. 
 The use is frequent and it implies a verb preceding hut suppressed ; 
 e.g. here the \'erb to be supplied is some such an one as ' send ' (and 
 borrow . . .). The prenominal infix is tliat of the object tliird 
 singular and not the subject in the pliu-al. it is common speech 
 to say to one's servant, ' Kanunue vita . . . ' i.e., (Jo and buy things. 
 It may be said that the suppressed verb is generally a verb of mo- 
 tion. — H. 
 
 ^ hakdi. Note ggain present tense not future. 
 
 ^^ ftana. Graphic present again. 
 
 ^^ kana nitenda =Do what you like with me. Apparently = 
 nitendea kania upendavyo, 
 
 F 
 
«(> AIDS To TIIK STI l)V OK KI-SVVAHILI 
 
 without tlu' haiiawasi's knowledge; and some of the meat 
 Was sent to the l)anawasi. 
 
 And the ])anawasi asked, ' What meat is this ( ' and he 
 was told, ' It is yoni- ox ' 
 
 And tile banawasi repHed, ' Oh, ilo wliat you Hke to me, 
 O king. 1 don't mind. Might doubtless is right.' He 
 added, however, 'Nevertheless I want the skin to lie brought 
 to me.' So the king sent it to him, and when he saw tlie 
 skin he muttered to himself ; and what he said was, ' A 
 solitary tree builds not.' And he folded up the skin, and 
 the next day early he pegged it out until it wf^s diy, then 
 tied it up and said, * Now I'm going to move house.' 
 
 So he went his way and reached a place where there was 
 much treasure and this treasure he came upon merely by 
 accident, and he took the rupees and threw away the oxskin 
 on the very spot, and retiuned to the town after a few days. 
 
 And when the people saw him they were very astonished 
 as to how the banawasi came by the treasure and he was 
 asked, ' Banawasi, where did you get this treasure from ? ' 
 And the banawasi replied, ' Everything comes to him who 
 waits, and I got this treasure from the sale of my skin.' 
 Then the people asked him, ' Is a sldn such a great treasure ? ' 
 And he replied, ' It is very great indeed. And now I give 
 every one who has a goat or an ox or even a dog to know 
 that its sldn is treasure.' So the people slaughtered their 
 animals until there was nothing alive left in the to^^n. 
 
 But on the day when all were setting forth to sell theii' 
 skins the banawasi said, ' I am very ill, but do you take 
 
 1 ' Wangi wape usipowapa hutwalia mkono icao.'' An a|)horisin 
 {jumbo): 'to explain' the saine=^kufumbua. The meaning is 
 ' Kulla mwenyi nxjaim Imjanya atakavyo " ; lit. ' wangi ukiwapa 
 htipata sainahani, u.sipoicapa hujanya apendalo ' almost =' might is 
 right.' 
 
 - nataka vu ngozi. No is not a prep, here, but rather a conj. 
 Nevertheless I should like the skin — after all that has happened. — H. 
 
 ^ ' mti piveke haujengi.'' 'A solitary tree builds not.' Another 
 ' jumbo.' He means. ' If I were not a poor lonely man I should not 
 have suffered this.' The proverb is known in Mombasa as Mtu 
 pwekc hajengi. 
 
Kl-SWAHILI STORIES, TRANSLATION AND NOTES U7 
 
 haithuru, " wangi wape usipowapa hutwalia mkouo wao." ' ^ 
 Tena akajibu ' nataka na- ngozi niletewe.' Mfaiime akam- 
 pelekea. Alij)oona ngozi alisema peke yake, neno alilosema 
 * mti pweke haiijengi ^ akakunja ngozi, asubuhi akaianika 
 hata ilipokaiika, akaifunga, akasema ' Sasa Nahama,' 
 akenda zake akafika mahali pana ^ mali mangi, na mali 
 hayo aliona kwa Ivujaliwa tii, ^ akachukua rupia, ngozi 
 akaitupa pale pale, akaiudi nijini kwa siku zinapita. ^ 
 Watu wakamwona wakataajabu sana banawasi mali alipo- 
 pata, akaulizwa ' Ewe bunuasi ' mali hii unapata wapi ? ' 
 Banawasi akajibu, ' " Kuinamako ndiko kuinukako " ^ ^ 
 ma mali hii naiiza ngozi yangu.' ^* Watii wakanliza, 
 ' Ngozi ni mali sana I ' Banawasi akajibu, ' Ni mali maku- 
 bwa sana,' na sasa anaye mbuzi, na mwenyi ngombe, 
 mwishoni ^ mbwa, ngozi yake ni mali.' Watu wakachinja 
 mjini musisaze^" nyama yo yote. Hata sikii za safari watu 
 huenda uza,^^ ngozi banawasi akajibu ' Mimi ni mgonjwa 
 
 ^ pana : ' where there is.' Cf. panapo )mti=peni/l miti=& shady 
 spot. Here the relative affix ' po ' is omitted. 
 
 ^ 'Kwa knjaUiua tuS Kujaliwa—io be benefited or otherwise 
 (by God), so can translate he saw that the riches were ' providential.' 
 H. suggests speUing kujaaliwa =to be granted, then noiui majaaliiva 
 used when people wish to shift responsibihty from themselves and 
 would render, ' He saw the riches by accident.' Not by any plan 
 or design of his : it was granted or decreed that he should see them. 
 
 ^ kwa siku zinapita =when days have passed, i.e. ' after some 
 time.' 
 
 ' ' kuinamako ndiko kuinukako.'' ' To bend in a place is to rise 
 up in that place,' i.e. ' Everything comes to him who waits," or 
 ' after storm calm.' 
 
 ^ na mali hii nauza ngozi yangu. A terse idiom meaning, ' I 
 got these riches by selling my skin ' ; lit. ' And these riches I sell 
 my skin.' Very frequently the student, after searching for elaborate 
 idioms whereby to turn plirases, finds that the solution is very much 
 more simple than he imagined. It is well always to translate 
 phrases as simply as possible. The Swahili can leave more to be 
 ' imderstood ' than we can. 
 
 '■' 9nwishoni = ' last of all' — 'even.' H. suggests ' mwisho ni 
 nibwa ' as moi'e idiomatic. 
 
 ^^ musisaze. The prefix 7nu here mu.st be carefully distinguished 
 from the 2nd pers. pi. It is 3rd pers. sing, impersonal locative. 
 ' There be not left in the tovm.' 
 
 ^* uza for ku-uza. The infin. prefix can often be omitted. 
 
(is AIDS TO riiK s'rn)^■ ok kiswaiiili 
 
 your loads unci follow the road in a fioutlieily diiection. 
 until about midday you will see a large toAvn, and when you 
 are asked what you are carrying you nuist say we are earry- 
 ing ' them.' 
 
 So they started ofT. but travelled in tiie wrong direction 
 and got lost and eventually came out at a king's town, 
 where the guards asked them, ' What are you carrying ? 
 And they answered, ' VV^e are carrying " Them ".' And 
 they were asked again, ' What may " them " be ? ' Some 
 one who wan present said, ' I say, my friends, we had better 
 mention " sldns " or we shall get into trouble.' So they 
 said, ' " Them " are skins.' Whereupon some were l)eaten, 
 others ran away until they returned to their town, where 
 they complained to that same king. 
 
 * king, see what the banawasi has brought upon us ! ' 
 
 And the king said, 'Call him.' So he was called, and came, 
 and the Idng said to him, ' What do you mean by deceiving 
 people into slaughtering their animals by reason of your 
 lies ? ' And the banawasi answered him, ' They are fools. 
 I told them that if they were asked what they had got they 
 should say " Them," but they didn't stick to what I said.' 
 
 And the king rephed, ' You are not fit to live liere at all '; 
 and the banawasi replied, ' All the better for me.' 
 
 The king gave orders to fii'e the banawasi's house, and 
 he said, ' Well, I want 'the ashes then.' And the king said 
 to him, ' You are a fool. What is the use of ashes ? ' And 
 he replied, '/ know anyhow.' 
 
 His house was fii-ed and completely bmnt,and he waited 
 until the lire was out, collected the ashes and put them in a 
 sack, then took his leave, saying, ' You haven't heard the 
 last of me yet.' 
 
 So saying he went off to the jetty and saw there a boat. 
 It was not his boat, so he stole it, and disapijeared with it, 
 and reached a large town. Now all the sujdjdUcs he took 
 with him when he set out w^ere five rupees. 
 
 On reaching the town he beached the boat in which he 
 
 ^ Kusini: A;<m=south. Kaslkasi =novi\\ {or kihula). Maslm 
 riki, numwio or Mawao or il/a<oAeo=East. Mangarihi, kutwa 
 maiwio, matweo =West. \Mnds blowing from these quarters are as 
 in the diagram. 
 
KT-SW/\TTTLT STORIES, TRANSLATION AND NOTES 01) 
 
 lakini chukueni niizigo 3'eiiu nuifuato njia y^^ kusiui ' 
 hata katikati ya sikii mutaona mji nikul)wa, miitauli 
 zwa ' Munacliukua iiini ? ' iiauyi iiiiijihii. ' Tniiachukua 
 "Zizo".'2 
 
 Wakaenda zao wale A\akapotea ii})ande mwingine,^ 
 wakatokca niji wa infaiiine, asikari wakauliza ' Munachiikiia 
 
 mm f 
 
 I ' 
 
 Wale wakasema, ' Tunaclnikua " Zizo." Wakaulizwa 
 teiia. ' Zizo nini I ' Pana mmoja * akannvambia weiiziwe, 
 ' Euyi wenzangu ni klieiii tutaje ngozi, tiitapata 
 taabu.' ■'' Wakasema ' iii ligozi.' Waliposema hivyo wa 
 
 Mm^nde is used also to denote especially the early morning 
 breeze which blows down the creeks to the E. Coast and which is 
 westerly. 
 
 - ' Zizo '=' those same ' =Zizo /iizo = those very same (afore- 
 mentioned). — H. tr. these. 
 
 ^ mwingine =in another (wrong) direction. 
 
 * pana jnynoja akannvambia =^Homo one present said; lit. 'there 
 is one and he said.' 
 
 ■ intapata taabu. (Tf we don't) wo shall get into trouble. ' T».s/- 
 pozitaja ' is under.stood. 
 
7(( AIDS TO Till': STI DV ol- KI-S\\.\||iLI 
 
 had come and took another, and those rupees of his he 
 stuffed into tlie seat cushions and liotwcen the ribs of the 
 boat, then sajik it in the water. After this he landed, and 
 on returning he saw tliere were two children in a boat, one 
 was the son of the king and the other of the vizier. So 
 he caught them and took them before the king and said, 
 ' O king of this town, I have a complaint to make to yon. 
 I am a poor man and came in my boat, and in my boat I 
 was carrying the property of an Indian, ten measures of 
 silver, and now these children have sunk the boat.' And 
 the king replied, ' " There is no smoke without a fire " ; let 
 men go and look inside the boat. There must be left some 
 traces of a treasure such as this, even if it be only a rupee.' 
 So the guards went, and the boat was pulled up on to dry 
 land, with the result that one rupee was discovered. Ajid 
 the banawasi said, ' Do you believe me ? ' And the king 
 answered. ' There is certainly something to support yoin- 
 statement.' And the banawasi replied, ' What is broken 
 one mends ' ; and the king answered, ' In this case mending 
 is to repay you.' And the banawasi said, ' What will you 
 pay ? ' 
 
 And the king and the vizier paid ten measures of silver, 
 just as the banawasi had said— but of course all that he 
 had said was untrue. 
 
 When he had received the money he returned to the 
 original to\\-n. and on his arrival at the jetty news spread to 
 the king, ^^■ho was told that the l)ana\\'asi had a ^^ell full 
 of silver. 
 
 And the king replied, ' What do you mean ? ' and they 
 told him the banawasi had a boat full of silver. 
 
 So the banawasi was summoned, and the king asked him, 
 ' ^^^lere did you get all this wealth from ? To-day 1 want 
 you to tell me the truth.' And the ])al)a^\■asi replied, ' This 
 wealth comes from the ashes of that 1)ur]it house of mine. 
 If you thought you were going to ruin me l)y burning my 
 house you made an error.' And the king said to him. ' Are 
 ashes wealth ? ' And the l)anawasi replied, ' If they were 
 not wealth should I have the appearance of possessing a 
 \\hole mint of silver ? ' 
 
 ' loa knpigwa ahipigwa wa kukimbia akakimhia ; lit. ' He who 
 
KT-RWAHTLT STOHTES. TRANSLATION AND NOTES 71 
 
 kupigwa akapigwa, \\a kukinihia akakim])ia ^ hata wa- 
 karudi mjini, wakonda wakasliitaki kwa nit'aunio yule-yiik'. 
 ' IVIfaiiine, tezama hali aliyotufanya huyu banawasi.' 
 Mfaiime akajibu ' Mwitani,' Akaitwa, akaja, mfaume 
 akamwanibia, ' Kwani wewe kudanganya - watii waka- 
 cliiiija •' nyama wao kwa maneno yako ya iirongo ? ' Bana- 
 wasi akamjibu, ' Ni wapombavu. Mimi nih'wanibia nuikiii- 
 lizua u'liiiii, seniani " zizo," wasishike * maneiio yaiigu.' 
 
 Mfaiime akamjibu, ' Wewe biifai kukaa liapa kabisa.' 
 Banawasi akajibu ' Ni majaliwa yangu.' ^ Mfaume akaam- 
 risha nyumba ya banawasi ' itieni moto.' ^ Banawasi 
 akajibu ' Nataka jivu.' Mfaume akaniAvambia, ' Wewe 
 mpombavu, jivu ni la nini ? ' Akamwambia, ' Najua mimi 
 niAvenyewe.' 
 
 Nyuml)a ikatiwa moto ikateketea yote. Banawasi 
 k'ajiakaa '^ liata nyumba ijipozima moto, akateka maivu 
 akatia guniani, akawaaga,^ ' Munaona haya na mangini 
 yaja.' » 
 
 Aliposema hivyo akenda zake liata forozani akaona 
 mashua, wala masliua si yakwe, akaiba, akatokomea nayo, 
 akafika mji mku1)wa, nayeye,^" vile angenda ana liakiba 
 rupia tano. 
 
 was destined to be lieaten, etc' A soinewhat elaborate phrase 
 meaning only, ' Some were hit, others ran.' 
 
 - kivani wewe kii danganyd iratii irakadihijn. ' \\'hy did yon 
 cheat the men so that they killed? . , .' A (.•oiuinon nse of the 
 intin. 
 
 ^ wakachinja (vide sitp., p. 59, n. 9). 
 
 * wasishike : ' bixt they didn't hold,' i.e. ' They didn't " .stick "' 
 to my advice.' 
 
 •^ 7juijaliiva. A noun arbitrarily made out of the passive of a 
 verb, ku-jaliwa, vide supra, p. 67, n. ^. H. translates ' It is my 
 fate.' ' 
 
 ^ Note tlie abrupt change into the direct quotation — -the very 
 words of the king- One would expect " itiire moto.^ — H. 
 
 ' kanakaa {vide supra, p. (34, u. 1 ). 
 
 ^ kuaga : ' to take leave of a person." hence ' to say in parting." 
 
 " munaona haya na mangini yaja ; lit. " You are seeing these 
 and others are coming '=' You haven't heard the last of it yet," 
 i.e. ' He laughs be.st who laughs last.' 
 
 '*• vile angenda =alipokmva akienda (ana hakiba ruj:)ia tano) hiri 
 ta hakiba in Kimvita akiba. It is exactly equivalent to the Malay 
 ' ungkus,' provision or store for a journey. 
 
72 ATOS TO TFTF. STTTPY OF KT-SWATTTLT 
 
 TIk' kiu^ askc'tl, ' Shall wr huiu our lioiiscH ? ' And the 
 hauawasi aiiKwoied him, * Burn the whole town.' So the 
 king hunit it and the ashes were put in saeks. 
 
 On the d<ay of setting forth the banawasi should have 
 l)een the guide, but he feigned illness and groaned horribly 
 and said to the kiiig, ' I am ill, l)ut as to these ashes let 
 the ])eople go with them in a shij) until they see a laige 
 town, and when 1 hey arrive at the landing ])la{e and are 
 asked what their freight is, let them say it is " it." Don't 
 let them mention that "it" is ashes.' 
 
 'i'lie ship sailed Avith a host of people, and- they went for 
 the space of six days. When the seventh dawned they 
 saw a very large towni. Now the king of this town was a 
 fierce man. 
 
 On their arrival the guards weie turned out for th.e 
 purj)ose of inquiring the nature of their freight, and they 
 said, ' Our freight is " it," ' A guard asked them, ' What 
 is this "it " which has no name ? ' And one replied, ' As 
 to "it," that is a secret of the banawasi.' But the guard 
 answered, ' You must say what V it " is.' And one of 
 them answered with heat, 'Well "it" is ashes.' So tl.e 
 guard returned to the king and informed him that tluii' 
 freight consisted of ashes, and the king sentenced each m; ii 
 to twenty stripes. 
 
 When the king had given this order some were l)cat€n, 
 others ran, others again wei'e pardoned and ret unit d to 
 that other king from whom they had started. And the 
 king asked, ' What about your jom-ney ? ' And a subject 
 replied, ' For misfortune and trouble this is the worst 
 jom-ney that ever Avas.' And the king re])lied. 'Call tlic 
 
 ^ knika to beach. 
 
 ^ aliyokujia ==' which he cayie in.' 
 
 ^ kuchomeka =to polte into (cloth). 
 
 * w'/anrfo = knots of cloth, here = cloth on the seats of the l)oat. 
 (H. suggests loiots m the xvood (planking) of the boat, and ^o parallel 
 to maturuma 1) 
 
 * mataruma =ribs. 
 
 * ku-yuct maji =io sink in the water. 
 ' mule, there inside (locative). 
 
 * ?m«ia = there was inside locative prefix vide mi/jrii. p. fiT, n. In. 
 
KT-SWATTTLT STOIUES, TJJANSl.ATrON AND NOTES 7.') 
 
 Alipofika mji iile akaika ' niasliua yak(> aliyokujia.- 
 akachukua iiyiugiiie, zik^ rupia zake akazicliouieka ^ lulaiii 
 ya vifimdo/ na ndani ya nuxtaiuma ^ akaiyua " maji. 
 Kiksha akcuda juii, aliporudi akaona niidc ' ndaiii ya 
 niashua minia ^ watoto wawili, mnioja ni mtoto wa mfaume 
 wa pale, iia mnioja ni mtoto wa waziri, akawakamata, 
 akenda nao liata kwa mfaume. Banawasi akasema, ' Ewe 
 mfanme wa mji* we, nakiishitakia. Mimi ni niasikini 
 n'jiaknja na ma,shua yangii, na, masluia hiyo na])akia mali 
 ya Mhindi jizila kiimi za fetlia, na watoto hawa wanaiza- 
 misha.' Maufme akajibu, ' " Mtama nkimwaika huonekana 
 punje " ^ na wende watii wakatezame ndani ya mashiia ; 
 mali kama hiyo haikoshi kuonekana ijapokiiAva ni rn])ia 
 moja.' Wakenda asikari, mashna ikakwezwa ^" juu, ika- 
 bainikana rupia moja. Banawa.si akajibu, ' Munasadiki 'I ' 
 Mfaume akajibu, ' Naona dalili ya kuwa maneno yako ni 
 kweli.' Banawasi akajibu, ' Liharibikalo hufanywa.' ^^ 
 Mfaume akajibu, ' La kufanya ni kukulipa.' Banawasi 
 akasema, ' Nilipani ? ' Mfaume na waziri wakalipa jizila 
 kumi alizosema banawasi, akapewa. Na maneno liayo ^■- 
 })anawasi alikuwa mwongo tu. Alipopewa akarudi mji ule 
 ule : kufika ^^ forozani ha1)ari zikenda kwa mfaume akaam 
 biwa mfaume banawasi ana kiF^ima kia fetha. Mfaume 
 akajibu ' Kwa nini.' Watu wakamwambia, ' Ana fetlia 
 masbua tele.' AkaitAva lianawasi, mfaume akajibu, ' Hewe 
 banawasi we mali liii wapata wapi ? leo nataka useme 
 kweli.' Banawasi akamjibu, ' Mali hii ni lik^ jivu la nyumba 
 
 " ni'Mina ukimwaika huonekana punje, ' If millet is spilt the grains 
 are visible ' ; as we say, ' There's no smoke without a fire.' He 
 means that if so many rupees were in the boat there wovild sure 
 to be one or two still visible. Punje =temhe. It is not known in 
 Mombasa, bvit is quoted by Krajjf on tlie authority of Steore. 
 
 1" ku-kioeza : ku-kwea, to clinil) ; lience kukweza, to cause to 
 climb, i.e. here ' to beach.' 
 
 ^1 Liharibikalo Uvfanywa. ' That whicli is spoilt one mends.' 
 ' It is best to find a remedy for ills.' The king answers, la kufanya 
 ni kukulipa, ' the remedy is to pay you.' 
 
 '- maneno hayo, ace. of respect. 
 
 '•■^ kufika, understood is akiisha. The omission iuakt>s it mnn^ 
 gi-i\jihic. 
 
74 AIDS TO TUK STl'DV (>K KI-S\VAII1LI 
 
 l)aiia\\iisi." And when he came the l^iug said 1(» liiiii. ' Jk 
 this what yoti iiiti-iidcd to d(» to ino ( ' And the haiiawasi 
 answered. " W'liat liavc I done to you ? 
 
 And the l<ing iej)Ued. ' Did you not tell nie that 
 .ashes were riches?' And t hi' hanawasi answered liini. 
 ' () king, have you not icali/ed that the Itanawasi 
 doesn't eare for any on<' '. ' And the king answered, 
 'After this nothing can save you, you shall be thowiied 
 in the sea.* And the hanawasi replied, ' That's not much ' ; 
 after Sciying wiiich he was seized and put in a hag and given 
 over to some fishermen to whom orders were given. ' Take 
 the hanawasi and drown him.' And the fishermen an- 
 swered, ' Yes, by God. king,' and they went with him until 
 they reached the sea, whereupon up got a certain fishermen 
 and questioiied the hanawasi. ' Wliat have you done ? ' 
 And' the hanawasi rej)]ied. 'Don't ask questions ; if you 
 want to }>ehave well to me do so, if you don't I don't mind.' 
 And the fisherman said. 'There's no reason for drowning 
 this l)anawasi ; let's leave him on a desert island.' 
 
 So they went and deposited him and opened the basket, 
 and when they had deposited the ])anawasi he said. ' There 
 now. you fishermen be good to me now, I'm in trouble 
 and I \\ill reward you in my ])etter days.' And the fisher- 
 men re))lied, ' How ? ' And the hanawasi said, ' Find me 
 jjaper and ink and a tarred bag.' So the fishermen went 
 
 '^ ukisema wanilani hast hukunilani = ' Kitendo Itiki ulitliani 
 ivaniiia lakini hukunina.' ' If yoii thought you were going to ruin 
 me (by burning my liou.'^e) jou made a mistake." 
 
 * kiwanda, a smithy : here of a silversinith : transl. therefore 
 a ' mint.'' Vide p. 94, n. 3. 
 
 ■* akajitia =he put iipon himself, i.e. lie feigned. 
 
 * hilo. ' That ^'ery same " or * //.' 
 
 ■'* lisilo, ' which has no.' It is often noticed that the " na ' of 
 the verb ' to have ' is dropped, making it appear merely as the 
 verb ' to be ' ; ' kuwa ' instead of ' kinva na.' 
 
 * vimoto, fire-wif5e, i.e. heatedly or excitedly. Vi is ordinary 
 adverbial prefix, e.g. vi-baya, badly, etc. 
 
 ' wa kupigica . . . akarudi. Vide supra, p. 70. n. 1 and ji. fif), 
 n. {). 
 
 " waria, a subject ; lit. a skilled employee, 
 
KI-8WAHrLI STORIES, TRANSLATION AND NOTES 75 
 
 yaagu iiliyoclioiiui ; iikiseina waiiilaiii basi luikuuilaui.' ' 
 Akamwambia, ' Majivii mali i ' Bauawasi akamjibu, ' Ka- 
 ma si mali mimi 'nna dalili ya Iciwauda - kia fetha ? ' 
 
 Mfaiime akamjibu, ' Tuchome maj\imba.' Ranawasi 
 akamwambia, ' C'lioma mji wotc' Mfaume akachoma, 
 yakatiwa maguniani majivii. Siku ya safari banawasi 
 iidio rubani, akajitia •' iigonjwa, akaugiia saua, aka- 
 mwambia mfaume,' Mimi siwezi, lakini liaya majivu iia 
 weiide watu udani ya marikebii wataona mji mkubwa, 
 wakifika baudarini wataulizwa, ' Miinaj^akia nini ? ' na 
 wajibu, ' Tiiuapakia " lilo," * wasitaje kama majivu.' 
 
 Marikebu ikatoka na kaumu ya watu. Walikwenda 
 muda wa siku sita ; ilipopata siku ya sabaa wakaona mji 
 mkubwa sana, na mji liuo una mfaume mkali. 
 
 Walipofika wakatolewa asikari ili kuulizwa walieliopakia, 
 nawao, wakasema, ' Tunapakia " lilo,'" ' Asikaii akajibu, 
 ' " Lilo " nini ? lisilo jina.' •'' Mmoja akajibu, ' Habari ya 
 lilo ni wasia wa banawasi.' Asikari akajibu, ' Shoti muta- 
 sema " lilo " nini.' 
 
 Mmoja akaona vimoto " akajibu * ni jivu.' Asikari 
 akarudi kwa mfaume alcamwambia hawa wanaleta jivu, 
 Mfaume akatoa ann-i kulla mtii n'apigwe fimbo asherini- 
 asherini. 
 
 Mfaume akiisba sema hayo wa ku])igwa akapigwa, wa 
 kukimbia akakimbia, wa kusemehewa akarudi ^ hato kwa 
 yule mfaume mwingine alikotoka. INIfaume akauliza 
 * Habari ya safari ?' waria '^ akajibu, ' Safari zote ni kheiri ? 
 safari hii ni taabu na mashaka.' 
 
 Mfaume akajibu, ' ]\Iwiteni banawasi.' Akaja banawasi, 
 mfaume akamwambia, ' Ndivj^o ulivj'onitenda ? ' Bana- 
 wasi akamjibu n'nakufanyaje ? ]\ifaume akajibu, ' Wewe 
 hukuniambia kama jivu ni mali ? ' BanaAvasi akamwambia 
 naye, ' Hewe mfaume hukusikia kama banawasi hana 
 muhali ? ' * ]\'Ifaume akamjiliu, ' Sasa huna salama ela 
 
 " muhali = uftclto, 'has no secrets.' This is how the word was 
 explained to me; but, asH. jioiiits out, Krapf ina long note explains 
 it differently as 'displeasure.' 'anger,' which seems to suit the 
 context better. 1 only know it as =' care,' e.g. Shia ynnhali=l 
 don't care. 
 
7«; AIDS TO TIIK STl'DV ()l< KI-SWAIITIJ 
 
 and looked foi" the things Btealtliily until they got Ihcni, 
 wiu'ii they «iuvc them to the baiuiwasi. And the baiiawasi 
 answered. ' My friends, wlien this month is finished, you 
 just wait and see if you remember that I said that 1 shall 
 be king and one of you shall be juy eommander-in-chief 
 and another my vizier.' 
 
 And the fishermen answered, ' So, banawasi, you want 
 to bring trouble upon us.' And he said to them, 'Just as 
 our Ruler has treated me ill so will I treat you well.' But 
 the fishermen said, ' Come along, let's go, the baimAvasi is a 
 wind-bag.' 
 
 So the fishermen went their way, but mth the paper 
 which he liad been brought the banawasi concocted sham 
 letters purporting to come fiom the king's father and his 
 mother and his gi*andfather Now these had all long since 
 been dead — ^so long in fact that the banawasi had not even 
 been acquainted with them ; and he signed the name of 
 the king's vizier's father too, and the names of all his 
 family ; then put the letters in his bag. 
 
 On the day on which he intended retm'ning to the town 
 there came these same fishermen, and he said to them. ' We 
 agreed together, and this very day is the day of fulfilment ; 
 put me on board.' So the fishermen ])ut him on board : 
 fintherniore one of them said. ' Come, banawasi. trust to 
 us,' and he answered, ' 1 shall be safe, (Jod Asilling.' 
 
 And they went wdth him to near the landing place, and 
 he said to them, ' Sink me and my bag.' 
 
 Now all this time the king was in his private apartment 
 on the landing place, and the banawasi dived, and came 
 up at the jetty. Now here on the jetty there was a crowd 
 of people who were astonished and asked him, ' Good 
 gracious, banawasi, is that really you ? ' And the banawasi 
 
 1 Jmnba : bag {vide Krapf, die), p. 59, n. 9. 
 
 " tukamwekeni {vide supra). 
 
 '■> Niombeani ya jua nnvalvpe ya mvua. ' Intercede for me (i.e. 
 help me) in the drought and I will repay you in the rain." i.e. " Help 
 me in my trouble and I will repay you when I am well off,' lieeaiise 
 ■ jua ni shidda, rnvua ni raha.' 
 
 * mwezi Imu kiisha {ukiisha) mtikae. ' I, pray yon to wait and 
 see if you remember what I say, vi/.., that , . . ' 
 
Kl-SWAHIJJ STORIES, TRANSLATION AND NoTKS 77 
 
 nikutose ndani ya bahari.' Banawasi akajibu ' Hayo wi 
 makubwa.' Kiiisha kusema hayo l)ana\vasi akakaniatwa 
 akatiwa ndani ya fiimba,' akapewa wavuvi, wakaambiwa, 
 ' Mcliukueni banawasi mukamtose.' 
 
 Wavuvi wakaitikia, ' E wallah mfaume,' wakenda naye, 
 walipofika baharini akaondoka mvuvi nimoja akam.saili 
 banawasi ' Umefanyaje ? ' Banawasi akamjibu, .' Usiniu- 
 lize hayo, kama wataka fanya wema nifanyiza, kama 
 wataka kufanya iibaya wako haithuiu.' Wavuvi waka- 
 sema, ' Huyu banawasi haina haja kumtosa tukamwekeni ^ 
 katika kisiwa kisichokuwa na watu.' 
 
 Wakenda wakamweka wakamfungua fumba. Walipom- 
 weka banawasi akawajibu, ' Enyi wavuvi niombeani ya 
 jua niwalipe ya mvua ! ' ^ Wavuvi wakamjibu, ' Kama 
 yapi.' Banawasi akasenia, ' Kanitafutieni kaiatasi na 
 wino na mfuko wa lanii.' Wavuvi wakenda, wakatafuta 
 kwa uficho hata wakaleta, wakampa banawasi. 
 
 Banawasi akajibu, ' Henyi lafiki zangu mwezi huu 
 kiisha mukae ^ mukifahamu yakuAva minii ntakuwa mfaume. 
 na iiyinyi nimoja atakuwa jemadaii wangu, na mmoja 
 atakuwa waziri.' 
 
 Wavuvi wakamjibu, ' Ewe banawasi we wataka tuletea 
 mashaka ? ' Akawambia, ' Kama sultani wenu alivyo- 
 nionya mashaka, mimi 'tawaonyesha raha. Wale wavuvi 
 wakajibu, ' Twendeni zetu banawasi ana maneno mangi.' 
 Wavuvi wakenda zao, karatasi zile alizoletewa banawasi 
 akaandika barua za kubuni,^ akataja jina la babaye yule 
 mfaume * na jina la mamaye na jina la babuye na hawa 
 wote walikufa zamani hata banawasi hawajui, akaandika 
 na jina la bal)aye waziri wa mfalme na jamaa zake wote, 
 akatia ndani ya mfuko. 
 
 Siku alipoazimu kwenda mjiiii wakaja wale wale ^ wavuvi, 
 akawambia, ' Niliwapa miadi mimi^ nanyi, na hadi ' 
 
 •' za kabuiii : " shaixi.' 
 
 " babaye yule mfalme : ' the king's father.' This is the invariable 
 way of expressing such a j^lirase. 
 
 ' wale tvale. Vide supra, p. 03, n. 7. 
 
 ^ ^ m,iadi is an agreement for a fixed time the hmit of which is 
 hadi. Note redundant but idiomatic ' mimi nanyi.' 
 
Is AIDS To TIIK ST^J)^■ (»K KI-SWAIl 1 LI 
 
 answi'icci, ' WVII, who clu you think il its ^ ' And tlioy 
 replied, ' The reason we asked >'oii was l)ccause you were 
 drowned.' And he answered llicni. 'J wasn't drowned, 
 1 was only sent for a stroll/ And he |)ioduced his letters 
 and gave them to thi' kin<i and 1 lie X'i/jcr and all his enemies. 
 
 On receivinii tlicso U'tteis every one read them and the 
 king exclaimed. " I hclieve the hanawasi has reached the 
 other world and lias come back again— he must have done 
 so because jii' ncvi-r knew my fathci' or' my mother or any 
 of my family, and here is a letter fiom my father ! ' And he 
 called to the banawasi, who approached, and the Idng asked 
 him. ' My fiiend. banawasi, tell me truly what the other 
 world is like. And the banawasi replied, ' The other 
 world is beautiful — ^the scents are beautiful and everji^hing 
 is there; if you went you wouldn't wish to come back again.' 
 And he said to him, ' I am ready to go,' and added, ' When 
 shall we start ? ' And the banawasi answered, ' Whenever 
 you like.^ And the king collected his goods and chattels 
 with presents to send to the other world, and when he had 
 packed up all he wanted, he called the banawasi and asked 
 him, ' How many men shall I take ? ' 
 
 And the banawasi replied. ' Let us go yornvself and the 
 
 1 halahala na 6/6<-= Trust to us. (H. writes, 'I know tliis onlx' 
 as a word streugtlieniug an injunction to do something ; here it 
 suggests to me a verb suppressed, implied, as though the,\' requested 
 him to make sure that they were all right, and in response he promises 
 ' Inshallah (itakuwa) Salatna' — 'It will be all right.') 
 
 - nitosani. This form is just as frequent as ' nitoseni.' Vide 
 these stories passim. 
 
 * zamani hizo. It is a coininou mistake to suppose zamani 
 always means " a long time ago.^ It is merely the Ar. ^\ ' time,' 
 with no necessary reference to the past.- 
 
 * kupiga tnbizi : to dive. 
 
 ^ jeshi : a host, here verb =' it was filled.' The narrator gave 
 me inajeshi, but it is difficult to let this stand. Panajcski is sub- 
 stituted therefore rathcn* than pana jeshi. 
 
 * kuniona kicenu Diwathania kanut, )iuni ; lit. * in yoiu' perceiving 
 me you think that (I am) who ? ' 
 
 ' hasiinu : a foe. 
 
 * kuzimu : the lower world, the grave. 
 
 * vilikuicaje : ' It must l:>e so for . . . ' ; lit. ' these things were — 
 what (about tliem ?) ' 
 
KI-SWAHILI 8TORIE8, TRANSLATION AND NOTES 7i) 
 
 yangu ni ile ile sasa nipakiani.' Wavuvi wakanipakia tena 
 liiviivi mmoja akasema, ' Ewe bunuasi halaliala ua sini.' ' 
 Banavvasi akajibii, ' Ishallah salama.' Wakenda naye 
 karibu ya bandaii akamwambia. ' Nitosani - na mfiikii 
 wangu/ 
 
 Na zamani ^ hizo mt'auino yiqx) bandaiiui katika sebule 
 yake, banawasi akapiga mbizi ■* akazuka forozani, iia hapo 
 forozani palikiiwa paiiajeshi ya watii,^ watii wakataajabli. 
 tena wakani\\uliza . ' E. banawasi we ni wewe kweli ? 
 Banawasi akawajibu, ' Kiaiiona kwenn nl^\■athania kama 
 nani ? ' ^ Wakamjibu, ' Sababii ya kuuliza ni kiiwa wewe 
 ulitoswa.' Aliawajibii, ' Mimi sikutoswa nilipelekwa ma- 
 tembezi.' Akatoa barua akampa nifalme, akanipa na 
 waziri, na kulla aliye hasimu ''' yake. 
 
 Walipopata barua hizo kulla mtu akasoma, nifaunie 
 akajibu, ' Nasadiki kama banawasi aihefika kuzimu,^ 
 kiisha amerudi — viliku\\a]c ^ banawasi liajui babayangu 
 wala mamayangu A\ala jamaa zangu woto, na barua hii ni 
 ya baba.' 
 
 Akamwita banawasi, akaja banawasi, mfaume akamwu- 
 liza. ' Sahibu yangu banawasi nambia kweli liabari ya 
 kuziniu ku ^° nanma gani ? ' Banawasi akajibu, ' Ewe 
 mfaume \\'angu kuzimu ni kuzuri manukato ^^ mema 
 mema jamii vitu vi kuzimu, nawe ukenda hutamani rudi 
 huko.' Akamwambia ' Tayari,' tena akasema, ' Safari 
 lini.' Banawasi akamwambia, ' Siku utakayo.' Mfaume 
 akakusanya vitu na zawadi ^- kupeleka kuzimu, Iiata alipo- 
 kuisha fimga vitu atakavyo ^^ akamwita banawasi aka- 
 mwuliza, ' Nichukue watu wangapi ? " 
 
 ^" ku. 3rd pers. sing- agreeing witli the ku in kuzimu. A 
 vai'iant for the usual ' nt.' Vide infra kuzuri agreeing in the 
 same manner. 
 
 ^^ manukato : ' scents.' 
 
 ^- zawadi : a present given to people on seeing them again after 
 some time. 
 
 ^'^ atakavyo : ' whicli lie wants.' Ki-S\valiih is a grapliic lan- 
 guage : hence tlie present tense and not alivyotaka, \\ liich it would 
 be if the idiom were the same as in Enghsh. It is little points 
 such as these wliich should be noted by those desii-ous of speaking 
 idiomatic Sw'ahili. 
 
NO AlhS TO TlIK STUDY OK Kl-SW All 1 1,1 
 
 vi/ici' and his ^(»Il and cvciv one that has liad anything 
 to do with the business.' And the king called them and 
 ail who were there went, und they embaiked on a ship 
 which travelled day and night for three days nntil on the 
 fourth day the banawaisi saw that they were among the 
 curients, and lie said, ' Here is truly the road to the other 
 world.' .So the s)iip came to a standstill and the banawasi 
 said to the king. 'Wait, I am going to see if the people are 
 ready and waiting foi" you. ' Now when oiu' banawasi started, 
 he had brought dates and ehe\ving mixture and all the heart 
 could desiie from the place whence he had started and had 
 hidden them without the others noticing. And the. bana- 
 wasi sank himself and swam to where the ship's rudder 
 w*^as. The others did not see him but thought he was 
 under the water. After about an hour the banawasi made 
 a noise, ' Come,ye Faithful, get me up wdth a lope.' And 
 the king gave orders, ' Lower the steps.' When he had 
 climbed up he produced the chewing mixture and the dates 
 and everything else and said to the king, ' The people are 
 ready ; do you see the j)resents I am bringing you from 
 them I ' On seeing these the king believed all the moie, 
 and said, ' Come, banawasi, let us be going.' And the 
 l)anawasi answered, ' If you w^ant to go quickly be tied 
 to the anchor.' ISo he was tied to the anchor ; for after 
 ail ' C-hoice is better than compulsion.' 
 
 And when he had sunk, the banaw^asi exclaimed, ' Praise 
 be to God ! ' And the vizier asked him, ' Come, banaAvasi, 
 what are you giving thanlcs about ? ' And he answered, 
 ' Is it not the custom to do so when some one starts on a 
 jom-ney -? ' And the vizier said to him, ' And I, too, w'ant 
 to go speedily to join the Idng.' And the banawasi rei)lied, 
 ' It is you whom I want to go speedily more than any one 
 else.' And he was tied to a stone and sunk together with 
 his son ; and both the childi'en of the Idng were sunk also. 
 
 ^ kulla mtu wa mashauri. ' Every one w^ho has had aught to do 
 with the b\isiness ' (of trying to get rid of liim). Here, as frequently 
 in Swahili story teUiug, the narrator actvially pvUs into the mouth 
 of the banawasi what he (the narrator) laiows will, convey the 
 idea to the listener but which at the same time the banawasi cer- 
 tainly w ould not have said. The narrator is in fact half addi'essing 
 
Kl-SWAHIJ.l STOiUES, TliAN8LATI()X AND NOTES si 
 
 Baiuawasi akajibu, ' Tweiidc wewe Jia waziii iia nitoto 
 iia kuUa iiitu wn mashauri.' ^ Mfaiime akaueta - vvakaja 
 wote kama walivyo.^ wakangia iidaiii ya marikebu,'* mari- 
 kebu ikaabiri iniida wa siku tatu inchaua na u.sikii hata 
 siku 3''a niie banawasi akatezania hapa ni katika mikoiido.'' 
 Akamwambia, ' Ni hapa iidipo penyi iijia ya Kuzimu.' 
 Mai'ikebu ikasiniaiiia, Ijaiiawasi akamwambia mfaume, 
 ' Ngoja neiida niimi hatezame " watu \\n layari kukiingo- 
 jea ^^'e^\-e. Na yule banawasi kiile atokako alinuniia tende, 
 mi ughaibu.'' na kulla kitu kia tuno^ akaficha, wale hawajui 
 kama ameficha kitu. Banawasi akajito.sa akenda hata 
 katika sukani ya marOvebu ; wale hamwoni ; wathani yu 
 ndani ya maji. 
 
 Ilipojjata kiasi kia saa moja banawahii akapiga kelele, 
 ' Enyi Islamu nipatani kwa kamba ! ' Mfaume akaamrisha, 
 ' Terem.sheni ngazi.' Alipopanda akatoa ughaibu akatoa 
 na tende, na kulla kitu, banawasi akamwambia mfaume, 
 ' Watu wa tayariwaona zawadi liii 'nnakuletea ? ' " 
 Mfaume knona hayo ^" akazidi kusadiki, mfaume akajibu, 
 ■ Ewe bunuasi we twende.' Banawasi akajibu, ' Kama 
 wataka uende upesi fungwa nanga.' ^^ Akafungwa sababu 
 ' Hiyari hushinda utumwa,' ^'^ akatoswa mfaume. 
 
 the listener. The banawasi woukl lie fai- tuu clever to make such 
 a silly remark. Vide infra, p. 10.5, n. 9. 
 
 * akawtta fur akawaita. 
 
 3 kama tvaUvyo, ' as many as there were.' 
 
 * marikebu. The root shows that it is that whieh ' rides ' the 
 waves, we write ' marikabu.^ — H. 
 
 ■' mlkondo; 'currents.' Such, were necessary for the speedy 
 sinking of his enemies. 
 
 " hatezame =nikateza}}ie (ha =nika-). 
 
 ^ ughaibu ^betel chewing mixture consisting of timbaku, tobacco, 
 chokaa, lime, katu, chewing gum, lanibuu, betel leaf (or if this is unob- 
 tainable a kind of grass called mjengo), popoo, areca nut. This is 
 kept in a box called Jaluba, to chew lime and tobacco only =kuvuata. 
 
 * ttmo, anything prized or valued. (We write it ' tunii ' — H.) 
 
 " zawadi hii 'nnakulelea. Again note idiomatic absence of the 
 relative. 
 
 '" knona hayo, ride supra, p. 73, n. 13. 
 
 *' Fungwa nanga, 'Be tied as to the anchor,' an ace. of respect. 
 
 1" Hiyari hushinda utuimca. ' Choice concjuers slavery.' Better 
 to act of one's own free will than iinder cominilsion. 
 
 G 
 
H2 AIDS 'I'O TIIK STl l)^■ OK KI-SWAIIIIJ 
 
 All tlie l)anawasi'(s enemies were isuiik too- — every one of 
 them. And he said to the sailors, * Remenil)er this — what 
 happens to the weak happens also to the strong.' Further 
 he added. ' 'Bout shi]) and let us be off.' But the helms- 
 man protested, ' How can we go wlien v\e are waiting for 
 the appearance of the king and his people ? ' And the 
 banawasi replied, ' Look here, steersman, since your father 
 went to the other world have you ever seen him return ? ' 
 The steersman had nothing to answer, so he remained silent ; 
 further the banawasi said to the captain, ' Here you, cap- 
 tain, why are you not tinning the ship ? ' And the captain 
 replied, ' Are you mad, banawasi ? ' And the banawasi 
 said to him, *^The one who is mad is the king who believed 
 me when I said I had come from the other world, and now 
 if you like stay here wdth your shijj for ten years and see if 
 your king will return.' 
 
 And the cajDtain believed that they were all really dead, 
 and at that very moment they saw the body of the vizier's 
 son from whom the stone had become detached, floating on 
 the water. And the banawasi called out, ' Steersman, 
 catch the horse of the vizier's son who has retmned from 
 the other world.' 
 
 And when the}'^ saw that it was a corpse they realized all 
 the more that the banawasi had killed them all. 
 
 Then the ship retm-ned to the jetty and the banawasi 
 disembarked first and said to the townspeople, ' Come and 
 greet the travellers on their return from the other w^orld- — 
 those who went this year and those A\ho went last- — all 
 have returned.' 
 
 1 Xi ada ya msajari. It is the custom to speed a parting guest 
 with the expression, ' ]May Heaven be praised, may you have a safe 
 journey,' hence the banawasi says, 'It is the custom when one goes 
 on a journey.' 
 
 ^ weive ndiwe nikutakaye. Note the niamier of expressing em- 
 phasis here ; ht. ' You : it is you : you who I want. . . .' 
 
 3 Fahamiuii . . . Utapata. peku weak (?), liingu strong {?). Tn 
 which case the phrase means, ' Remember that what the weak suffer 
 the .strong will also suffer,' i.e. ' The tables are turned.' 
 
 * Sarahangi. Ai*. word meaning the ' mate " : or as ]\Ialay 
 ' serang,' the native steersman of a sliip. 
 
KI-SWAHILI ST0K.IE8, TKAiNSLATiON ANJ) NOTKS S3 
 
 Alipotoswa banawasi akasema, ' Alhanidullilahi ! ' Wa- 
 ziri akajibu, ' Ewe banawasi \ve inbona wasbiikuru ? ' 
 Banawasi akasema, ' Ni ada ya msafiri.' ^ \\'aziii waka- 
 mwambia, ' Na minii nataka kwenda upesi upesi nimfiiatie 
 mfaume,' bunuasi akaniMambia. ' Wewe ndiwe nikutakaye - 
 uende iipese.' 
 
 Akafungwa jiwe akatoswa na mwauawv, akatoswa na 
 Avatoto wa mfaiime wawili. 
 
 Wakatoswa kiilla aliye liasimii ya banawasi, Mote waka- 
 wakatoswa, akawambia bahaiia, ' Enyi baharia fahamnni 
 lililopata peku na lungo litapata.' ^ Tena akawajibu, 
 ' Rudishani marikebu twende zetii.' Sarahangi ■* akatamka, 
 * Tutakwendaje na tungoje mfaume akaonane na watu.' 
 Banawasi akaniwaml)ia. ' Ewe sarabangi babayo alikwcnda 
 Kuzimu umemwona akirudi ? ' Sarabangi hana la knsema, 
 akanyamaza, akamwambia tena nakhothah wa marikebu. 
 ' E nakhotha we mbona burudishi marikebu ? ' Nakhothah 
 akajibu, ' Bunuasi una wazimu ? ' Banawasi akamwambia, 
 ' Mwenyi wazimu ni mfaume, niUyemwambia natoka 
 Kuzimu. naye akasadiki, na sasa kaeni hapa na marikebu 
 yenu muda wa miaka kumi kama mutamwona mfaume 
 wenu akirudi.' 
 
 Nakhothah akasadiki yakuwa ni kweli wanakufa ; mara 
 ile ile \yakona mtoto wa waziri jiwe linafunguka, ayelea na 
 maji.-^ Banawasi akamwita, ' Sarabangi kamata farasi wa 
 mtoto wa waziri atoka kuzimu ! ' 
 
 Wabpotezama ni maiti wakazidi kuyakini yakuwa 
 banawasi k'anaua watu wote. 
 
 Marikel>u ikarudi hata forozani. akashuka yeye kwanza 
 akawambia watu wabo mjini, ' Njooni mushungie "^ wasafiri 
 waliokwenda Kuzimu, waliokwenda mwaka liuu na mwaka 
 jana Avote wanarudi.' 
 
 ^ mtoto ica ivaziri jiwe linajunguka ayelea maji : ' the viziers' 
 son — -the stone has become vinbound — he is floating on the water. 
 Note the idiomatic way of saying. ' They saw the vizier's son, from 
 whom the stone had become detached, floating in tlie water.' 
 
 ^ mushungie : ' greet.' In Ki-Mvita =m,ushan(jiUe, 
 
S4 AIDS TO TlIK STlI|)^■ oK KI-SWAIII LI 
 
 Tlic kiiiir's town was j)lungc(l in giicf aiul Ihc haiuiwasi 
 said. ■ W'Ir'ii 1 was slain why didn't you moiiiii for me i ' 
 And the banawasi mounted the tluone and Avoiiied ];coi)le 
 to his heai-t's content. Such is tlie story of the Banawasi. 
 
KT-8WAHTLT STORIES, TRANSLATION AND NOTES KD 
 
 jMsiba ukangia katika niji wa iiifaiime, ])ana\vaKi akawa- 
 jibu, ' Mimi niliwawa ^ mbona hamukufanya mKi])a ? ' 
 
 Bauawasi alcakaa juii ya cnzi ^ akataabisha ^\■alu ata- 
 kavyo. Ndiyo Iiabari ya baiia\A'asi. 
 
 ^ mimi niliivawa : ' When I was slain.' It is idiomatic to avoid 
 using the relative as often as possible. It can always be supplied 
 by the Swahili inind. 
 
 - jim- ya enzi : enz*=reign. But the phrase ' /un ya cnzi i.s 
 straiiec to me. -H. 
 
 NoTK ON I'ast 'I'rmsk Tnfixks. 
 
 In Ki-.Unguja (Zanzibai- dialect) ' no ' has a present continuous 
 meaning, whereas in Kimvita ' na '. is piesent perfect and eqviivalent 
 to the ' we ' tense. I was inclined to distinguish He is coming = 
 yuwaja, He is come =anakuja : he has come (more emphatic) amekuja, 
 and alikuja. of course =he came. H. however reinarks that, with 
 regard to the two forms in Ki-Mvita for the pres. perf. the C.M.S. 
 assessors have shown no difference in emphasis between the forms 
 ' na. ' and ' me,' and that he himself, after a long acquaintance 
 with both, seems to feel that the Swahili preference for the form 
 in ' na ' is occasioned rather by love of that sound — to them it 
 has a finer, more elegant sound than the heavier labial ' me,' and 
 that it seems to him to be merely for euphonj'. Again he says, 
 ' In other waj^s, listenirlg to ^ good Mombasa conversation of the 
 " Waungwana," especially their women — one notices how they 
 tend to " give " sounds — soft and quickly-gliding speech — really 
 pretty speech. " Kana " for " kam,a " is a very common case of 
 this preference.' 
 
sc, AIDS TO THE STUDY OK KT-SWAHTLt 
 
 'DON'T CAST YOUR PEARLS BEFORE SWINE' 
 Free Translation 
 
 Long ago tliero was a Suit an who Iiad two cliildrcn, both 
 sons, one of whom was called Muliamad and the other Ali, 
 and then' father did all in liis ])ower to encourage their 
 education. 
 
 He told tliem not to go outside the grounds, and hie 
 children obej'^ed him. 
 
 But one day it happened that All, the youngest born, 
 strayed outside the grounds, and saw a very fine high-road. 
 So he retraced his steps and said to his brother, ' There was 
 no sense in our father preventing us from strolling outside 
 the grounds, for there the country is very open indeed. 
 And he said to him, ' Let us go — I wish to see.' When they 
 returned they said to their father, ' INIake us two cars 
 befitting our royal estate.' ' Readily,' acquiesced their 
 father. In three days' time they received the cars which, 
 fashioned as they were of gold and silver, were a wonder 
 to behold. And they were given also cloaks, tiu'bans, and 
 daggers, all in regal style, and they cUmbed into their cars ; 
 and after proceeding on their way for the space of an hour, 
 they saw another car following behind them. Now this 
 car belonged to the son of a king, like themselves. But 
 the prince passed hastily in front of Ali and Muhamad, 
 so that Ali spoke, and remarked to his brother, ' How is 
 this ? Without doubt that is a royal prince Init he has 
 
 ^ Fathili za punda ni ma'shuzi. A donkey's kindness is breaking 
 wind. An aphorism meaning, ' Don't cast j'our pearls before swine.' 
 Sharif Hasan explained its meaning as, ' Whether you give a donkey 
 good expensive food or merely cheap grass, the result is the same, 
 viz., ' wind.' So it is only a waste to give good food. Krajof trans- 
 lates, ' You can't inake a silk pui'se out of a sow's ear,' but this is 
 perhaps not a quite correct parallel. The ' mashuzi ' of an African 
 donkey at any rate is particularly noticeable, and the metaphor is 
 a natural one. 
 
 ^ kichinja-mimba : 'The yovmgest born'; vide p. 61, n. 7. 
 
 3 hakufanya neno kutuzuia ; lit. ' did not make a matter to pre- 
 vent,' i.e. ' It was quite unnecessary (for our father) to prevent us ' ; 
 Tr. ' There was no sense in our father preventing us.' 
 
KI-SWAHTLI STORIES, TRANSLATION AND NOTES K7 
 
 , FATHILI ZA PUNDA NI MASHUZI ' 
 Told by Sharif Hasan bin Aloi of Pemba, 
 Dialect Ki-Jizirat. 
 
 Zamani hizo zilizopita kulikuwa na sultani al azaa watoto 
 wawli wote wanawaume, mmoja aitwa Muhaniad, mmoja 
 aitwa Ali. na vijana wale walijaliwa kusoma nana ni baba- 
 yao. 
 
 Aliwambia musitoke nje ya boma. Wakasikiza wale 
 watoto. Ikatukia isiku moja akatoka Ali kichinja -mimba,- 
 akaenda nje ya boma, akaona bara-bara nzuri sana, akarudi, 
 akamwambia nduguyake, ' Baba hakufanya neno kutnznia ^ 
 Bisi kntembea nje ya boma, ni mahali kuliko nathifn.' * 
 Akamwambia. ' Twende nikatezame.' •'"' Wali])oiiidi waka- 
 mwambia l)al)a, ' Tnfanyie maghaii mawili ya iifaume.' 
 Babayao akasema, ' Tayari.' ^luda wa siku tatn wakapata, 
 na maghaii hayo ni ajabii yaMfanizwa' kwa thahabu iia 
 fetha ; wakapew'a majoho na vilemba na majembia yote 
 ya iifaume, wakapanda maghari yao wakenda kiasi kia ^ 
 saa moja wakaona ghari nyuma yao 3'uwafuatia.'' Na 
 ghari hilo lilikuwa la mtoto wa mfaiime kama wao.^ Aka- 
 pita yule mtoto mbele ya Ali na Mnhamad kwa kasi.^ 
 Ali akatamka akamwambia^" ndugu yake, 'Jisi^^ gani 
 yule mtoto wa mfaume kweli, laldni amepita kA\'a jeuii, 
 
 * ni mahali kuliko nathifu. nathifn, open, clear. Cf. tnkubwa 
 kuliko ivakuhwa, big where there are big men, i.e. a man bigger than 
 the average. Here translate, ' It is a particularly open spot,' or 
 ' For there the cpi.mtry is very open indeed.' 
 
 '= twende nikatezame : ' Let us go that I may see ' ; vide p. .lO, n. i). 
 Ka tense final. 
 
 * kia =Zanz. cha. 
 
 ' wakaona . . . yuwafuatia ; lit. ' They saw a carriage beliind 
 them : it is following after them.' 
 
 * kama wao ; lit. of course =" as theirs,' i.e. as their father was a 
 king. 
 
 ' fcas«= haste (implying disrespect). 
 
 *' akatamka akamwambia ; lit. " uttered and spoke.' t"f. Bit)lic'al 
 English, ' opened his mouth and spoke to ' . . , 
 11 jisi—ginsi, gist, id. 
 
S8 .\II)S TO Till-: STl'DY Ol- KI-SWATIILI 
 
 passed us in an insolent manner : how is it lie has failed 
 to pay us any respect ? CVrtainly we must follow him.' 
 
 So they whipped up theii" horses more than ever in order 
 to come uj) with him hut without avail, and. as was not 
 unnatural, All and JMuhamad lost their way. Then an 
 unexpected thing happened, they saw before them a wall, 
 having the a})])earanee of a fortress. 
 
 The wall enclosure was made of copper, and outside it 
 tliey perceived a king's garden. After observing the garden 
 they noticed that it also contained two houses ; one was the 
 h(mse of an old crone and the other of a Pat ha n. So Ali 
 and Muhamad went up to the door of the crone's house 
 and knocked : ' Hodi,' they said, and the old crone answered 
 ' Hodina ! ' ' Madam.' they said to her, ' won't you give 
 ua some water ? ' And the crone answered them, ' Where 
 have you come from ? What has befallen you that I see 
 your troubled faces and bcAvildered eyes ? ' And Ali 
 answered Iier, ' Worries and troubles have come upon us.' 
 And slie said to them, ' How^ ? ' And they answered her, 
 ' We happened to be taking a drive when we saw a youth 
 — -and a youth of royal birth in our thinking, for he was 
 in a car ornamented with pearls and diamonds— but he 
 passed us scornfully and we thought it better to follow him 
 so that he might tell us his name, and tlie name of his 
 father and the site of his town.' 
 
 And the crone ansAvered them, ' Listen, Arabs, I know 
 this youth, but his sister lives here, and the reason why he 
 passed you in haste w'as l)ecause he Avas hurrying to his 
 castle, the gates of ^hich are ahvays closed at fom*, and 
 so the next time he hurries to the door you needn't be 
 distressed about it.' 
 
 * hwvoje . . . ashceze ; lit. ' How is it that he could not . . ,' = 
 how is it that ? 
 
 2 kumivandamia. Note iufin. in final sense as in Eng. 
 
 3 wasimpate. ' But they didn't reach him.' 
 
 * ikabidi kupolea ytde A. na M. ; lit. ' And it is certain to be lost 
 that Ali and M.,' i.e. ' 80 A. and M. naturally got lost.' Kii-bidi 
 'must,' mie.mbidi 'he must' (impers.) followed by infin. The 
 word in other contexts is useful to imply ' periodically.' 
 
 ^ kutokeza . . . slmni. shani =mdmho makuhwa, a gi'eat event, 
 
KF-SWATTTLT STOKTES. TKANSl.ATTON AND NOTES s!» 
 
 lunvaje sisi watu Avawili asiwe/.e ' kiitu])a liesliinia, hapana 
 biidhi ela kumfuatia.' 
 
 Wakajitahidi kiipiga faiasi ^ao kuimvandanna,- wasi- 
 mpate,^ ikahidi kiipotea ^ \n\v Ali na Muliamad. 
 
 Ikaiukia kutokeza mahali liapo ni pihani '' waliona l)oma 
 mithili ya ngome. 
 
 Ilikuwa boma la sifiiri, na nje ya boma wakaona bustani 
 ya mfaunie. Wakiisha kiiona bustani liiyo, ndaiii ya 
 l)ustani muliknwa " na " nyumba mbili. nynni])a moja ni 
 yn ajuza ^ mwananike. na nyumba nioja ilikuwa ya Pathani. 
 Wakenda Ali lui Muhamad hata kwa yule ajuza, wakabisha 
 hodi. ajuza akawajibu, ' Hodina ! ' " Wakamwambia, 
 ' Bini ^" inkubwa luilii[)i niaji ?' Ajuza akawanibia, ' Mwa- 
 toka wapi ? '^Paabu gani iliyowa])ata nibona nawaona 
 niunabadilika ^' sura zenu nuinageuka ^^ macho yenn ? ' Ali 
 akamjibu, ' Ni taabu na mashaka iliotupata.' Aka- 
 mwaml)ia, ' Kama yapi ? ' Wakamwambia, ' Ilikuwa sisi 
 timakwenda matembezi tumoona kijana, na kijana huyu, 
 kuthani k\retu, ni kijana wa mfaume. aliku^^'a na ghai'i 
 inapambwa pambo lake ni lidu na almasi lakini ametu])ita 
 kwa tharau, tunaona ni afathali sisi kumfuatia hata tum- 
 pate kijana huyu atupe jina lake, na jina la babayake na 
 mahali palipo na mji wake.' 
 
 Ajuza akawajibu, ' Sikizani Waarabu ! Kijana huj'u 
 namjua lakini hapa yupo ndugu yake m^^■anamke, asili ya 
 kupita kwa kasi ni kuwa akimbiliza boma hii. kulla siku saa 
 
 something unexpected {fide Krapf'sDic). " Kutokeza ' (lu'de Krapf) 
 
 = ' to sliow itself,' lience " to happen ' ; Ht. ' And it liappened there 
 
 is an unexpected event to show itself in the place here.' Thus 
 
 simply, 'An unexpected thing happened.' 
 
 * midikuxoa. I drew attention to this loc. prefix, vide, supra, 
 
 p. 07, n. 10. It must not be confused with the 2nd pers. pi. prefix 
 "< na — '^ also.' 
 
 " ajuza : a verj' old woman, the ' crone ' of our tales. Ar. ^ ^^s^ 
 ^ Hodi, hodina. For possible explanation of the meaning of 
 
 ' liodi' vide Krapf 's Dictionary. 'Hodina' does not appear to l>e 
 
 known in Mombasa. • 
 
 '" Bim. A respectful word for ' mother ' or ' married woman.' 
 ^^ mimahadilika , mnnageuka . Both vei"bs mean ' changed,' 
 
 ' altered,' but cannot very well be rendered so in English as the 
 
 crone had never seen them before. 
 
0(» AIDS To TlIK STUDY <)K KI-SW All I I.I , 
 
 Ali and Muliaiiiad laughed. 
 
 After thJK Ali said (o her, ' CJive me some betel.' And 
 she answered him, ' I have no l)etel, hut T r(>member that 
 the Pathan over there has a table wheri' Ik' sells betel and 
 all sorts of things.' 
 
 So they went to the Pathan and asked him. ' Patlian, 
 have you a " betel " table ? 
 
 But on hearing these words the Pathan burst out crying, 
 and when they saw this they asked liim, ' What makes you 
 cry ? ' And he replied, ' I will tell you what makes me cry. 
 A long time ago I was rich — I had thousands and thousands 
 of rupees — T also had seven children- — 
 
 ' Now these children of mine were murdered, and the nun- 
 deress I think is that old crone. And so w hen I first saw 
 you approaching the old crone, just as I once saw my 
 wronged children approach her, I feared that you, the 
 children of a fellow-man, might meet with the same fate 
 that they did. And that is wh}^ I cried.' 
 
 After saying this the Pathan wept all the more, until 
 Ali said to him, ' Stoj) your crying and see if I don't repay 
 you to-day for the loss of yoiu' children.' Then the Pathan 
 laughed. 
 
 So they returned to tlie crone and were received with 
 respect and reverence, and after they had been there a little 
 while Muhamad saw a yoinig girl of marvellous beauty, 
 and he said to his brother, ' The Pathan spoke the truth, 
 for since we have been in this house I have seen a maiden 
 who plainly is not the daughter of a human being — 
 probably she is a " witch." ' And he said to him, ' Do you 
 want her ? ' 'I do,' he answered — ' let me test the 
 matter. According to the Pathan this should be the Genie 
 that slew his seven children.' And he said, ' Very well — 
 talk to her.' So they called the crone and asked her, ' Old 
 
 1 asili ya kwpita . . . mlango. * Tlie reason of his passing . . . 
 is because he is hurrying towards this castle, whose gates, etc' . . . 
 
 ^ tmnbuu, vide .supra, p. 81, n. 8. 
 
 ^ kuhoji=kwtliza=kusaiU. 
 
 * Lipi likulizalo. Kulia to cry : knlizn causative, ' to make to 
 cry.' ' What makes you cry ? ' 
 
KI-SWAHILI STORIES, TRANSLATION ANJ) N0TE8 91 
 
 kumi hufiingw<a mlango/ na yeyc akikinihilia mlaiigo 
 musiuthikc k\\a haj'o.' Wakacheka Ali na INIuhainad. 
 
 Kiisha kiiscma hayo Ali akamwambia, ' Tiipe tambuu.' - 
 Akamwambia, ' Mimi tambuu sina, nafahanui yule Pathani 
 huweka meza kuuza tambuu mi kulla jinsi.' Wakaenda 
 kwa Pathani, wakamwuliza, ' E Pathani we una meza ya 
 tambuu ? ' Kiisha kusema maneno hayo Pathani akalia, 
 alipolia wakamhoji,^ ' Lipi likulizalo ? ' * Akawajibu, 
 ' Linilizalo ntawambia.' Mimi zamani nilikuwa tajiii wa 
 lakhi ^ na lukuki, na tena nilikuwa na watoto wangu sabaa. 
 Na watoto ha wo waliwawa, na mwenyi kuwaua natuhumu 
 ni ^ yule ajuza, na asili ya kuwaona nyinyi munafikia " 
 kwa yule ajuza kama nilvyoona watoto wangu wanathu- 
 lumiwa,** na nyinyi watoto wa mwenzangu n'na hol'u 
 kuuawa ; ndipo nikalia. 
 
 Kiisha sema liayo Pathani akasliitadi ^ kulia. 
 
 Ah akamjibu, ' Nyamaza kilio^" utezame ya leo ntakulipia 
 dia 1^ ya watoto wako,' Pathani akacheka. 
 
 Wakarudi kwa ajuza, walipofika wakafanyiwa heshima 
 na taathima.^^ Walipokaa punde kidogo Muhamad aka- 
 mwona mtoto mwanamke ni mzuri ajabu, akamwambia 
 nduguye, ' yale maneno ya Pathani sadakta ^^ kwa kuwa 
 kiasi tulichokaa hapa nabaini • mwanamke, mwanamke 
 huyu si wa binadamu labuda ni Jini.' Akamwambia 
 ' wamtaka ?' Akajibu, ' Namtaka. Nifeeli ^^ mambo yako 
 
 •^ ZaA;/tJ = 100,000, lakuki an amount 'beyond expression." 
 
 ^ ni. Note pres. tense. 
 
 ' Asili ya . . . munafikia. Pres, participle rendered by pres. 
 indie, ' When I first saw you approaching ' (Ut. you are approaching). 
 
 ^ kuthiilumu, 'to wTong ' ; Ut. 'Just as I saw my children — 
 they are wronged.' 
 
 ^ kHshitadi=kukifiri=kuzidi=kujitahidi all words implying re- 
 newed or increased effort. 
 
 *" kilio, n. from v. A; w-Z/« =' weeping.' 
 
 ^' utezame . . . dia ' . . . and see if I don't cdrnpeneate you 
 for . . . ' : dia or /td^a = compensation. 
 
 ^- taathinui : reverence, wakajanyiwa, ' antl t iiey were received 
 with.' 
 
 13 sadakta =' kweli ' =true, correct. 
 
 1* kufeeli =to examine. 
 
02 AIDS TO Till-: sTrny of Ki-swAinu 
 
 woman, is that a dauglilcr of yours in there ? ' And she 
 answeied, * It is.' And they said to her, * May we talk A\ith 
 her in ])rivate ? ' ' Readily,' said she, and they thanked 
 her. And the crone went and called, ' My child, daughtcj- 
 of a Genie, make yourself attractive with sweet-smelling 
 scent and jasmine.' And at once she did so. 
 
 And ]\Iuliamad got up, went in, and they spoke and agreed 
 and arranged to sleep together. Then Ali came and called 
 his l)rother, who answered, * Yes ? ' And he said to him, 
 ' When you are sleeping with this wdtch, if she says, " Shut 
 the door," f«ay to her. " With us il is forbidden " ; and if she 
 says. " Put out the lani]),' answer her. " Witli us it is 
 considered siiameful." ' Finally he said. ' Vou maik my 
 words well ; 1 shall sleep at the door.' So they then ate 
 their food, and afterwards conversed awliile. after which 
 Ali la}^ down with drawn sword, mitil at midnight he per- 
 ceived the woman had been transformed into a huge snake. 
 
 Ali said, ' This comes of my elder bi-other not listening 
 to what the Pathan said,' and he arose and cut off the 
 creature's head. And when he had done so he took off 
 his turban and rolled the head, neck and trunk of the 
 serpent up in it. then laid the bundle doAMi in the ver}^ 
 place where the two had been lying. After that he went 
 out of the house (it was about 12 or 1 o'clock at night), and 
 he went to the place W'here the castle was and passed inside, 
 for Ali possessed a charm. Xow inside there were roads 
 — ^ten at least ; and every road was guarded by sentries 
 of the king who owned the j^lace, and their numbei- could 
 not have been less than a thousand. 
 
 * vikuba ^ ni ynara shi {?,cent) yaliyotnngamdnishwa ni majoni ya 
 mrihani, na mkadi na afu tui dalio.' aju jasmine. 
 
 ^ zamani, vide supra, p. 78, n. 3. 
 
 ■' 7niko : ' ni neno nisilofanyiwa ntl mtii ' Forhidden.' Of. 
 Malay 'pantang.' 
 
 * kuishn-kioe —kuisha ku'ak(w)e. 
 
 ^ mongezi = mazumgamzo = conversation. ' ikahaki mongezi, 
 kiisha ' ; lit. ' And there remained (only the after-dinner) conver- 
 sation ; and after (that too) was finished. . . . ' 
 
 * Leli = midnight, Ar. L.3- The times are: alafngiri, 5.. 30 
 a.m. ; sabahe. 6.30 a.m. ; adhuhuri or nitwuikati or mtikati, noon ; 
 
Kl-SWAHILI STOIUES. THANSJ.ATIOX AND NOTES 'Xi 
 
 kama aliyosema Pathani itakuwa ni huyu Jiiii mwenyi 
 kuiia watoto .sabaa.' Akamwanibia. ' Basi sema nave.' 
 Wakamwita ajuza Avakampa habari, ' Ewe ajuza muiia 
 mwanamke hunm ndani ? ' Akajibu, ' Ndio.' Waka- 
 mwambia, ' Tutapata faragha tuseme naye ? ' Akawajibu, 
 'Tayari.' Wakamjibii, ' Ashasanta.' Akenda ajuza aka- 
 mwani1)ia, ' Emc niwanangu mtoto \va Jini jipambe k^a 
 vikiiba ^ lui afu, akajipamba punde ile ile Akaja Muhamad 
 akapita iidani, wakasema, wakasikizana, \\akaagana kulaJa. 
 Ali akaja akamwita ndiigiiye Midiamad, akaitika ' Lebeka.' 
 Akamjibu, ' Zamani - utakapolala na huyu afiriti aki- 
 kuambia " Funga mlaiigo " mwambie, " Kwetu sisi ni 
 niiko " ^ ; akikuambia " Zima taa ! " mwambie " Kwetu 
 sisi ui aibu. Kuishakwe * hayo akamwambia." Sikia 
 Sana maneno yangu na mimi nalala. hapa mlangoni.' Wa- 
 kala cliakula walipokisha . kula ikabaki mongezi ^ kiisha 
 Ali akalala na upanga wake hata usiku leli "^ akaona yule 
 mwanamke anageuka satu. 
 
 Ali akasema haya ni makusudi ya mkubwa wangu.haku- 
 sikiza ^ maneno ya yule Pathani. Ali akaondoka Jia 
 upanga wake akamkata kichwa. Ahjjomkata akavua 
 kilemba chake akazongomeza ^ kichwa pamoja na shiiigo 
 na kiwih\\iH cha yule satu. Akiisha hayo akamweka pale 
 pale walipolala wote wawili. Tena akatoka katika nj^umba, 
 na ilikuwa saa sabaa ao saa sita kama hivyo. akenda hata 
 penyi boma. Xa huyu Ali alikuwa na siliiri," akapita penyi 
 bo ma akangia ndani. 
 
 Xa humo ndani muna ^" baia-baia hazipungui kumi. na 
 kulla bara-l)aia kuna asikari wa huyu mfaume mwenyi 
 boma, asikari hao idadi yakwe hawapungui alifu. 
 
 alasiri, 3 p.m. ; ahurubu sliem^, 5.30 p.m. ; mangaribi (west), t) 
 p.m. ; liisha, 7.30 p.m. ; leli, midnight or iisiku makungu (2 a.m. 
 usiku wa inanane). 
 
 ' haya ni makusudi . . . hakusikiza. ' Tliis is the result of my 
 
 elder brother not listemng to' ma-kusudi (Ar. A^oii) nieans 'pur- 
 pose.' Here it has come to mean ' result.' 
 
 ^ ku-zongomeza : to roll up (ia something, e.g., a clotli)- 
 ^ sihiri : a charm (which enabled him to pass through without 
 being observed). 
 
 ^^ mu-na : the place-in prefix again, vide supra, p. C7, n. lU. 
 
04 AIDS TO TIFK STTD^' OK KI-SW AIIIM 
 
 And All I'litcrt'ii without Ijciug observed, and lit' kept on 
 until lie re^iflu'd \\\v h()U(>o of the king's son (the vci'V son 
 who had married the sister of the youth whom Ali had 
 followed). And when he reached there he saw a woman 
 l)eing let down in a basket (and this woman was actnally 
 the sister of that same youth, being the wife of the king's 
 son). Ali stood still and, when the woman, after being 
 lowered, went her way, he followed her as far as the house 
 of a goldsmith. Now the woman did not know there* was 
 any one following behind her : she thought she was alone. 
 
 After reaching the goldsmith's house she knocked at the 
 door and called. ' Hodi I ' ; then again a second time she 
 knocked and called. (Now the correct number of times to 
 call ' hodi ' is three.) 
 
 And the goldsmith answered, 'Who are you?' 'Do 
 you not know me — the person with whom you have a tryst 
 of long standing ? ' the woman rejilied. And the gold- 
 smith answered, ' Nevertheless, tell me yom- name.' And 
 she told him, saying, ' It is I, the king's daughter.' And 
 he said to her, ' Is it you ? Two days ago I summoned 
 you, but you could not come. I shall not open the door.' 
 And the woman answered him, ' Ojien the door ! ' Then 
 the goldsmith said to her, ' If you realh^ wish me to open 
 the door you must bring me the head of your husband, 
 the king's son.' 
 
 Now while this conversation was going on Ali was present 
 and listening to it. And the woman answered him, ' If 
 you want his head, what you require of me is a small matter 
 —you have only to give me a knife.' So the goldsmith 
 unsheathed a knife and pushed his hand out to her through 
 
 * atercinnhwa. (Jrapliic present in jjarticipial sense. (He saw the 
 woman) ' being lowered.' 
 
 ■^ akenda, for akaeiida. 
 
 •' fionara is a smith of some Idnd, probably a goldsmith. A smith 
 ■ tnjna ' (chuma) or mfuaji works in a kiwanda (smithy). His imple- 
 ments are kiveleo jjincers, nyxindo hammer, kiriba bellows, fuawe 
 anvil, kalibu fm-nace (mould ?), vnwao tank for water, tindo a chisel 
 for cutting hot iron. To blow the bellows is kuvukiUa, a hammered 
 
KI-SWAHILI 8TORIE8, TRANSLATION ANJ3 NOTES !»:. 
 
 Ali akangia bila yn kiionekana. akafiiliza liata akafika 
 nyumba ya mtoto wa mfaume, iia huyu nitoto ndiye aliycoa 
 nduguye yide mtoto aliomfuata Ali. Alipofika akaona 
 mwanamke ateiemshwa ^ ndaiii ya kapo, na m^^analnke 
 huyu ni nduguye yuleyule mtoto, nayenimke wa mtoto wa 
 mfalme. 
 
 Yule Ali akasin^ama alipoteremuka m^^a)lamko aUacnda - 
 zake, Ali akamfuata liata wakafika nyumba ya sonara.^ 
 na yule mwanamke hakujua kama nyuma yangu kuna mtu 
 anifuata.^ athania yu peke yake. 
 
 Alipotika kwa soiiara, akabisha hodi ^ mara ya kwanza, 
 hodi akatimiza mara mbili — na dasturi ya hodi ni mara 
 tatu. 
 
 Sonara akajibu ' Nani wewe i ' Mwanamke akajibu, 
 ' Hunijui mtu ambaye kwamba tuna miadi ya milele. * 
 mimi nawe ? ' Sonara akajibu, ' Juu ya liayo lakini ^ 
 nipa jina lako,' akampa jina lake, ' Ni mimi binti mfaume.' 
 Akamwambia, ' Wewe 1 ' Juzi nilikuita hukuweza kuja, 
 ^ifungui mlango.' ]\Iwanamke akamjibu, ' Fungua mlango.' 
 Sonara akamwambia", ' Kama Avataka nifungue niletea 
 kichw^a cha mumeo mtoto wa mfalme.' 
 
 Na maneno hayo yakisemwa Ali yupo ayasikiliza.*^ 
 ]Mwanamke akamjibu. ' Kama Avataka kichwa ndilo neno 
 dogo lakutendeka kwangu ^ ; neno panaposaza nipa 
 
 piece of iron is mkando : the iron droppings after hammering chomwe, 
 and sparks macheche. 
 
 * na yule . . . anifuata, vide supra, p. 58, n. 0, transl. ibid. 
 •^ kabislia hodi. To knock at the door calHng out ' hodi ! 
 
 " miadi ya milele, ' a tryst of long standing.' ' kadi ' is the time 
 limit for fulfilment of the tryst. Xote the idiom here ; lit. ' Do 
 you not know me, the person who — that we have a tryst of long 
 standing '=' Do yon not know me — the person who (has arranged 
 a meeting with yon, and do yon not know) that xoii and I ha\e 
 an agreement . . . etc' 
 
 ^ Juu ya hayo lakini ' yes — but.' 
 
 * ni maneno . . . ayasikiliza. Notice the constr. ; lit. ' Now 
 while these words were being said Ali is there — he is listening to 
 them.' 
 
 " lakutendeka kwangu : ' which you want done by mc." Ku- 
 tendekn means 'to be doable.' Iiuitendeki. it can't be done. The 
 literal translation of this phrase would be ' which is doable for you 
 (infix. " ku ") at my (cost).' 
 
tm AIDS TO TiiK s'^l•|)^■ ok ki-s\\aiiili 
 
 till' |)c('|t-li()lc\ and ^a\'i' lu-r the knife, and the woman went 
 her way. Ali again follow iiiu lur a ; far as \uv house 
 
 Now it haj)))ciiccl that on this A'eiy day the wonum's 
 l)rotlu'r had ai rived from a foreign land and was sltejiin.g 
 on his l)rot liei -in laws l)ed in the private a])aitment. and 
 the woman did not go to where her luisltand was sleeping, 
 hut mistaking her brother for him. cut ofj liis Iiead and went 
 down again l)elow. 
 
 Ali was still theie and again followed along with hei- to 
 the goldsmiths house, at whicli she l<nf)eked and called 
 ' Hodi." Hut the goldsmith answered. 'Go hack!' 'I 
 will not.' answered tlie Avoman. The goldsmith said, 
 ' Very well then.' Ali was there eavesdropping. And 
 the woman said. " Open and take what you asked for so 
 that you can see how^ 1 love 3'ou.' Upon -whicli the gold- 
 smith answered lier, ' This is not love. How have yon 
 dared to cut off the head of your husband — a king's son ? 
 Are you not afraid i To what limits would you d: ive a 
 beggar like me ? ' And the woman replied, ' If you don't 
 open of your own free Avill you shall do so by force.' The 
 goldsmith was tilled with anger, noisily opened the door, 
 rushed at the AAoman, and bit off Iier ear. On seeing this 
 Ali drew his sword and cut off tlie goldsmith's head A\ith 
 the woman's ear in its mouth. The woman ran away and 
 Ali returned. Xow all this took place during the night : 
 it had not yet dawned. 
 
 Ali followed another road and came out in sight of a 
 mosfpie, w^here he saw seven thieves, each of whom said 
 
 ^ neno panappnaza nipa kinu : ' there remains only to give me a 
 knife ' ; lit. ' where there causes a matter to remain give me a 
 knife.' 
 
 - akampenyezea ndani ya komeo : andiie put liis hand for her 
 through the peephole. Komeo usually means a bar or lock, but 
 here the word means the small hole in the door through which 
 people look to see who has come. In the word penyezea is contained 
 the notion of squeezing into a small jilace. 
 
 ■t shemetjl : a brotlier- or sister-in-law. 
 
 * sebvle. The women's (quarters of a Mnhamadan liousc or 
 any private room. 
 
 * yule mivanamke . . . akamkata ; lit. ' That woman failed to 
 go where her husband was sk'ei)ing, and when she saw him (her 
 
KI-SAVAHILI STORIES, TRANSLATION AND NOTES !i7 
 
 kisu.' ^ Sonara akatoa kisu, akampenyezea ndani ya 
 komeo - akampa kisu, mwanamke akenda. 
 
 Ali akamfuata teiia hata nyiiiiibani kwake. Na nikii 
 hiyo iliku^va iidugii j^ake yule mwanamke amekuja ugeni 
 analala kitanda kia shemegiye ^ sebuleni. ** Yule mwanamke 
 asinde alikolala mume wake,^ alipomwona akathani ni 
 mumewe akamkata kichwa akateiemuka tena hadi chini. 
 
 Ali yupo, akenda tena hadi kwa sonara, Ali waote,® 
 alipofika akabisha liodi. sonara akajiba ' Rudi ! ' Mwa- 
 namke akajibu, ' Sirudi/ Sonara akajibu, 'Bas ! ' Mwan- 
 amke akajibu, ' Fungua uchukue amana ' yako upate jua 
 kama mimi nakupenda.' Ali yu^io asikiliza uiDenuni.^ 
 Baisha kusema hayo sonara akajibu, ' Hilo si pendo ^ wewe 
 kuna weza ^° kukata Idchwa mumeo tena aliye kwamba 
 ni mtoto wa mfaume usiogope. Je mimi nilie fukara 
 utanikomesha waj)i ? ' ^ Mwanamke akajibu, ' Utafungua 
 kwa hiyari ao utafungua kwa nguvu.' Sonara akangiwa 
 ni uchungu akafungua mlango kwa kishindo.^- Alipo- 
 fungua akanu-ukia mwanamke akamtafuna ^^ shikio. Ali 
 alipoona vile akatoa panga akakata kichwa cha yule sonara 
 akakata na shikio la yule mwanamke. Mwanamke a kakim- 
 bia, Ah akarudi, na ukati huo wote ililvuwa ni usiku haija- 
 pambazuka. 
 
 Ali akafuata bara-bara nyingine, akatokea mahali pana 
 mskiti, akaona ^^i^'i sabaa na kuUa niwivi ana maneno 
 
 brother), thiukiug it was her husband, she cut . . .' After the 
 word ' sleeping ' is understood some such plirase as, ' but went to 
 the room where her brother was sleei^ihg.' 
 
 • Ali icaote. ' Ah and all,' i.e. he went with the woman. 
 
 ' amana : fulfilment of a thing agreed upon, i.e. here the head 
 (a tiling left in trust {kuatnaniwa), a deposit. ^ — H.). 
 
 • asikiliza upenuni : ' he is hstening at the eaves ' — an exact 
 parallel to our ' eavesdropping.' 
 
 • hilo si pendo :• ' This is not " Love." ' 
 
 ^** wewe kuna weza ; lit. ' there is for you to be able,' i.e. ' that 
 you could dare to . . .' 
 
 ^^ Je mimi . . . icapi: ' What ? where wo ukl .\ou make me cease 
 — I who am a beggar,' i.e. ' To what limits would you drive a 
 beggar like me ? ' 
 
 ** kwa kishindo ' noisily.' 
 
 *^ ku-ta f una = to chew, here evidently =' bit off' for vide 2 line.s 
 infra. 
 
 u 
 
IKS AIDS TO THE 8TU1)^' OK KI-SWAHILI 
 
 sometliijig. The tiist thief said, ' O Mosque ! 1 am going 
 to steal the king's sword, and if I escape unobserved by 
 any one. I vow that I will bring you a sack of '' dinars." ' 
 
 And the second thief's words were, ' O Mosque ! I am 
 going to steal the king's loyal chair, and if 1 return safely, 
 I vow that 1 will bring a sack of silver." 
 
 While they weie speaking Ali was there listening to them. 
 
 And the third thief s])oke, ' Mosque ! ] am going to get 
 the king's ring, and if I succeed in bringing back the beauti- 
 ful thing, 1 will biing a sack of gold.' 
 
 And the fom*th thief said, ' O ]\losque ! If 1 succeed 
 in stealing the Idng's turban, I will bring a goat.' 
 
 And the fifth of them said, ' If 1 get the king's dagger, 1 
 mil bring a diamond.' 
 
 Then came the sixth and said, ' If I succeed in getting 
 tJie king's shoes, I will bring an ewe with its lamb.' 
 
 There remained only the seventh, and he said, ' If I 
 succeed when I go to steal the king's virgin daughter, 
 I will bring a camel's hump.' 
 
 After making their vows they exhorted one another, 
 saying, ' Let us be going.' So they started off to the king's 
 house, Ali being a little way behind. After reaching it 
 every one got what he had begged the Mosque for and they 
 retm'ned to fulfil their vows. Ali followed them again to 
 
 1 Iwapo . . . ni mtu ; lit. ' Where it is that (i.e. when) I go to 
 steal . . . and be not seen bj- ai\y one — ^I will . . . etc., etc' In 
 translating it is necessary to turn the plirase, ' I am going to steal 
 the king's swords and if I escape unobserved I will bring . . . etc. 
 And similarly the plirases containing the vows of the other thieves 
 mxist be turned about. 
 
 *^ dinar i. Tliis is from ' denarius ' — the Roman penny ; we 
 have it in the New Testament and render it ' half-rvipee.'— H. 
 
 ^ nikarudi =tena iwapo narudi, vide supra, note 1. 
 
 iBC- 
 
 3 nanaziri={Ai. jy a vow). Cf. Biblical sect ' Nazarites ' 
 under yows to leave their hair long and abstain from wine, etc.— 
 kunaziri is to vow to do something in event of something happening 
 in a certain manner. 
 
 H. adds to this, * The Nazarites were not strictly a sect, but a 
 class of persons in the Israelite community' imder vows— the same 
 word being used for vow as in Arabic, viz. "iT3. We use kuweka 
 
Kl-SW'AHll.l STOKIE.s, TRANSLATION AND NOTES 99 
 
 asema. Mwivi vva kwaiiza alisema, * Hewe msikiti iwapo 
 niimi nenda kuiba upanga wa mfaume nisionekane ni mtu ^ 
 ye yote ntaleta mfuko mmoja wa dinari.' ^'' 
 
 Na mwivi wa pili ana maneno alisema naye, ' Hewe 
 jNIsikiti iwapo nakwenda kuiba kiti cha enzi kia mfalme 
 nikariidi - salama nanaziri ^ kuleta mfiiku mmoja wa fetha.' 
 
 Wakisema hayo Ali yupo awasikiza. Mwivi wa tatu 
 akatamka, ' Hewe Msikiti iwapo nenda pata * pete ya 
 mfalme haiba ^ haja nayo ntaleta mfiiku mmoja wa tha- 
 habu. 
 
 Na mwivi wa 'nne naye alisema, ' Hewe Msikiti kama 
 ntakwenda kuiba ^ kilemba kia mfalme ntaleta mbuzi.' 
 
 Na wa tano wao alisema naye, ' Kama ntapata jembia 
 ya mfalme ntaleta jiwe la almasi. 
 
 Alvaja wa sita akasema naye, ' Iwapo nakwenda nikapata 
 viatu vya mfalme ntaleta kondoo na mwanawe.' 
 
 Aliyebaki ni wa sabaa ; huyu naye akanena, ' Mimi 
 iwapo nakwenda kwa mfalme lianiAviba ^ mtoto wa mfalme 
 mwanamwali ntaleta nundu ya ngamia.' 
 
 Walipokuisha maneno yao waka'mbizana ® ' Twendeni.' 
 Wakenda zao hata nyumba ya mfalme, Ali yu nyuma- 
 nyuma,^ Walipofika kulla mwenyi kuomba juu ya Msikiti 
 
 tiadhiri for the vowing and kuondoa nadhiri for the fulfilment of 
 the vow. Oiir Christians not infrequently do this on their cwn 
 account.' H. is writing in the Mombasa dialect, hence dlt instead 
 of z in ku-naziri. 
 
 * pala : the infinitival pref. Ku is often omitted. 
 
 ^ haiba haja nayo. I have followed H. and taken tliis as =haiba 
 iiikaja nayo. ' And I came with the beautiful thing.' This is 
 of coiu'se taking haiba as a noiui and not as =mkaiba, but on further 
 reflection I am inclined to take neither Imiba or liajU as nouns, and 
 to make the plrrase =«iA;ai6a, nikaja iiayo =(and if) I steal and 
 come back with it. 
 
 * kama ntakivenda kuiba. . . . Notice the compressed idicm = 
 ' If I succeed when 1 go to steal. . . .' 
 
 ,' Iiamiviba=nikannviba, vide supra, n. o. 
 
 * kuambizana : ' to exhort one another." — H. (Krapf has ' to 
 stick together.') 
 
 * nymna-nyutna : a little way behind : such is the effect of the 
 reduplication here, 
 
!(»(• AIDS TO THE STl'DV OF Kl-SW AMI LI 
 
 the .Mot-tjue and fslavi'tl at the cluur. ajid a^ cacli oik- woii 
 in he cut off his head, until six were killed and there remained 
 only the seventh. Now this was he who had stolen the 
 king's daughter, and'Ali thought that if he struck liini he 
 would strike the girl as well ; so he left him. 
 
 When, however, the last thief put the girl on the ground 
 AH killed him, thus disposing of all seven. 
 
 \\nien he had killed him the girl got up with an effort and 
 caught hold of Ah, and asked him. ' Who aie a'ou ? ' Ali 
 answered her, * And who are ii<>ii '. ' And she said. 'It is 
 I, the king's daughter.' 
 
 Ali said to the girl, ' Do you know this place ? ' She 
 answered, ' Never since I was born have I ever descended 
 from my father's house.' And Ali answered, 'Who did 
 you come with to-day ? ' And the child answered, ' I was 
 asleep — 1 do not know who brought me here.' Ali said 
 to her, ' Look at these heads,' and she looked at them. 
 And when she saw them she said, ' I cannot part vd\\\ you, 
 Ali, until you have taken me to my house.' Ali answered 
 her, ' You are a virgin and I am a young man. If we are 
 seen by the king, or if he hears it from scandal-mongers, 
 my life will be forfeit.' But she said to him, 'If such is 
 the case I will be smety for jouv life.' So they went on 
 their way. 
 
 Now Ali had plenty of good sense and they Avent ujjstairs 
 in the house and he laid her ujDon her bed. Ali asked her, 
 
 ^ kujansha —{ku-oudoa) : ' tu fulfil their *)f/2//7' (vows).' H. sug- 
 gests, 'Could tliis be " kuja ku-tislut,'' kxK.slia being used as the 
 opjjosite of ku-weka V 
 
 '^ All akazinyatia . . . huya tntoto. Vide mipia, p. 58, u. (i, 
 q.v. traiLs. ibid. 
 
 •' ku-wika for ku-weka does not appear to i)e known in Mombasa. 
 In Ki-Mvita ku-wika is to ' crow ' (of a cock). 
 
 ' ku-juru : to kill. 
 
 •' uxikujua liuku. The infix, ku in the verb is the objective 
 form pronominal referring to place Imku and 1 1 to ' wanijua mimi ? ' 
 — do you know me ? — H. 
 
 *> kuviaioa —kuzaliwa : (since) I was born. 
 
 "^ kushuka juu, =' to descend (from) above . . . ' 'to descend ' 
 because the women's quarters were on the top storey. 
 
KT-8WATTTLT STOKTES, TKANSLATfOk jVNO ^nMT^S^'I^ 
 
 wakapata. wakaiudi l)asi kiijauslui ^ naziii zao. AH aka- 
 wafuata tcna hata Mskitiiii akakaa mlaiigoiii, kiilla mAvonyi 
 kimgia akamuua hata wakesha wote sit a akabaki mmoja 
 wa sabaa. Huyn aliyoil)a mtoto wa mfalme, akapita 
 udani ya M^kiti. Ali akaziiigatia yakuwa hiiyii nikimpiga 
 upanga wangii, iitamchanganya na hiiyu mtoto,- akam- 
 waeha, akamwika ■' chiiii yule mtoto. 
 
 Alipomwika ^ cliini Ali akamjiini yule mwivi wa sabaa. 
 Kiiisha knmjuru * mtoto akaondoka kwa kishindo, 
 akamkamata Ali, akamwiiliza, ' We we nani ? ' Na Ali 
 akamjibu, ' Na wewe iiani ? ' Akamwambia, ' Ni mimi 
 mtoto wa mfalme.' 
 
 Ali akamwaml)ia mtoto, ' Wakiijiia huku.' '• Mtoto 
 akampliu, ' Tangu kiiviawa ^ sijapata kiishuka juii " ya 
 nyiimba ya baba.' Ali akamwambia, 'Leo umekuja na 
 uaiii ?- ' Mtoto akamjibu. ' Mimi nilikiiwa visingiziiii, sijui 
 waliokuja iiami liapa.' Ali akamwambia. ' Tezama vichwa,' 
 yule mtoto akaviona viehwa. Alipoona vichwa akamw-am- 
 bia, ' Mimi siwezi kukuacha Ali hadi imi|)e]ike nyumbani 
 k wet 11,' 
 
 Ali akamwambia, ' Wewe mwauamwali na mimi ni 
 mvulana,*^ iwapo tunaonekana ni mfalme ao akasikia na 
 mafisadi " roho yangu ita])otea/ 
 
 Akamwambia, ' Kama ni liayo roho yako 'tathamini.' 
 Wakenda zao. Ali ajna sana ilinm, wakapanda ndani ya 
 nyumba, akamwika '" juu ya kitanda chake, Ali aka- 
 mwuliza, ' Ewe mwanamwali ndipo kitandani pako hapa,' 
 akamwambia, * Haswa.' Ali akasema, ' 8asa nenda zangn,' 
 Mwaiiamwali akajilni, * Hnna njia j^a kwenda, \\ivi wne 
 waliokuja niba mle^' — n'na hofu kurudi wangine wakaniba.^' 
 
 * mrulona : a young man who has attained pul)oi'(\- for soinn 
 time. 
 
 ^ mafisadi : slanderers, tell-tales, scandalmongers, C'f. mddku, 
 a tell-tale. 
 
 '" «lY/mwiAja^akamweka. 
 
 •^ niha, 'mie=ku-ni-iba mie. Mie is a common form of mimi. — H. 
 The construction is broken, 'Those thieves who cninc to steal me 
 - T fear others will come, etc' ' 
 
 '- wnknnibo, vide .supra, p. 50, n. !). 
 
m. .'AiaS TO TKE STUDY OF KT-SWAHTLT 
 
 'Gentle maiden, i.s (his really where you sleep?' 'Yes, 
 certainl}',' she replied. Ali said, ' Now I will go,' but the 
 maiden answered him. ' You cannot go. Sinc^e those thieves 
 came and stole me, J am afraid that others will come and 
 do it again.' So Ali stayed, hut he intended to remain 
 imtil the maiden fell asleep and then to run away; but it 
 turned out (hat he stayed until both were overcome with 
 sleep. Ali drew his sword and placed it between them in 
 the bed, so that if any one saw them Avhilst sleejiing, he 
 might know that they lay as brother and sister might. 
 Well, next day the maiden's nurse came early to awaken 
 her, but when she reached the bed she recoiled and said 
 to herself, ' What does the young mistress mean by sleeping 
 with a man ? ' And she went and told her companion, 
 who said, ' It is no use talking about it : best to see for 
 oneself — ^^et us go, and you can show me.' »So they went, 
 and she saw it was the truth, and a scandal -monger who 
 was present saw also, and the story reached the king's ears. 
 And the king said, ' Guards, arrest this man who is sleeping 
 with my daughter ! ' So the guards went and found them 
 both asleep. Ali was arrested and his arms were bound 
 firmly behind his back. Now the news had reached the 
 king while it was yet dark, but by the time the party arrived 
 before him daylight was visible. And the king asked him, 
 Ali, ' How is it that a man hke you has been sleeping \nth 
 my daughter ? ' And Ali answered him, ' For a man Hke 
 myself to sleep with your daughter would be a crime.' And 
 the king answered, ' Now you are a criminal, and crime by 
 SwahiU custom is death.' Ah answered him, ' May not a 
 criminal speak ? ' The king answered, ' Say what you 
 like ; anyhow to-day you shall be executed.' Ali said to 
 him, * My wish is this. I want to be judge and deliver 
 
 ^ azima ya Ali . . . iisingizi = '' AXi^s intention was that the 
 maiden fall asleep, and that he then riui away, but it happened 
 that. . . . xAzhtia refers to the intention, ikawa to what actually 
 happened.' 
 
 ^ Hi : here and injm 8, ^^■e have two constructions following Hi, 
 ' in order to,' viz., Hi ajue (subj.) and Hi tmvamsha (infin.). 
 
 ■^ ihura =nainna. 
 
 * mwana in the mouth of the ' yaya has come to mean " mis- 
 tre.ss," and T have heard it used not of a young mistress' either.' — H. 
 
KI-SWATTTLT STORIES, TRANSLyVTTON AND NOTES 10?, 
 
 All akakaa. Azinia ya Ali alitaka apate iisingizi yule 
 iiiwananiwali Ali akiinbie ; ikawa iii kiikaa hata wakalala, 
 wote wakaibwa ui usiiigizi.^ Kiilala kwao Ali alitoa 
 iipaiiga akaweka katikati ya kitanda Hi - atakayeona 
 ajue kiiwa lia])a ANanalala iiitii na ndiiguye. 
 
 Basi hata asTi1)Tihi akaja yaya wa yule nitoto wa mfalme 
 ili ^ kwciida niwamsha. Alipofika akanidi nyiima akascnia 
 pckeye. ' Ni ibura ^ gani ya niwaua ^ leo kulala Jia mlii, 
 akenda akannvaiiihia iinvenziwe. Mwenziwe akajihii. ' Kii- 
 simlia si kiteudo '' bora kuona mwciiyewc, tM'cude iika- 
 uionyeshe.' Wakenda akaona kweli. Yiipo fisadi " naye 
 ameona, Iiabari zikenda hata kwa mfalme. Mfalme akajibu, 
 ' Henyi asikari kamkamateni '^ huyu mtu aliyelala na 
 mwana ! ' Asikari wakenda na wale wote wa iisingizini, 
 akakamatwa Ali, akafiingwa mikono nyuma pembe 
 ngombe.^ Hata wakafika kwa mfalme habaii zile zikipita 
 zote ilikuwa iisikii, sasa inabainika kwa asubuhi. Mfalme 
 akamwuHza 
 
 Ali ' viliknwaje ^ mtn kama wewe ukalala na mtoto 
 wangu ? ' Ali akajibu, ' Mtu kama mimi kulala na m\\a- 
 nayo ni makosha.' ^" Mfalme akamjibu, ' Sasa wewe mhahfu 
 na ulialifu kisawahili ^^ ni kuuawa.' Ali akajibu, ' Mhalifu 
 liawezi sema ? ' Mfalme akajibu, ' 8ema kama upendalo, 
 siku ya leo wewe utauawa." Ali akamwambia, ' Nipendalo 
 nataka niwe hakimu niliukumu watu muda wa saa moja, 
 nikii.sha niuawe." Mfalme akamwambia, ' Hilo umejmta.' 
 Ali akajibn, ' Sijapata ; kama nimepata lete kiti Ida enzi 
 nikalie ^^ kama dasturi ya ukakimu.' Mfalme akaondoka 
 
 5 kusimlia si kitendo : 'It's no use talking about it.' 
 
 ^ fisadi here =mdaku, a tell-tale. 
 
 "^ kamkamateni. Again the ka of the connective tense pre- 
 fixed and meaning ' and.' 
 
 ** pemhe ngombe, i.e. the hands are crossed and tied together at 
 the back so as somewhat to resemble ox's horns. 
 
 ^ Vilikuwaje : 'How is it that ? ' . . . vi-U-kiiica-je. Notice the 
 ka tense follows . . . {ukahikt). {Vide supra, p. 59, n. 9). 
 
 '" mikos]ia=})iakosa, kinitntu, «frequently appears as sli in this 
 dialect. Cf. shindano, a needle, shikio, shitaki, etc. 
 
 ^' ki-sawahili: 'in the Swahili custom.' 
 
 1- kukalia. Cf. Krapf Diet. =to sit up (either to do good or 
 hai-m). 
 
104 AIDS TO THE STUDY OF KT-SWAHTLT 
 
 jiulgliu'iits t(»r the spai'C of DUt- lioiii- after that k-t iiic ho 
 killed.' And the Uiug answered iiiin. ' ^'()ll have ol)tained 
 your wisli/ Ali answered, ' I have not yet o])tained it. 
 If I have, then bring the royal chair for me to sit on as is 
 customary for a judge- — give it me.' So the king rone from 
 his chair and gave it to Ali. And when Ali had been sitting 
 there a littk' while up came a woman (now this was the 
 same woman who had gone to the goldsmith). She came 
 weeping loiuUy. and when she an-ivetl. she laid her com- 
 plaint before his ^lajesty the King, * king, I have a com- 
 plaint to make : how is it that yom- son who was my hus- 
 band could cut off my brother's head ? ' But the king 
 answered, ' I have no authority here to-day— Ah there is 
 king.' But Ali said, ' Guards, arrest this woman and give 
 her fifty lashes." The 2)eoi:)le were astonished to see the 
 jirosecutor become the criminal.' But Ali went on, ' Go to 
 the goldsmith's house and bring whatever you find in it.' 
 When the guards went they found the goldsmith's head and 
 hetween its teeth a human ear, and they took it just as it 
 was to the king. And the people said, ' This is a marvel.' 
 Immediately afterwards the old crone who lived outside 
 the gromids was seen coming shouting and writhing. And 
 when she arrived she said, ' Hear what I have to say, What 
 sort of a kingdom is this ? Thieves came last night, and 
 one of them slept all night at my house and murdered my 
 daughter. Why, this boy who is speaking is the very 
 man's brother Ali.' But the king made the same answer, 
 ' I have no authority to-day — Ali is king.' 
 
 Ali made the same order as before, ' Guards, let this old 
 crone receive a hundred lashes Mdth a whip.' 
 
 1 akaondoka jim: 'and got up from off. vide p. 100. n. 7. 
 
 - siaJia : uproar. 
 
 ^ kuaje : How is it that, iHde supra, n. 1. vilikuwoje, id. 
 
 * mjeledi: ''with a whip/ a cominon "ace. of respect.' 
 
 •'' mshituki ndiye arudiye ..." to see the prosecutor become 
 the criminal'; ht. ' the accuser she indeed who returns.' (H. 
 writes, Ktirudi means also, ' to correct,' ' to punish,' hence ' the 
 
KI-8WAITTLT STORIES, TKANST.ATTON AND NOTES 1 Of. 
 
 jiiii ^ ya kiti chako akanipa Ali. Ali alipokaa kitako aka- 
 tokea mwaiiainke, na nn\aiianike hiiyii iii yule aliyekweiida 
 kwa sonara. Yuwaja akilia kwa siaha,- alipofika akashitaki 
 kwa nifalme mwenyieiizi. 
 
 ' Mfaline nasliitaki Innvaje ^ mtoto wako kmva niunic 
 waugii, ua kiisha akaweza kiinikata kicln\a iidiigii yangii.' 
 Mtalnic akajihu. "' Mimi k'o sina iit'alnu' nifaline ni huyii 
 Ali/ Ali akajihu, ' Heuyi asikavi kamkauiateni unvajianikc 
 huyu uiunijjige injoledi ^* mara hanishin." Watu waka- 
 staajabu huyu uishita kiudiye aiudiye.^ Ali akajihu, ' Nen- 
 deni kwa sonara niukatezame kama kilichoko niulete ' 
 Asikari walipokwenda wakaona kichwa kia sonara na 
 mdomoui muna ^ shikio la mtu. Asikari Avakaohukua 
 vile vile hata kwa mfalme. AVatu Makasenia, ' Hii ni 
 ajahu.' Alipokuisha hayo mara nioja hiyo akaona yule 
 ajuza alive nje ya bonia aja akipiga kelele akigaagaa ' 
 Alipotika. ' K'na maneno ya kusenia. Huu ni ufaline gani 
 pana kuja maghaidi ^ jana ninioja akalakx nyunibani 
 kwangu usiku, akachinja nitoto wangu, na mtoto huyu 
 asemaye ni yule ndugu ya Muluimad Ali ■* ^ffalme akajihu 
 vile vile." Sina ufalme leo ; mfalme ni Ali.* Ali akam- 
 risha kama kwan/.a, ' Henyi asikari huyu ajuza napigwe '" 
 jalide ' ' mia." 
 
 accuser becomes the pimisher.' But the latter does not fit tlie 
 case. Can it be that ^ anidiye ' can be ' nnidi^cae ' =' she who is 
 punished ' 1) 
 
 ^ muna, vide supra, p. 67, n. 10. 
 
 "^ kugaagaa: to writhe, ■rolling about with indignation' appar- 
 ently. 
 
 ^ maghaidi: tliieves. pana kuja, 'there is there to come,' i.e. 
 ' where (tliieves) come.' 
 
 ^ asemaye . . . Ali. Vide supra, p. 80, n. 1. Here again the 
 narrator half addi'esse.-5 the person to whom he is telling the 
 .story. The woman is speaking to the king, and should really say, 
 ' huyu asemaye ni ndugu ya mtoto aleyelala na mtoto wangu ' . . . 
 etc. Instead of that the narrator puts into her mouth the proper 
 names Ali and ]\Iuhamad, ignoring the fact that she has not men- 
 tioned that ^luhamad was the youth who had slept witii hor daughter. 
 
 ^" napigwe. The ' na ' cohortative. 
 
 c 
 
 *^ jalide. mjeledi, id. From th»> Arabic j^)^. a skin or liide 
 (from which whips are made). 
 
100 AIDS TO TI11<: STUDY OF KT-SWATTTU 
 
 So she was Ix^atcii and Ali said as before, ' Go to tlic c^ioiieB 
 house, look there, and l)ring whatever you see.' So the 
 guards went and entered tlie erone's house, and searched 
 about and found a serpent that luid been killed. And 
 Muhaniad they found in a faint, and all were taken to the 
 king. The ])eoi)le were very asloiiislM'd and said, ' When 
 did these things ha])i)en ? ' 
 
 After delivering judgment on these two— ^the woman and 
 the old Clone — Ali went on to say, ' Go to the Mosque and 
 bring all you find.' And they went and found seven dead 
 men, and they found also the bags of silver and gold and 
 everything else, and brought them. Then Ali asked the 
 king, ' Whose sword is this ? ' 'It is mine,' he answered. 
 Ali asked him again, ' Whose ring and whose chair and shoes 
 and turba'n and sword and child are these ? ' And the 
 king answered, ' All are mine.' Then Ali retorted. ' Are 
 there no sentries in yom- fortress ? ' ' There are hundreds,' 
 replied the king. ' Then how.' said Ali, ' did I manage 
 to reach this enclosure and gain entrance and see all these 
 things which you have seen ? ' And the king answered, 
 ' I have nothing to say.' Ali rej^lied, ' Cannot you see by 
 this that I a,ni a king's son like yourself ? — yet the reason 
 of my first coming Mas the stubbornness of Muhamad. 
 It happened that we were under a ban to go outside our 
 grounds, but one daj^ I hapjiened to go out and saw that 
 the road was cleai-, and I returned and conversed with my 
 elder brother and told him what I had seen outside the 
 grounds. And we eiaid to our father, " Father, if you love 
 your children give us what we Mant^ — ^a royal car befitting 
 our rank." And our father said. " Readilv." ' 
 
 ^ wakachiikura-chukura : ' and they searclied and searched ' (in 
 Ki-Mvita, ku-chakura-chakura). 
 
 - atnenawa. Note absence of relative. 
 " kanazirai =akazirai=\\e was in a faint 
 
 * kufika : graphic for ' wakafika.' 
 
 ^ vinqinevyo: such-hke, 'etcetera.' 
 
 * kama njaa : Hke famine (because famine affects tunny). One 
 would natiu-ally think the plirase meant the opposite ! Such was 
 the narrator's explanation. H. suggests ' wamejaa ' or ' kumejaa^ 
 
KT-SWAHILT STORIES,- TRANSLATION AND NOTES 107 
 
 Akajiigwa. akascma vile vile All, ' Nendeui kwa ajuza 
 mukatezanie nyumbani kwake kulla mutakaloona muletc' 
 Asikaii wakenda wakaugia nyumba ya ajuza, wakachukura- 
 chukura ^ wakaona 8atu ameuawa,^ wakamwona na 
 Muhamad kanazirai,^ wakachulailiwar wote kufika * kwa 
 mfalnie. Watii wakastaajabii sana, tena wakaseina. ' Ma- 
 mbo haya yalifaiiyiwa lini ? ' Akiisha toa hiikumu ile ya 
 havva watu wawili, ajuza na yiik' mwanamke. Ali akaseiua 
 tena, ' Neiidani Msikitini kulla mutakaloona nnilete.' 
 Watu wakenda, wakaona watu ^abaa wameuawa, wakaona 
 tena mifuku ya fetlia na thababu na vinginevyo,'^ waka- 
 chukua. 
 
 Ali akamwuliza mfalme, ' Upanga huu wa nani ? ' 
 Mfalme akasenia, ' wangu.' Ali akauliza tena, ' Pete hii 
 na hiki kiti na viatu na kilemba na upanga na liuyu mtoto 
 wa nani ? ' ]\Ifalme akasema, ' Janiii ni yangu,' Ali 
 akajibu, ' Bomani mwako hapana asikari ? ' IVIfalme aka- 
 jibu, ' Wapo kama njaa.' ^ Ali akajibu, ' Nilipataje minii 
 kuja boma hili nikangia ^ ndani nikaona haya muliyoyaona 
 nyinyi ? ' ]\Ifalme akajibu, ' Sina la kusema.' Ali akajibu, 
 ' Usinione hivi na mimi^ ni mwana wa mfalme kama wewe,' 
 lakini asili ya huja huku ni ukihzi ^ wa Muhamad, Ilikuwa 
 sisi ni kupigiwa mai-afuku kutosa-toka ^" nje ya boma, hata 
 siku moja ikawa ni kutoka mimi ^^ nikaona njia ya boma 
 ku nathifu, nikarudi, nikafanya kama kuongea ^- na mkubwa 
 wangu, nikampa habari kama nihvyoona katika nje ya 
 boma. Tukamwambia baba yetu, ' Ewe baba kama watu- 
 penda f^isi Avanao twataka ghaii moja la ufalme.' Baba 
 yetu akatujibu, ' Tayaii,' 
 
 meaning 'the place is full of them,' but T am told it is a common 
 phrase as it stands. 
 
 ' Vide supra, p. 59, n. 9, tiausl. il)id. 
 
 * usione . . . miyni: 'Can't you see by this that I am. . . .' 
 
 ' ukinzi=ushindano. (Cf. Krai)f, ukinsani, 'disposition to gain- 
 say.') 
 
 '" ilikuwa sisi . . . toka : ' Jt chanced that Wv- were forbidden 
 not to go out. . . .' 
 
 11 ikawa ni kutoka mimi; lit. 'It happened there is agoing oiit.' 
 i.e. ' I happ?ned to go out.' 
 
 ** kuongea : to converse. 
 
108 AFDS TO TITE STUDY 01- KT-SWATTTTJ 
 
 ' And after a few days ^\■(^ wci'O givcMi ;i c-ar suitahk* to oiii' 
 loyal rank, and if you. O king, will now send a man to 
 l)iing our cai'. and oiif diivor. you will see that it is one that 
 you yourself would not be ashamed to ])ossess.' 
 
 So the king sent a man. and the ear was brought, and 
 on seeing it the king felt soi ry. and was filled with concern 
 and remorse, aiul said. " I believe.' Then Ali continued, 
 ' We went on oui' way along the road and saw a king's 
 son whom, when he ]jasse(l without showing ns icspect, 
 we followed with the intention of catching up, but failed 
 completely. Lastly we got lost and saw this castle of yours. 
 And when we reached it we saw a garden, not to mention 
 two houses, one belonging to a Pathan and the other to this 
 old crone. And we approached the old crone's house first, 
 and she welcomed us, and w'hen we asked foi- watei' she 
 gave it, though when I asked her foi- ])etel she told me 
 that she had none, but remembered that there was a betel 
 table at the Pathan's. 
 
 ' So we went to the Pathan and knocked and called. 
 " Ho di," and the Pathan replied, "Hodina,'" and came out 
 of his house, whereupon we ex]iressed our wish for l)etel. 
 
 'But when he saw ns he wept and writhetl, anfl we were 
 filled with pity for him, and I asked him, " Why, when we 
 ask for 1)etel, do you lament for no leason ? '" And the 
 Pathan answered, " No reason you say ? " And we said, 
 '■ Yes." The Pathan answered, " I lament because I saw 
 you going to the old crone ; for she is not a human-being. 
 1 had once seven male children, and in my belief it was that 
 old crone who killed them and when I saw you I thought 
 to myself, ' These children will meet with a similar fate.' 
 
 Now ail the time he Avas speaking the old crone and the 
 Pathan were present. 
 
 ' After hearing what the Pathan said we returned to the 
 crone to spy, and w^e perceived that he had spoken the 
 truth. 
 
 '■ ku-juta : to be sony. 
 
 - visitoshe : vi adv. pref. and v. kii-tosho, ' let these things not 
 1)6 enough,' i.e. ' to .say nothing of.' 
 
 ^ ndaniyanymnba: ' //w/t inside tlie house.' Vi. su}i)■r^,\^. 100, n. 7- 
 
Kl-.SWAHIJJ STOKIES, TRANSLATION AND NOTES l(»i) 
 
 Muda wa sikii cliache tukapewa gliari kama dasturi ya 
 iifalme, nawewe mfalnie toa intii sasa akalete ghari na 
 saisi wetu, iilitezame waweza kidiniiliki." 
 
 IMfalme akatoa mtu likaletwa ghari. Mfalnie alipoona 
 gliari akasikitika, na liuzuni ikam'gia akajuta ' akasema, 
 ' Nasadiki mimi.' Kiisha Ali akajibu, " Tnkaja zetu katika 
 bara-bara tiikamwona mtoto wa mfalme. Alipopita asitupe 
 heshima takamwandamia liadi ya kumwandamia, tiisim-pate 
 kabisa. Mwislio wetn tnkapotea hata tukaona boma hii 
 yako. Tulijjofika hai)o bomani tukaona biistani j^ako 
 visitoshe- tukaona nyuniba mbili, nioja ya ajuza, moja ya 
 Pathaiii, tukafika kwa ajuza kwanza. Ajuza akatukari- 
 bisha tukataka maji, akatupa, nikamwuliza ajuza, ' Huna 
 tambuu ? ' Ajuza akajibu, ' Sina, nafahama kwa yule 
 Patliani huweka me^^ ya tambuu.' 
 
 ' Tukaenda kwa Pathani tukapiga liodi. Pathani aka- 
 tujibu, " hodina," akatoka Pathani ndani ^ ya nyumba 
 tukataka tambuu. 
 
 ' Pathani ahiDotuona akaha akagaagaa tukangiwa iii 
 imani,^ nikamwuHza, " Sisi twataka tambuu na wewe waha 
 bila kisa ? " ^ Pathani akajibu, " Ni wapi kisa." ^ Tuka- 
 sema " ndio." Pathani akasema, " NaUa kwa sababu 
 nihpoona nyiiiyi munafikia kwar ajuza ; na ajuza si mtu : 
 mimi nilikuwa na watoto wangu wanaume sabaa. Nami 
 nilikuwa tajii'i katika boma hili, na kuthani kwangu ' ni 
 ajuza ahyeua watoto wangu. Nilii30ona nyinyi, nikafikiri 
 wale watoto A\atakufa kama walivyokufa watoto wangu." 
 
 Zamani aUpo akisema maneno hayo yule ajuza yupo 
 na Pathani yupo. ' Kuislia hayo ahyosema Pathani tuka- 
 rudi kwa ajuza iU kupeleleza, tukaona ni kweli. 
 
 ' akashuka juu,' '.she came down //o/h above ' ; ht. '.she came down 
 (not ' below ' but) above.' 
 
 * tukangiwa ni iniani : ' And we were filled with pity.' imani = 
 confidence, here =^' pity' according to the narrator. 
 
 ^ kisa, reason. 
 
 * ni wapi kisa ={You. suggest) where is the reason ? i.e. tr. 'for 
 no reason you say ? ' 
 
 ' kutliani kwangu = '\n nay thinking.' Cf. supra. Kuth<inia 
 kwenu, ' in your thinking.' The pronoini is in agi-eement with 
 the infinitival prefix ' ku ' and the whole phrase is indtppendent and 
 parenthetical. 
 
llo AIDS TO TllK STUDY OK. KI-SW Allll.l 
 
 ' And my brotlici' sk-jit witJi (he eiono's daughter — we 
 saying she was no mortal because of her beauty. And 
 when she and Midianiad had come to terms 1 was outside, 
 but I told my brother not to put out the lamp in the house 
 nor yet to shut the door. And in all he followed my advice, 
 and we slept until well into the night, when I observed that 
 this sister-in-law of mine had been transformed into a large 
 serpent. Tliis convinced me that the Pathan had spoken 
 the truth. 
 
 * There and then, in order to waste no time, 1 drew my 
 sword and cut off the serpents head. Now you, judges, 
 who are here, and you viziers, look at this head and tell 
 me if it is the head of a human being or a serpent.' 
 
 And when they saw it some ran away ; others endured it. 
 
 ' Then I came to the wall of your castle, and I entered 
 in, and I saw your daughter-in-law coming down in a basket, 
 after w^hich she went to the goldsmith who refused her, 
 saying, " I won't listen to you until you bring me your 
 husband's head." ' 
 
 Thus the king was told all that Ah had done. 
 
 ' When I saw that it was a jjrincess being daUied with by 
 a goldsmith I was filled with indignation, and cut otf his 
 head together with the woman's ear. Look at her — hoW 
 many ears has she got ? ' And the })eople looked and saw 
 that she had only one, and some laughed and others sup- 
 pressed smiles. 
 
 ' After that I went to the Mosque and saw these thieves 
 whom I killed, and it was they who stole your child ; but 
 you, king, know that good is not rewarded in this world, 
 for if it were, you \vouldn't have thought of killing me — I 
 who have done you nothing but good. But for me your 
 child would have been killed ; thus am I to be rewarded ! 
 Truly the old men say, " Don't cast your pearls before 
 swine ! " ' 
 
 ^ yf7ufe=delay — "so a« to waste no time.' 
 
 2 aliyekwenda . . . akakua. Note the way of expressing ' Some 
 ran away, others stayed.' 
 
 ^ akaadi =akendd here, but for its usual meaning vide Ki-apf , Diet., 
 adi. 
 
 * ha»ikata=nikamkata. Tliis can only be rendered as in the 
 
KI-SWAHILI STORIES, TRANSLATION AND NOTES 111 
 
 * Ndugii yangu akalala na mwanawe wa ajuza tukisema si 
 biuadamu kwa hali alivyo mzuri. Na waliposikizana yeyc 
 na Miihamad, niiini niko nje lakini nilimjibii ndugu yangu 
 ya kuwa nyumbani usizime taa, na mlango iisifunge. Na 
 yote akanisikia tukalala hata usiku, nikaona huyii shemegi 
 yangu aniegeuka satu, nikayakini aliyosenia Pathani. Pale 
 pale nisifanye jifule ^ nikatoa upanga wangu nikamkata 
 kichwa satu na nyinyi makathi mulio hapa na niawaziri 
 tezameni kichwa hiki ni liia binadamu ni kia satu ' ? Watu 
 walipotezama aliyekwenda mbio akaenda aliyesitahmili , 
 akakaa.- 
 
 ' Tena nikaja hapa katika ulvuta wako wa boma, nikangia 
 ndani nikaona nikweo anatoka ndani ya kapo. Ahpoterem- 
 shwa akaadi ^ hadi kwa sonara, sonara akakataa, aka- 
 mwambia. Sikusikizi lete kichwa Ida munieo.' 
 
 Na nianeno liaya apewa liabaii mfalnie Icama ahyofaiiiza 
 AH. 
 
 ' Nihponiwona , ni mtoto wa nif alme tena wako wewe 
 liuchezewa ni sonara nikangiwa ni iichungu sonara nikam- 
 kata kichwa na mwanamke hamkata ^ shikio, mtezameni 
 ana mashikio mangapi ? ' Watu wakamtezama, akaone^ 
 kana na moja, ahyecheka akacheka aHyevumuUa akavu- 
 niuUa. ^ 
 
 * Kiisha nikaenda Msikitini haona ^ wivi hawa ni-Hoiiaua. 
 tena ndio wahoiba mtoto wako lakini wewe mfalme dunia 
 hii mtenda wema hahpwi wema,' kama hulipwa usingewaza 
 kuniua mimi, nami ndiye nihyekufanya wema : mtoto 
 wako angeuawa,* nami ijaza ^ yangu ni hii, na wazee wali- 
 sema, " Fathiii za pmida ni mashuzi." ' ^" 
 
 translation ; he didn't actually cut off the woman's ear as we know. 
 Krapf has ' vumilia ' =endnre, tolerate. Render therefore as in 
 the translation. In Ki-Mvita vumilia is certainly correct. 
 
 » aliyecheka, etc., vide supra, p. 70, n. 1. ' Some laughed, others 
 suppressed smiles.' 
 
 ^ haona : vide supra, p. 99, n. 5 =nikaona. 
 
 ' mtenda wema halipwi wema : a proverb. ' C4ood is not re- 
 warded ' (in this world). 
 
 * m,toto wako angewawa. ' But for nie ' is understood before this 
 plirase. Angewawa graphic for angeliwawa. 
 
 " ijaza =reward. 
 
 ^" fathiii, etc.: vide supra, p. 87, n. 1. 
 
IIJ AIDS TO THE STUDY OK KI-SW AlllLl 
 
 W'Ik'U Ali had s|)()k('ii thus the king waK ashamed, and 
 said. ■ Ali. my sou. bear wilJi mc and foigive all yoii have 
 had to undergo at my luiuds ; aud uowone thing is certain — 
 this child of mine must be your wife.' Ali answered, ' No, 
 she must be my brother's wife.' And the king did not 
 dispute the matter, but gave liis consent, and Muhamad 
 married her. And Ali obtained the post of vizier, for the 
 king abchcated aud Muhamad gave it him. Thus did Ali 
 obtain the ])ost of vizier ; but as he did not want it, he went 
 away and informed his father of all that had befallen them. 
 
 And his father in reply said, ' Well, my son, for your part 
 God has helped you to great cleverness and kindness ; and 
 as for me I give you a kingdom such as your brother has 
 obtained.' 80 his father abdicated and Ali mounted the 
 tln'one. 
 
 That is all. Thus runs the story. 
 
kl-SWAlllJJ STORIES, TKANSJ.ATION AND NOTES 11:5 
 
 Ali aliposenia hayo mfalme akataha-yaii,^ akajibii, 
 ■ Ewe mwanangu we Ali nisamehe kwa haya, iisitahanuli yote 
 yaliyokupata kwangu, na sasa huyu mtoto wangu inaku- 
 bidi - kiiwa mkeo.' Ali akajibu, ' Shoti awe mke wa ncliigu 
 yangii.' Mfalme asikinzane ^ akaridhia akam\\oza Mu- 
 hamad. Ali akapata uwaziri sababu mfalme alijuzulu 
 akampa Miihamad, ndipo Ali alipopata uwaziri asitake, 
 akenda kwao akampa habari baba yake kama yaliyowopala 
 
 Babayake akajibu, ' Ewe mwanangu ulijaliwa kupata 
 akili na fatliili yako, na mimi * na kupa ufalme kama 
 aliA^opata mkubwa wako. Babayake akajuzulu ufalme 
 akapata Ali. Maneno ya hadithi hii ni kama haya ^ 
 Bas. 
 
 ^ akatahayari : to be ashamed =A;wona haya. — H. 
 * inakuhidi : vide supra, p. 88, n. 4. 
 
 3 asikinzane : ' without disputing,' vide supra, p. 107, n. 9, uklnzi, 
 
 ■* yako, na mimi. ' For yoiu" part . . . for ^nine.' 
 
 " This story having little point as it stands, inclines me to believe 
 
 that it is only just so much as the ' narrator ' remembered of an okl 
 
 Arab story. However it is not inserted here for its merits as a 
 
 story but for its idiomatic language. 
 
 It is impossible in the notes to do more than describe and attempt 
 to explain the more difficult idioms arid to draw the student's atten- 
 tion to others. 
 
 By careful perusal of the whole, little ' tmnis ' and phrases will 
 become impressed upon the mind. 
 
 Unconnnon words and words that I have not found in the dic- 
 tionaiies are observed, the translations being in all cases the result 
 of explanations of the narrator. 
 
STUDY III 
 
 Enigmas and Aphorisms with 
 
 Explanations as given by 
 
 Wa-Swahili 
 
MAFUMBO (APH0RT8MS) 
 
 Dialect of Ki-Jizirat {PeinJxt). 
 
 (1) Mpiga la kuanza hiinyamazhca. 
 
 Mpiga fa pili hnitira alcamhiira . > 
 
 Mpiga la tatii /mongnlhra. 
 
 ' For a first offence nothing is said ; for a second 
 the offen(hM' is called and warned. If lie offends u 
 third time lie stands manifest (a bad man)." (iM])iga - 
 mtenda. Kuonguliira , to be hatched, also as heie 
 'to be distinguished from,' i.e. here 'to be distin- 
 guished from (others) as being a bad man.' 
 
 (2) Micamba na u'ako Tmkuhnna 'kamicamhie. 
 
 ' Who chides your servant orders you to reprove 
 him' (i.e. If you say something to A.'s seivant or 
 friend you are tacitly implying that A. ought to have 
 said the same). This was explained by another as 
 having a meaning akin to that of No. 17 (second 
 explanation), in which case v^e may render, ' Who tell;, 
 your servant tells you,' i.e. if you want something from 
 some one and daren't ask him, ask his servant. Botli 
 these explanations are unsatisfactory. Others did 
 not know the proverb at all. 
 
 (3) Zirmoe likupialo halikuli likakuicha. 
 
 ' A ghoul that knorcs you iron't eat you uj) alto- 
 gether,' i.e. However bad a man is he will abate some- 
 what of his wickedness in dealing with an acquaint- 
 ance. (This was said to me by a Swahili who was 
 anxious that I personally should try a civil case in 
 which he was the defendant !) Another explained 
 it as, ' You must know a man before you ask a favoui- 
 of him, don't ask a favour of strangers,' 
 117 
 
118 AIDS TO THE STUDY OK KI-SWAHILI 
 
 (4) Xi/oiKji' i/iiijc. 
 
 A poor man is a mere nothing ! [ have also heard 
 this as Masikini in/nnrje. 
 
 (5) Ushik'a})o shiknm(ui<i. 
 
 ' When, you hold hold light.' (Ni mgeni aliyetoka 
 ])ahah pa watu wampentlao, akakaribishwa sana 
 inafaa kiikaa. i.e. When a great friend has gone away 
 aiul not been seen by those who love him for a long 
 time, and then appears or is met somewhere, when 
 you. as you would naturally do, welcome him verj^ 
 gladly, he should take care not to go away again.) 
 ' Hold fast to your hapjjiness while you have got it.' 
 Cf. also Shukuru ulicho nacho, ' Be thankful for irhat 
 you have got.' Cf. Half a loaf is better than no- bread. 
 
 (G) Mti jMceke haujengi. 
 
 A solitary tree builds not. (A man by himself, 
 without the assistance of others, can accomplish very 
 little.) This also appears as ' Mtu pweke hajengi.' 
 Cf. ' Two heads are better than one,' and ' Seek safety 
 in numbers.' 
 
 (7) Wambaye ndiye kumbe siye. 
 
 Calling a man good doesn't 7nake him so ; lit. 
 ' Whom you say (is good) yet why is it not he (who 
 is good) ? ' (A man can always change : because you 
 think him good he is not necessarily so, i.e. ' No one 
 can really tell if a man is good or not.') 
 
 (8) Ungekanga ni chini ya gae. (In Mombasa Ungakaanga, 
 
 etc.) 
 
 ' When you ivould fry I am under the frying pan.' 
 (This is a manner of telling some one that although 
 you said nothing you are quite aw^are of what he was 
 really thinking in his own heart.) 
 
 (9) Mkubiva mpokee ynzigo mivisho yeye hukupokea jambo. 
 
 . ' Strive to help superiors who can themselves help 
 you ' ; lit. ' Take away a burden from a great man 
 — in the end he will take away a weight from your 
 shoulders.' Exj)lained by a Mombasa 8wahili, ' Vta- 
 
ENIUMAS AND APHORISMS 119 
 
 kapooMi mkuhira anatukua kiln kitimni kicake 
 yafaa kummjanganya utuhue iceive mdogo, 7iae, keelio 
 ukipatika7ia ni jambo, aiakupokm. 
 
 (10) Mvunja pao na pako hukuminjia. 
 
 ' Wlio fouls his own nest will foul yoiirs for yov 
 too ' (if he gets a chance). (Cf. ' It is an ill biixl that 
 • fouls its own nest.) 
 
 (11) Radff. ziki farafi. 
 
 ' After the slortii a calm. ' ; lit. ' After straits peace.' 
 (!f. ' Every cloud has a silver lining.' 
 
 (12) Wnngi huainhiwa wale. 
 
 ' Many are told to eat,' i.e. ' one man doesn't make 
 a feast.' Cf. ' One swallow doesn't make a summer.' 
 The Mombasa version seems more likely, viz., Wangi 
 huambiwa ' wale ' {moja huamhirca ' yule '). ' Many 
 are referred to as ' they ' — (one is referred to as 
 'he '), which is a delicate way of saying again, ' Seek 
 safety in numbers.' The difference of interi^retation 
 rests of course on whether we take ' wale ' as wa-le, 
 3rd pers. pi. pres. subj. of ku-la, ' to eat,' or as wale = 
 Demon, pron. 'Those men' (referred to), pi. of 'yule,' 
 ' that man ' (referred to). 
 
 (13) Mkorio mmoja hauvundi chaica. 
 
 ' One hand can't crack a louse.' (You requu-e to 
 crack it between the thumbnails of both hands.) C'f. 
 No. 6, meaning id. 
 
 (14) La mnyoiige haliivi. 
 
 ' A poor man's ivishesdo not come to pass,' however 
 'full of schemes his budget may be.' This appears 
 again as Cha nyonge haliliwi, ' A poor man's food is 
 not eaten by others.' Cf. Juvenal, ' Cantabit vacuus 
 coram latrone viator.' In ]\Iombasa it is known as 
 ' Cha mnyonge hachendi joshi,' i.e. (The boat) of a 
 poor man cannot (afford to) go \\ith a list (or it will 
 sink), i.e. a poor man must be circumspect or he will 
 get into trouble. 
 
120 AIDS TO TIIK STUDY OF KT-SWAiriLI 
 
 ( 1 .") ) .l/.s' ihd hdti hdhtihdl /.^7/ / , 
 
 ' All unlucky man can't try his luck.' 
 
 (16) Knzi mhi si mchezo mwemn. 
 
 ' Better had work than good play.' ' Afudhali ku- 
 fanya kazi vibaya ipatayo pesa kuliko kucheza vizuri.' 
 The explanation is a Mombasa one and is a little 
 (liffioull to get out of the Ki-Swahili. 
 
 (17) Kia mui hulishun 7ii miremao. 
 
 Mui=mbaya; lit. 'That of the had i; fed hi/ the 
 good.' (One is sure to get some bad even from a 
 good man.) But a Mombasa Swahili explains thus, 
 ' Kitu cha mbaya wako hukipata kwa mzuri wako,' 
 i.e. If your enemy has something you want the way 
 to get it is through a mutual fiiend who will ask 
 him for it. 
 
 (18) KilaJco janga. 
 
 Cf. ' Rnsticns expeetat . . . dum defluat amnis ' — 
 Horace, Satire, 'Sitting down (doing nothing) is loss.' 
 janga, lit. :=' dimness.' 
 
 (19) Ukiono vyelea vyaundiva. 
 
 ' Boats must be built before they sivim.' (In Mom- 
 basa vyaolea) ; lit. If you see (boats) floating they are 
 made (to do so by work). ' If you see a man eating 
 food you know he has worked so as to get money to 
 buy that food,' i.e. ' Everything has a cause and is 
 not chance.' This is something to say to lazy people 
 to encourage them to work. (Shaaban bin Muhamad's 
 explanation.) We may therefore perhaps render ' There 
 is no smoke without a fire.' 
 
 (20) Riziki ya mja i mkononi m.wa waja. 
 
 ' One man's food is in the hands of every one.' (If 
 one man is stingy enough to refuse you food it doesn't 
 matter, you can get it elsewhere.) 
 
 (21) Mivenyi nguvu si mivenzio, usicheze na hakimu ujapo- 
 
 huwa mfoto ; lit. ' A powerful man is no companion : 
 don't play irith a judge even if he is a child.' (Every 
 one should remember his position and not try and 
 
ENTr;MA8 AND APTT0RT8MS 121 
 
 live up to the standard of his superiors. Don't take 
 upon yourself more than your position entitles you.) 
 (Cf. Aesop's fable of the bronze and earthenware jars.) 
 
 (22) Hiyari hushinda utnmvri. 
 
 ' Choice is better than compulsion.' 
 
 (23) Mchama ago hanyei ; lit. ' Who is changing camp 
 
 does not commit a nuisance.' (Don't do ill just bet'oie 
 leaving a place : you may retuiii theie.) Kii-nyea ; 
 lit. to ' ease oneself.' 
 
 (24) Mknliiiia Jazhtta hnkatwa ni jfmhe. 
 
 ' An aqrlndtnrist is sure to he cut viih a sjjatJe.'' 
 (Cf. If you ])lay with fire you will he liurul.) Cf. 
 fable of ])i1cli('r and well. 
 
 (25) Filitut liiiiia kira)i,za hidiko rnchavi. 
 
 'Slander kills wore than a sorcerer.'' Cf. 'The 
 tongue is mightier than tlie sword." 
 
 (2G) Mcheza vema htituzica. 
 
 ' The skilled player is rewarded.' Cf. ' The labourer 
 is worthy of his hire.' ' Palmam qui meruit ferat.' 
 
 (27) Mjanya niona halipwi memo. 
 
 ' Good is not {always) rewarded.' 
 
 (28) Ukilea mwema na rmii utamlea. 
 
 ' Who brings up a good man brings up alro a had 
 (because every man is both good and bad). 
 
 (29) Likuvigalo hnlioni. 
 
 ' You can't see what sicamps you.' Exjilained in 
 Ki-M\dta, ' Akutihae fitena kwa mfanyiae kazi 
 humjui/ i.e. using knviga ^:^kuonea= You can t tell 
 where slander comes from. 
 
 (30) Mzika pemhe ndiye azuaye. 
 
 Who bnries the tusk can dig it up.' (The one who 
 knows a secret is the one who can disclose it.) Cf. 
 ' Those that hide can find.' 
 
 (IJl ) Mwana m.tumishi m,wema hula' kiakwe na kia mirenzi'tre . 
 ' A good child eats his oini food and thai of his coin- 
 
V22 AIDS TO THE STUDY OK KI-SWAIIIU 
 
 /Mill inn.'' (A ifood servant gets rewarded at the 
 t'.\])('ns(' of l)a(l OIK'S.) ' 
 
 (.'52) I'ji tnoto hupembica two ncha i/a iilinii. 
 
 ' Hoi broth is taded tvifh the tip of the tongue.' 
 (Powerful persons must be approached witli caution.) 
 C'f. ' Who sups witli the devil must have a long s])oon.' 
 
 (33) Mjachwe hnja iemt. (In Ki-Mvita ' mja. leo ' . . .= 
 
 ' who oome^» to-day- • • • etc.) 
 
 ■ Who comes in secret comes (iijiiin..' (Once a thief 
 always a tliief.) 
 
 (34) Mnyaimivii mche. (In Ki-Mvita ynm/amazi.) 
 
 ' Fear a silent person.' C'f. ' Still wateis i-un deep.' 
 
 (35) .1 siyeshindira 'simshiwkine. 
 
 ' // is no use arguing with one ivho ivon^t be 
 convinced." ('f. 'A woman convinced against her 
 will. . . .' etc. 
 
 (36) Mwenyi nduni si mivenzio. 
 
 ' A man ivho keeps things in his heart ' is no friend. 
 Cf. No. 34 meaning id. 
 
 (37) Panapo kuku hapamwagwi mchele. (In Ki-Mvita ' ha- 
 
 pamivaici.') 
 
 ' The jowl run is no place wherein to spill rice.' 
 (You should be careful what you ^-Ay when many are 
 present.) 
 
 (38) Kiburi si maungwana. 
 
 ' Pride is not the sign of a gentleman.' 
 
 (39) Vema haviozi. 
 
 ' Good rots not.' (One does not forget good.) 
 (When one gets into trouble one remembers with 
 regret the good that went before.) 
 
 (40) Lishalopita si ndwele. 
 
 ' There is no bitterness in uihat is past.' C'f. ' Time 
 cures wounds.' — ' What's done is done.' 
 
 ' Taylor has tliis without 'mvjcma,' and makes it 'A cliild sent 
 on an errand eats his own food and his companions'.' — H. 
 
ENIOMAS ANJ) APHORISMS 123 
 
 (41) Asiyekujua hakutliamini. 
 
 ' No one (joes surety for what he is not sure about.' 
 (Don't buy a pig in a poke.) A Mombasa Swahili 
 takes kuthamini=^ to value, and so the meaning is, 
 ' If a man doesn't know you he won't give you a good 
 price for your wares.' 
 
 (42) Mtetida vema, hutewlea moyoire. 
 
 ' .4 qood man doe:< good froni his heart ' (not because 
 of reward but because it is good). 
 
 (43) Meno pfjnhe hayanyimmi meheshi. 
 
 ' A grin may portend good, or eml ' ; lit. ' Teeth and 
 tusks are not forbidden laughter.' (Laughter doesn't 
 mean anything : it may be of mirth or of bitterness : 
 if you scold a jjerson and he laughs, laugh also : teeth 
 are only like tusks — meant to be seen. Any one 
 may laugh.) 
 
 (44) Lebeka si uiumvxi. 
 
 ' To respectfully answer is no sign of servitude.' 
 Lebeka ! is the answer of a man when called by his 
 superior. 
 
 (45) Choka-choka huvunja kikao. 
 
 ' Much talk spoils the meeting.' C'f. ' Too many 
 cooks spoil the broth.' 
 
 (46) Ngoma ikivuma fnivishowe hupasuka. 
 
 ' // a drum gives much sound in the end it loill 
 burst.^ Cf. 'A pitcher goes often to the well but 
 is broken at last.' 
 
 (47) Msema piceke hakosi. 
 
 Who talks to himself is never wrong.' (Any one 
 can lay down the law if there is no one to refute.) 
 Another interijrets as = ' A man who leasons with 
 himself in private makes no mistakes.' 
 
 (48) Mnyonge halali, masikini hachoki. 
 
 ' A weak man sleeps not, a poor ynan is not tired ' 
 (because they haven't the o])j)ort unity : ' beggars 
 can't be choosers '). 
 
12-1 AIDS To Tllh: STl'l)^ ol- KI-SVVAHILJ 
 
 (40) .]f.'<ilii niL'iihicd /kin/ a k'())iih(i. 
 
 ' The K<inirrel it< not Iieard in- the forest.' (The 
 voice of an insignificant person «Iocs not find its way 
 to tlie ear of the great.) 
 
 (50) /.(I knjii lialisikiwi. 
 
 • Who irill die irill ' ; fit. ' The word of death is 
 not heard.' (An apiiorism to say to a jierson who 
 refuses to fisten to good advice.) 
 
 (.">!) Koiido 1/(1 ikIikjii hangii mkando. 
 
 ' A stranger does not mix himself up in fdmili/ 
 disfHitPi!.'' Cf. 'Never' iMterf<M'<' between Inishand and 
 wife.' 
 
 (52) Mimdi/e shlhl hdnijiii. niiren.ife njaa. 
 
 ' A lull iiKUi. rtni.'l hcliero others to he empty.' 
 
 (53) Udandao hi(cheleira ujiani. 
 
 ' Daivn is delayed, {only) on tlie road.' (If the 
 present is troublesome you may know it will clear 
 up ])resently.) (Cf. Every cloud has a silver lining.) 
 
 (54) Hupi'jio huhifunza. 
 
 ' Who hits yon teaches yon.' (Cf. Spare the rod 
 and spoil the child.) This was explained by a Mo- 
 mbasa Swahili differently, viz., ' Akupigae akufmiza 
 kupigana. Who hits you first teaches you to fight.' 
 
 (55) Wajnga iigumi uknta urmnmiza mkono. 
 
 ' Hit a xvall and you hurt your fist.' Ci. ' It is hard 
 to kick against the pricks.' 
 
 (56) Msichemhe wala uta simpigani. (Ki-Mvita, ' simwani.') 
 
 ' Don't fight a man who has no hov or arrovs.' Cf. 
 ' Don't hit a man when he's down.' 
 
 (57) Mwangaza, mhili mmoja humponya. 
 
 ' Who looks at two one saves him ' (if the other 
 fails him). Cf. having 'two strings to one bow.' 
 Another, however, gave this differently. Mwangasa 
 mhili moja humponyoka, ' Who takes two one falls 
 away from him.' Cf. 'Who sits on two stools falleth 
 to the ground.' 
 
ENICMAS AND AJMIORISMS 125 
 
 Al'ilORISMS (Kl-MVITA) 
 
 (58) \Va inbili hwai »toja : mja iva si'am lutviitubuki. 
 
 ' Who has tiro yarments does not ivear one.' ' J 
 resourceful matt, is not worried ' tSitar((, cf. v. kusitiri, 
 to extricate oneself from difficulties. Again cf. ' two 
 strings to the bow.' 
 
 (59) Akutivekae ndiye akutvac 
 
 ' The man to reinove a burden from you is the one 
 who imposed it.' 
 
 ((jO) Wazingatia samdki vzioni. 
 
 ' The fish in the tray begin to think ' (said to some 
 one who has been ' caught ' ; he must now think of a 
 way out of the difficulty into which he has already 
 fallen.) 
 
 (01) Tissia mkonotii bora kuliko kumi nemla, uje. 
 
 ' Nine in the hand is better than ten ; go airay (in..d 
 come again {another day).' Cf. ' A bird in the hand 
 is worth two in the bush.' 
 
 Aphorisms (Ki-Jizirat) 
 
 (02) Msiwakive ana Mngu. 
 
 ' No one is friendless when there is God.' Msi-wa- 
 kwe ; Ht. ' The without-his,' i.e. ' He who is without 
 (what he can call) his has God.' 
 
 (Oli) Masikini hana ivivv. 
 
 'A beggar should not covet.^ (Because lie has no 
 chance of obtaining what he desires.) Cf. Beggars 
 can't be choosers. 
 
 (64) ' Wa')igi wape usipowapa hutiralia mkono icao.' 
 
 ' A crowd if 7iot given will take ' ; lit. Give to 
 many : if you don't give to them, they take with 
 their own hand. Almost = ' Might is right.' 
 
 (65) ' Kuinaniako ndiko kuinnkako.' 
 
 ' Where one falls one also rites ' ; ht. ' To bend in 
 a place is to rise up in that i^lace,' i.e. If you have 
 misfortune in a place you will (if you Avait) also have 
 good foriune in that same place. Almost=^' Every- 
 
12« AIDS To Till-; STl l)N <)K KI-SW All I I.I 
 
 tliiiiji; comes to liiiii who waits,' or 'It is a long lane, 
 that has no turning.' 
 
 (GO) Mtatiui itkiinimikd Imoiwhtixi pinijc ; lit. 'If millet 
 is spilt grains are \isil)le." ( "f . 'There is no smoke 
 without a fire.' 
 
 (07) Liharibihilo /iiif((n,yu'a. 
 
 ■ 117/^^ /,s- broken is best mended ' ; lit. ' What has 
 been spoilt is put to rights.' (Cf. ' It is never too 
 late to mend.) 
 
 Enigmas (Ki-Mvita) 
 
 (1) A ]:)opuIar kind of riddle is the Kinyume, which is made 
 
 by altering the order of the letters of a word thus : 
 
 M])arakita pec lieu waju kalikito nasa 
 Kitambara cheupe juwa likitoka sana 
 
 ' A white cloth : what does one mean by a white 
 cloth ? One means that everything looks bright and 
 white because the sun is shining so brightly.' 
 
 (2) What does the following mean 1 — Tambuu ; popoo ; 
 
 tumbaku ; tokaa ; katu. 
 
 The natural reply would be that this is a Hst of 
 the articles of which ughaibu, or l)etel chewing mix- 
 ture, consist. But the correct solution is onomato- 
 paeic. Tambuu =Ntampiga : ' I vnW liit you.' Popoo 
 = Avhack- whack. Tumbaku —n\ivimb&> wangu : 'my 
 sweetheart. Tokaa =ntakaa : ' 1 shall sit still then,' 
 she replies. Katu =kaatu : ' All right, sit still,' says 
 the other. 
 
 (3) ' Tambo ' (Ki-MviTA) 
 
 Mimi na nyama wangu ivawili, im 7nzigo 'mmoja. 
 
 Nimeleta baiidarini, na bandarini pana kidau kidogo, na 
 kidau hiki chaweza kmigia watu waivili, hakingii ivatu 
 loatatu ; na nyama wale — mmoja ni mbuzi — na mmoja ni tui 
 — m/. mmoja ni mzigowa nyasi ; na ndaniya kidau kile yuko 
 mwenyewe avusJiaye mmoja. Sasa nataka kuvusha tui asile 
 mbuzi, na mbuzi asile nyasi, na hili dau huingia, icatu wawili. 
 Tutavuslm namna gani 'i 
 
ENIGMAS AN]) APIIOHISMS 127 
 
 TnUikapoanza kuvusha tui, mbuzi atakala mjasi. TiiUihi- 
 lioanza kuvuslia riyasi lazima tni atakula mbuzi. Sasn 
 tutavusha 7iam'Mi gaiii ? 
 
 (I and my two animals and one load. 
 
 I have brought them to the jetty, and at the jetty is a 
 small boat. Now this small boat will hold two, but won't 
 hold three. My tAvo animals are a leopard and a goat, and 
 my load is a load of grass. There is ah'eady one man, the 
 ferryman and owner of the boat, inside. Now I want to 
 ferry across the leopard without it eating the goat, and the 
 goat without it eating the grass. How shall we do it ? 
 
 If we start by ferrying across the leopard, the goat will 
 eat the grass. If we start by ferrying across the grass, the 
 leopard will certainly eat the goat. How then shall we 
 do it?) 
 
 Kivanzct tutavusha mhuzi tukamweke ngamho. Kislia 
 turudi tupakie mzigo iva 7iyasi tupeleke ngambo kuliko na 
 mhuzi. Kisha iveka mzigo iva nyasi tu^wpakie iena mhuzi 
 tumrudishe 7igamho hii tulipotoka, tumweke mhuzi tupakie 
 tui tumpelekee ngaynho kuliko na nyasi. Kisha tumwate 
 kule turudi tupakie mhuzi tena, tukaflka ngamho tumpe 
 mwenyewe vitu vyake salama. 
 
 (First we shall take across the goat and deposit him upon 
 the opposite bank. Then let us return and take the bundle 
 of grass and put that across on the side where the goat 
 already is. After depositing the load of grass, let us ship 
 the goat again and put him across to the side whence we 
 started, and then ship the leopard and take him across to 
 the side where the grass is. Then we will leave him there 
 and return again for the goat a second time, and lo, we have 
 reached the other side — and now to give the owner his 
 possessions safe and sound !) 
 
 Tambo (Ki-Mvita) 
 
 Yupo mgonjwa ndaiii ya. mji, anaugua siku nyingi. Wa- 
 mekuja imganga kumjanyia dawa na. kulla onganga asema 
 haivezi kupoa ila ipatikane ndimu ya. kali. 
 
 Na ivaganga wametimia. kumi Tia iano na, kulla mmoja 
 amekuja kwa ndia yake mhali hahnia aliyejua ya kmva kama 
 kwm kuja mwenzangu. Na kulla mmoja asema asharti 
 
iL'.s AIDS TO Till": sTn)^ ok ki-sw aiiim 
 
 ijxilihii c iidiniii iiKijd (i<i kali. Xa kdtiku mji i./r lidknim 
 iidiiHK — iko ndbnu moja. N(i mud unit iile KtoajetKjeica kvla 
 la mawe, mi bada ya kuta niialivibiiva handaki, na kuta hili 
 linlina inlango, na He handaki hapana\ jm kvpitiwa, na 
 inu'evii'i ti.ditnii nu(kazi yake ni jvu ya mndiinu. Sara, 
 tutafanya ,sliauri (jani tupaie ndimu ■moja,na mivenyi ndiinu 
 ni Jini — hataki kiiona mtu, wala hawezi h:sewa tm mVu. 
 
 (Hero is a sick man in the village — he has been ill for 
 many days. Doctors have come to physic him and every 
 doctor says it is impossible for him to recover unless a sour 
 lime is obtained. 
 
 Now the doctors have numbered tifteen, and each one 
 lias come iiis o'wn road from a distance, nor is there one 
 that knows that a fellow-doctor has come. Yet each of 
 them says that it is essential that a sour lime be obtained. 
 
 Now in the whole town there are no limes except one, 
 and that lime tree has had a stonewall built round ^t, and 
 inside the wall there has been dug a trench, and the wall 
 has no opening, and the trench has no place where it can 
 be passed, and the owner of the lime has his dwelling on 
 the top of the lime tree. What now shall we devise in 
 order to obtain this one lime, when the owner thereof is a 
 Jin, who \\\\\ neither see any one, nor can he speak to any 
 one ? 
 
 Sa^:>a mimi ' ntachukua jiive langu moja niende liala qxile 
 karibu na kuta nimivite 7mvenye ndiinu. Akigeuka kvnite- 
 zarrm ntampigaja Iile jitve. Kisha hmnim^a Iile jiive li'aun- 
 guka, na yeye ashaona utungu, na kule tini hawezi kushvka 
 — basi — atanipiga na iiini ? Atatukua ndimu akaitipiga 
 nayo. 
 
 (Now I shall take a stone of mine and go to a spot near the 
 wall and call on the owner of the lime. When he turns to 
 look at me I shall hit him with the stone. The stone after 
 hitting him will fall to the ground, and by then he will have 
 felt annoyed, yet he cannot go down below. Well — what 
 will he hit me with ? 
 
 He Mill take the lime and hit me with, that !) 
 
ENIGMAS AND APHOKLSMS 129 
 
 KiTENDAWILI (Ki-JizRAT). 
 
 (1) Kifa kijaiuimi. (What two things resemble one an- 
 
 otiier ?) 
 
 Ans. (1) : Maziiva na tui la nazi (human and 
 coconut milk). 
 
 Ans. (2) : Mbeyii za papdi na pili pili mafiga. 
 (Papaw seeds and black peppercorns). 
 
 (2) Li papo ; hulioni'^ (It is there but you see it not.) 
 
 Ans. : Juvuli (yoin- big shadow). 
 
 (3) Hatigo lifunika hango : jihango linafunika nini I (A 
 
 hidden thing is covered with a hidden thing, but what 
 covers the bigger hidden thing ?) 
 
 Ans. : Nazi, a coconut (the fruit is covered b}- the 
 shell and the shell by the husk — but what covers the 
 husk?) 
 
 (4) Mti mkuhim majani maivili (a big tree with two leaves). 
 
 Ans. : Mivili na rnashikio. (The body with its 
 ears.) 
 
 (5) Namivita huyu, weive wajia nini ? (I called this one ; 
 
 why are you coming ?) 
 
 Ans. : Mwenye kivenda-chooni lazima mikojo huja. 
 
 (6) Mtoto wangu anyelea mhavani. Qly child eases himself 
 
 from the ribs.) 
 
 A71S. : Jiive la kusagia mtama (a stone for grinding 
 millet). Two ciicular stones revolve the one upon 
 the other : the ground corn oozes from in between 
 them : hence the jest. 
 
 (7) Kitethdawili, kitanda, kitandili maliani upitaye hinn- 
 
 tanda hata nyama wa mhioni. (The net is spread — is 
 spread out on the plain. It stops whoever passes — 
 even a swift beast.) 
 
 Ans. : Bahari. {Kitendawili = a trap, a net-trap, 
 a riddle.) 
 
 Kitendawili (Ki-Mvita) 
 (1) Juni limijijunika utaji, (The large bird is covered in 
 its hood.) 
 
 K 
 
l:;<) AIDS TO THE STIDV OK KI-SWAIIILI 
 
 Anf<. : Tanija hi Jehazi linativektvu. (I'lie vessel's 
 sail is set.) 
 
 (2) AKikari wnngn hamtmna harudi akiixihi irala itkikosa. 
 
 (My soldier when sent on an errand does not return 
 Avhether or no he acconi|)lishes his mission.) 
 Ans. : HitsdKi (a. bullet). 
 
 (3) N^mi mke wait/}u, huzdii waana hamslnii kiLsha hufa. 
 
 (I have a woman who bears fifty children and then dies.) 
 A71S. : Mhd (a banana tree). 
 
 (4) Kilanyd, kina kunazi^ hikini hazitafuniki. (There is fruit 
 
 in the garden but it is not eaten.) 
 Ans. : Nyota (the stars). 
 
 (5) Jiingu kuu na bia kuu (a big pot with a big lid). 
 
 Ans. : dunia na mhingu (earth and heaven). 
 
 (6) N^na niwana tvangy, mwaka huu ni wa hamshin, nae 
 
 hmvezi kusimama. (I have a child : this is his fiftieth 
 year and yet he cannot stand up.) 
 Ans. : Mkuju (a chain). 
 
 (7) Mtumwa wangu atumikausiku na mtayia. (My servant 
 
 is at work day and night). 
 Ans. : Saa (a watch). 
 
 (8) Nakivenda mhali hata nikantdi namwanihia niaina 
 
 ibitakue nae hakatai. (I go afar, and when I return 1 
 tell my mother to hold me, and she refuses not.) 
 Ans. : Kita7ula (a bedstead). 
 
 (9) Watumwa wangu wenda tu,hawanidi,na ivendako sijni. 
 
 (My servants are forever going :' they return not : 
 nor know I whither they go.) 
 
 Ans. : Maji ya mfo (the waters of a river), 
 
 (10) THko ndiani wain ivamili, haknna aniwdiiibidc niwenziwe 
 
 ill pntnzike. (We are two on a road : nor does one say 
 to the other, ' Let us rest '). 
 
 Ans. : Mill na kivq,li chake (a man and his shadow), 
 
 1 Kunazi =^\,he wild berries of tlie 'wait-a-bit " thorn ; yerybit^ter 
 when green, but liked by children, — H. 
 
ENIGMA.S AND APHOKLSxM.S I-.1 
 
 (11) Kfdiiha yangu nirefu kaiwezi kufynr/a kiln. (J^oiig is 
 
 my string yet it cannot tie anything up.) 
 Alls. : Ndia (a road). 
 
 (12) Waioto ivangu ivatalu : (tkiondoka nunoja, wawili 
 haivatumiki. (My children are three : if one goes away 
 the other two are no use.) 
 
 Ans. : Mawe ya jiko (cooking stones : — these are 
 ' three in number : if one is removed the jjot will not 
 balaVice). 
 
 (13) Waioto wangii ivanne : akiondoka mmoja watatu hawa- 
 
 tumiki. (My children are four : if one goes away the 
 other three are of no use.) 
 
 Ans. : Maguu ya kitanda (the legs of a bedstead). 
 
 (14) Nyumba yangu ina milango mingi. (My house has 
 
 many doors.) 
 
 Ans. : Ema (a lobster trap [which is rushwork] 
 with large spaces.) 
 
 (15) Nyumba yangu kubwa kiguzo ni ki7noja. (My house is 
 
 large and has but one jDole.) 
 
 Ans. : Uioga or kioga (a mushroom). 
 
 (16) Huyu abaiidika na huyu dbandua.^ (One puts on and 
 
 the other takes off.) 
 
 Ans. : Maguu mawili (the two legs). 
 
 (17) Kifungu cha mtoto kinajaa chakula tele. (A little part 
 
 of a child is full of lots of food.) 
 Ans. : Meno (its teeth). 
 
 (18) Jino la sultani latekesha dunia. (The sultan's tooth 
 
 makes the world laugh.) 
 
 Ans. : Mwezi (the moon). 
 
 (19) Natoka kitope lopeni (1 came from a moist muddy 
 
 place). Nakwenda- kitope topeni (I went to a moist 
 place). Napata majl nikanwa (I got water and I 
 drank). 
 
 Alls. : Naii kwea mnazi, nikapata dafu, nikanwa. 
 (I climbed a coconut tree — I got a nut and I drank 
 
 [its milk].) 
 
 * Ka bandika — ku bandua = to apply and take off (of a plaster 
 or the like). 
 
l:V2 AIDS TO THE STl■|)^ OK KI-SW All I LI 
 
 (20) \'ii-H-i(-i(-ii-j)il. 
 
 A>(.f<. : Ndiijxifd uxitKjizi nikaroKjukd tine. (J got 
 sleepy and fell to the grouiicl.) (The sound of this 
 word is sui)i)osed to represent the answer, though it 
 is difficult to see how any one could be expected to 
 guess it.) 
 
 (21) J^er-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r . . hata. 
 
 Ans. : The sound is supposed to convey that J 
 fell asleep and dreamed of another place a long way 
 off, and then suddenly woke up ! Others say it means 
 ' ntelezi/ slijjperiness — representing a foot slipping in 
 the mud. 
 
 (22) Banyani anapiga uhinda. (The Hindu adjusts his loin 
 
 cloth.) 
 
 Ans. : Sindano rui uzi, needle and thread (because 
 the Hindu threads the cloth through his legs and 
 fastens it up behind him). 
 
 (23) 'Ni papo hunioni. (1 am there but you don't see me.) 
 
 Ans. : Kishogo (the naj)e of the neck). 
 
STUDY IV 
 Mamc in Pemba 
 
SPIRTT-DANCE 
 
 (By a. sceptic.) 
 
 The following is tlu' origin of Mitch doctors, who exorcise 
 spirits. If it happens that a man oi- a woman or a youth 
 is seized with fever, and the fevei' is obviously increasing 
 and combined with another ailment, whethei- of the head 
 or the stomach, or be it vertigo — well — the old relations 
 of the patient betake themselves to the witch-doctor, 
 who consults his oracle and utters his lies. Sometimes he 
 says the patient is possessed of a Spirit or a Jinn of the sea. 
 The old men question the witch-doctor, ' Do you think this 
 Jinn is likely to depart ? " The witch-doctor, if he is in 
 need of money, will say, ' I see no signs of its departing.' 
 He who has brought the sick man asks him, " What should 
 one do ? ' The witch doctor replies, " The Jinn must be 
 got hold of.' The old men ask, ' How can this be done ? ' 
 The witch-doctor again casts his lots, and as he does so he 
 utters these w^ords, ' O oracle, divine for me my truly divine 
 not falsely.' And then he tells the relations of the sick 
 man, ' The Jinn is a powerful one, and the ailment is of the 
 head, and if you wdsh your child to rise up again from his 
 bed, fetch me water-lilies of three kinds — a white water- 
 lily, a black one, and a red. And when you have got these 
 get a bud of pandanus flower, and loaves made of three 
 kinds of grain, and a coverlet of white matting. Now this 
 latter the Swahili call ' utanga ' or carpet, and it is on this 
 that the j)atient is to he. When they have obtained these 
 necessaries they say to the witch-doctor, ' What you 
 demanded we have brought.' And the witch-doctor 
 answers, ' Bring them along together with the sick man.' 
 So the sick man is brought, whereafter the doctor says, ' I 
 want a dollar for the call-money.' He is given a dollar. 
 After receiving this he says, ' This is the dollar of the call- 
 money : I want my " portions " as agreed upon.' And 
 the sick man's friends, if it he ten rupees or eight, agree. 
 After the agreement the witch-doctor becomes 'inspired,' 
 
 134 
 
NGOMA YA PEPO.i 
 
 Awali ya waganga walemao pepo, hutukia nitii mwana- 
 miiine ao mwanamke ao kijana hungiwa ni honia, akibaini- 
 kana na homa inazidi, ikachanganyikana na maiazi mangine, 
 kama ni kichwa ao ni tumljo ao kisiinzi — ba.si — wazee wake 
 liuenda kwa mganga. akapiga ban.- mganga Initoa iirongo 
 wakwe, pengine hiisema kanasubiwa ni pepo. ao Jini bahaii. 
 Wazee humwuliza mganga, ' Waonaje Jini huyii aweza 
 knondoka ? ' mganga akiwa ataka pesa husema ' sioni 
 dalili ya kiiondoka." Mwenyi mgonjwa humwuliza ' hufa- 
 nyaje ? ' Mganga husema ' shoti apatikane yule Jini.' 
 Wazee huuliza, ' hupatikana namma gani ? ' Mganga 
 akapiga tena bau, kisha maneno husema katika kupiga 
 bau, ' Ewe Ramli we nibainia haki usibaine batili." Akifika 
 hapo huwambia wenyewe wale wenyi mgonjwa, " Jini huyu 
 ni mkubwa na maraziye ni ya, kichwa. .Sasa kama mwataka 
 mtoto wenu ainukie nipatiani ma-yungi namna tatu — 
 yungi jeupe na jeusi na jekundu — mukiisha pata hivyo 
 mupate tumba ya mkadi na mikate j^a mibeyu tatu, na 
 fumba ya mkeka mweupe.' Na waganga huita ' uianga ' 
 ndio atakaolalia yule mgonjwa. Mwenyewe hutafuta kama 
 alivyosema mganga. Wakiisha pata humwita mganga 
 wakamjibu, ' Vitu ulivyosema tunapata.' Mganga hujibu, 
 ' Mleteni mgonjwa pamoja na vitu.' Mgonjwa hupelekwa. 
 Na huyu mgonjwa akiisha fika kwa mganga, mganga husema, 
 ' Nataka riale 3^a mwito.' Hupewa liale. Akiisha pata 
 riale huuliza tena, ' Riale hii ni mwito, nataka " mafungu " 
 kama watakavyopatana. Na wale wenyi mgonjwa, kama 
 ni rupia kumi. ao nane husikizana. Wakiisha pat^-na 
 
 ^ Vide Krapf under ' punga.^ I came across tliis account after 
 collecting the above. 
 
 * akapiga ban, i.e., lie consults the witch-doctors" guide the ' Fiirn- 
 kani.'' The spirit is discerned according to the hour at which his 
 relations bring the news of the sick man to the doctor ; e.g. if they 
 come at 7 a.m. on Wednesday it is a Jinn. The hours and tlieir 
 corresponding Pepo are said to be all written in this book, 
 
 135 / 
 
136 AIDS TO THE STrDV OF KT-SWATTIU 
 
 During his inRpii'alion lie calls the sick man. and places 
 him upon the white mat. and he brings a ])late and puts it 
 ])efore the sick man, and on the i)late he places the water- 
 lilies, and the bud of the pandanus flower, and sweet- 
 smelling grass he also places thereon. And there is a 
 certain tree called ' mnyunyori,' the Flaccid tree (whose 
 leaves) he also puts there in the plate. And incense he 
 biings and a lighted censer, and he assembles together all 
 the relations of the sick man and all his own. All being 
 jjresent the witch-doctor chants, and those who are present 
 answer and clap theii* hands. Now all this is done for the 
 benefit of the sick man. 
 
 After clapping their hands and chanting the tunes of the 
 Jinn and the .Spirits, you will notice signs of trembling in 
 the sick person, and signs of shedding tears, and those who 
 know say that these are the signs of the Spirit mounting 
 to the head. Then it is that the doctor redoubles his noise 
 and clapping until the Spirit has properly ascended into 
 the head. Then he asks, ' Child of the Spirit, w^hat dost 
 thou desire ? ' And the Spirit will answer, ' I want a 
 chair and my feast.' The doctor asks, •' What is your 
 feast ? ' The Spirit answ^ers according to its inclinations, 
 whether a goat or an ox or a fowl. Now these animals 
 are of three kinds ; for example, a red goat, a white one, or 
 a black : sometimes a parti-coloured one is desired. Aftei* 
 this utterance the doctor says to the patient's relations, ' Do 
 you hear what the Spirit says ? ' Then they agree. After- 
 wards the doctor speaks, 'Child of the Spirit, we have agreed, 
 and will do for you all that you wdsh ; but there is one 
 thing that we want in return, and that is that this patient 
 shall recover, and when he has recovered we will give you 
 your feast and dance ; and as for your companion sj^irits — 
 every one w^ho of old has had a spirit in his head, we will 
 invite them all to vom" feast on that day.' 
 
 1 hupayaiva. The method by \\hich he becomes inspired is lo 
 sniff some ' ubani ' (incense) which has previously been put in a 
 ' kietezo ' (censer). The scent inspires him, but it is necessary that 
 he liave a ' Pepo ' of liis own. 
 
 - kiti, a cliair, i.e. to put the articles of .'-orcery on. But there 
 seems to be some subtle meaning in the word, for later {vide infra) 
 
MAOK' TN PEMBA ]?,1 
 
 mgauga hupagawa,^ akiisha pagawa akamwita mwele, 
 akamM-eka penyi mkeka mweiipe, akaleta ohano, akakiweka 
 mbele ya mgonjwa, akatia mayungi na ile tnmba ya mkadi, 
 na mriliani pia hiitia, Uko na mti mmoja tena, jina lake 
 huitwa ' mnyunyori ' pia hutia humu ndani ya chano, 
 akaleta ubani na kietezo l?ia moto, akawakushanya wale 
 jamaa zake mgonjwa, na jainaa zake mganga, wote waka- 
 liuzuria. Mganga akaimba, wale waliopo hiiitikia, wakipiga 
 kofi, na nianibo hayo afanyiwa mgonjwa. 
 
 Wakiisha ku]>iga kofi na kiiinil)a nyimbo za .lini ao Pepo, 
 yule mgonjwa iitaona dalili ya kiiteteineka, na kutoka 
 machozi, watu wajuao hujiia hii \\\ dalili ya PejDO kupanda 
 kichwani. Ndipo mganga azidipo knpiga kelele, na kupiga 
 kofi hat a akapanda sawa sawa ndani ya kichwa. Mganga 
 huuliza, ' Ewe mwana wa Pepo we wataka nini ? ' Pepo 
 husema, ' nataka " kiti," - na karamu yangu.' Mganga 
 liuuliza, ' Karamn yako nini ? ' Pepo husema kama 
 atakalo, kama ni mbnzi, ao ni ngombe, ao kuku. Na 
 nyama hao huwa namna tatu, ni mbuzi mwekundu ao 
 mweupe ao mweusi, pengine hutukia kutaka mbuzi kijivu- 
 jivu. Akiisha sama hayo na mganga husema. Huwambia 
 wenyewe wale wenyi mgonjwa, ' Munasilda maneno ya 
 Pepo ? '* Na wenyewe hnkubaK. Kisha mganga hnsema, 
 ' Ewe mwana wa Pepo timaknbali, knlla unalopenda tnta- 
 kufanyia, na sisi twataka neno moja — neno tiitakalo liuyii 
 mgonjwa apoe, akiisha poa tutakiipa karamu yako na ngoma, 
 na wenzio wa Pepo knlla alij'e kichwani zamani tutamwita 
 siku hiyo ya karamii yako/ Na yule pepo husema, ' Hamu- 
 nidanganyi ? ' Mganga hujibu. ' Nakuambia kweh, kama 
 husadiki huyu " Mti '' ^ chako, akipoa leo hivi, utapata leo 
 karamu.' Wakaadiana kama watakavyopatana mganga 
 na yule Pepo. Akiisha Pepo liutoka ndani ya kichwa kia 
 mgonJAva. Mganga hujibu, ' Tafutani mafungu yangu nipate 
 kufanya kazi." Na^ wale wenyewe washafurahi.^ akipata 
 
 ' kiti,'' a cliair, is the name used to designate the sick person hiniseh' 
 after that the Spirit has mounted to Ills head. 
 
 3 iraslinfurahi. This tense should be noted. *S7/fl lias now 
 become a tense infix. It is of course ior watnekiii.shn fiirahi, and 
 ' film ' being' part qf the word kuisha has that significance. Another 
 
i:is AIDS TO TUK STrr)Y OF KI-SWAiriLr 
 
 'Vhv Spirit says, ' ^'ou are not deceiving me ? ' The doctor 
 answers, ' 1 speak true — if you do not believe 1 tell you 
 that if this '' kiti " recovers to-day, to-day will you have 
 your feast.' So they agree on a date, according to what 
 the doctor arranges witli the Spirit. After that the Spirit 
 emerges from the head of the patient, and the doctor says, 
 ' Fetch me my " portions " so that I may do my work.' 
 Now are the i)atient's relations overjoyed, and if he gets 
 l)etter they wait foi- three or ten days, and if he is obviously 
 recovering from his disease search is made for the articles 
 agreed upon with the Spirit. Be it a goat, it is brought, or 
 be it a fowl or an ox. After bringing the gifts they say to 
 the witch-doctor, ' We have come with our presents.' The 
 doctor receives them and looks for his drum and his wand 
 and all the other appurtenances of his magic. [Noav some 
 spirits are spirits of the sea, others are of sorcery. They 
 dwell in the dense forests, or in large trees (especially the 
 baobab), or in lofty mountains — and where there are graves 
 every kind are found.] After this the doctor finds other 
 persons who have had spirits exj)elled before and brings 
 them all together. Now these people are given a feast- — 
 food at all hours day and night, and the food by day some 
 Sw^ahili call ' vishuka ' or ' the food of the hungry," and 
 the food by night some Sw'ahili call ' kijio " or the food of 
 sleep time. When they are assembled the patient is called 
 as before and they place him upon the ' utanga ' or matting- 
 coverlet, and there is much clapping and warbling and sing- 
 ing for the space of three or seven days. If any one nods his 
 head about, or sheds tears,or mutters incoherently, the mtch- 
 doctor knows that he is no human l)eing but a Spirit. Drums 
 are beaten and songs sung as before, but the efforts are 
 redoubled. The Spirit comes as before and the doctor 
 addresses it. ' This dance is your feast which we promised 
 you now — -how many days of it do you desire '. ' The 
 Spirit answers how many days it would like — ten possibly 
 — but the correct amount is seven. Now all the time the 
 
 common instance of a verb becoming a tense prefix is ' taka,' (to) 
 want, found in siicli compounds as atakapokwenda , ' when he wanted 
 to go,' 
 
MACITC TN PEMP.A 130 
 
 hiijambo liukaa miida wa siku tatu ao kimii, akil)ainikana 
 inarazi ^yale kiipoa, liiitafutwa vitii kania \valivyo])ataiia na 
 Pepo — iwapo ni m])iizi hiiletwa, ao kukii, ao ngonibe. Wa- 
 kiisha leta humwambia mganga, ' Tuiiakuwapo na vitu 
 vyako.' Mganga hupokea, akatafuta ngoma na ' cheo ' ' 
 na kulla kitn kifaakio katika uganga. Na Pepo hao wen- 
 gine hiiwa Pepo wa ' Tari,' ^ wengine ni wa uganga, hiikaa 
 katika mwitu mkubwa, ao miti mikiibwa (haswa inl)uyu) 
 ao vilinia viknl)wa, pangine huwa panapo makaburi kulla 
 namna. Akiislia hayo mganga atatafuta watu wenyi 
 Pepo waliopungwa zamani, awalaishanye wote. Na watu 
 hawa hupewa karamu chakula kulla wakati mchana na 
 usiku ; chakula cha mchana Wasawahili wangine huita 
 ' vishuka ' ; chakula cha usiku Wasawahili wangine huita 
 ' kijio.' Wakiisha kutana huitAva vile vile mgonjwa, aka- 
 wekwa juu ya ' Ktanga,' akaj)igiwa kofi na vigelegele na 
 nyimbo muda wa siku tatu' ao sabaa. Iwapo ajisuka, na 
 kutokwa ni machozi na kubabaika, yule mganga hujua 
 huyu si bin-Adamu, ni Pepo. Hupigwa ngoma na nyimbo 
 kama zamani, laa shime' zaidi ya kwanza. Pepo huja vile 
 vile kama kwanza. Mganga humwuliza, ' Ngoma hii ni 
 karamu yako tuliopana miadi, na sasa wataka siku ngapi ? ' 
 Pepo husema ,siku atakazo kama ni kumi, lakini kawaida 
 ni siku sabaa. Na zamani akipigiwa ngoma hiyo na wen- 
 ziwe huwapo, ndio wenziwe watiao shime' na kucheza 
 naye. Siku ya sabaa ikitimia, mganga lunnwambia Pejio. 
 
 H. adds to this note, 'I have always heard the ' w ' in this=: 
 wansha for wanakivisha (furahi) — have never thought of running 
 the two verbs as one, but have supplied the iufin. mark ' ku ' with 
 furahi. Many Europeans knowing this construction playf\illy use 
 it in English, e.g. "He has finished to die," ansha kufa.' I, too, 
 have noticed the ' n ' in Ki-AIvita but not invariably, but the 
 teller of this story rejected it when questioned. 
 
 1 Cheo lit. means ' rank ' or ' po ition.' The imijlenient is 
 a bar of iron, brass or ivory. It is a family heirloom only to be 
 possessed by ' initiates.' Botli the sick man and the ' mganga ' 
 hold it, and by this means the ' mganga ' is said to be able to com- 
 nuinicate with the ' Pepo.'' By this means also lost articles are 
 said to be found. 
 
 - Tar i, vide Kia|)f^'a dniin,' Ijut my infortnaiit fells me it is 
 here =Bahari, 
 
110 AIDS TO TTTK STUDY OF Kl-SW ATITTJ 
 
 dance is going on tlie Sjiiril's companions are jiresent — - 
 indeed it is they wlio «o vigorously dance wth it. When 
 the seventh day has come the witch-doctor says to the 
 .Spirit, ' (ircctings ! tell us thy name.' There is a custom 
 in this wretched sorcery to sjilit the Spirit's tongue, but it 
 is not spht with a knife — 'tis a lying trick of sorcery only. 
 Now on this day f)f tongue-splitting there is a dance and a 
 feast which all the tSi)irits attend. If there is a goat it is 
 slaughtered for the feast of the other Spirits -it is a different 
 feast fiom that of the patient. After this the doctor says, 
 ' Give the blessing, O Spirit.' The Spirit blesses them 
 and utters its name and the place whence it came, whether 
 from the baobab tree, or the river, or the sea even, it says 
 so. After saying this there is the day of ' being brought 
 outside,' and on this day come num])ers possessed of S])irits, 
 and otliei>i there are that come as spectatoi-s of the Spirit- 
 dance. The doctor grasps his wand — and his wand can 
 only be grasj)ed in a particular manner, and if there be a 
 Spirit which is a ' Finder ' a cut is made (on him possessed 
 of it). After this there is another feast for the spectators. 
 And on this day or a subsequent one the doctor's portions 
 are paid as agreed upon with the patient's relations. Then 
 there is a day for the doctors to lay prohibitions on the 
 Spirits. And this day is the 27th of ' Mwerisho.' Well, 
 every doctor calls his accomplices and when they have come 
 a feast is made for them and medicine given them to drink 
 and to bathe in. After this the doctors say to their Spirits, 
 ' This is your feast, for this month we want to 2)rohibit j^ou 
 from entering into the head. Then thej'^ are first served 
 with the medicine, and the doctors eall this medicine ' vue ' 
 or smoke. Now this ' vue ' is " intmhani ' grass and ' Mriliani 
 ■pate ' grass. After this they are given another medicine 
 wherewith to cense, and this is called by the witch-doctors 
 ' mafusho ' or ' much smoke.' 
 
 Now this ' mafusho ' is of all kinds — there is ' mafusho ' 
 of asses dung and cat's hair that the witch-doctors use. 
 After this there is a day. ' the Festival of the Spirit,' and 
 
 ^ hupasua ulinii, a metaphor meaning to teaoli them to speak 
 only. 
 
.MA<;i(' IX I'KMHA 111 
 
 ' Toa salainu utupe jina lako.' Wana kawaida yao ya 
 kiganga hupasua iilimi.^ Pepo, wala si kupasiia kwa 
 kisu, iii urongo wa kiganga tii. Na siku hiyo ya kupasua 
 ulimi Pepo, hupigwa ngoma, hula, kiafa ya Pepo hiiku- 
 tana, ikiwa mbuzi liucliiiijwa kaianui ya wale Pepo wangine 
 — mbali hiiyu mgonjwa. Akiislia hayo niganga liusema. 
 'Ewe Pepo lete salamu.' Pepo hiitoa salaamii akataja 
 jina lake, na inahali atokapo kania ni katika nibnyu ao 
 mtoni ao baharini pia linsema. Akiisha senia hivyo jjana 
 siku ya kutolewa nje, na siku hiyo huja watu wangi wanao 
 Pepo, na wangi wajao kutezania ngoma ya Pepo. Mganga 
 hushika ' cheo,'' na ' clieo ' hiyo haishikwi ela kwa namna 
 moja, iwe Pepo ni mchomozi '^ kanapasuliwa chale. ' Yakii- 
 sha liayo pana karamu njangine ya watu waliokuja tezama 
 Pepo. Na mafungu ya mganga hutolewa siku hiyo ao 
 nyingine watakayopatana mganga na wenyi mtoto mgonjwa. 
 Sasa pana siku ya waganga j^a kufunga Pepo wao Na siku 
 hiyo huwa ni mwezi asherin na sabaa ' Mwerisho.' ^ Basi- 
 kulla mganga huweta wateje wao. Wakiisha kuja hufa- 
 nyiwa karamu na madawa ya kunywa na kuoga, wakiisha 
 fanyiwa hivyo, waganga husema na Pepo wao " Karamu 
 hii ni yenu nyinyi kwa kuwa mwezi huu twataka wafunga 
 — musipande ndani ya vichwas Wakiisha hivyo kwanza 
 liupewa hiyo dawa, na jina la dawa hiyo waganga huita 
 ' vue.' Na hilo ' vue ' ni majani ya vumbani, na majani ya 
 * Mrihani pate.' Wakiisha pewa hilo, hupewa na dawa 
 nyingine ya kujifukiza, na dawa hiyo wenyewe waganga huita 
 ' rnafusho.' 
 
 Na ' mafuslio ' hayo ni kulla namna — j^ako ' mafusho ' 
 ya mavi ya punda, na nyele za paka waganga Initumia. 
 Yakiisha hayo kuna na siku ya siku kuu ya Pepo. Na 
 hiyo siku kuu ni mwisho wa Ramadhani.^ Hukushanyana 
 
 * mcliomozi, i.e. one which can find lost articles. 
 
 3 kanapasuliwa cliule. Chale is a ' cut ' or scar. The doctor 
 nuikcs a slight incision in the patient's flesh with a knife and 
 rubs in some ' medicine,' after which the patient ' can smell out 
 things like a dog.' 
 
 * Mwerisho, i.e. Shaaban or the 11th month : the month preced- 
 ing Ramadluxn. 
 
 ' It is interestmg to note the influence of Islam on an old custom. 
 Just before the fast of Ramadhan thej- ' fiinga ' the spirits. Now 
 
112 AIDS TO TIIK STIDN oK KI-SWAIIIIJ 
 
 this frstival is al the cud of Kaniadliaii. The aceoniplices 
 asseniblo and make a feast. And they liave a name of 
 their own for this feast, ' kiano ' or the Plate. And on 
 this k'iano some make cakes and baked bread and roasted 
 bread — all kinds. VVlien they are all there, six or ten as 
 the case may be. tliey take tiiese dainties to their witch- 
 doctor. And on their ai rival the S])irits rise, every one 
 bends his knees, and the doctoi' comes and takes hold of 
 the head of eacii of his accomplices and takes the dainties 
 and summons his fellow-doctors, and thej' consume their 
 gifts. And aftei- eating them the witch-doctor for whom 
 this was done gives a feast and a dance and a goat ; and if 
 he is rich enough he gives an ox to his accomphces for their 
 festival. 
 
 After this there are no more prohibitions — everj^ Spirit 
 rises to the head whensoever it likes ; but if it is seen to be 
 Ramadhan. they are forbidden as here described. Now 
 all this information ] managed to get from the witch-doctors 
 — such is what I have to say about the Avitch- doctors who 
 exorcise then- Spirits. 
 
 ku-funga =to shut is the word used by Swahih for 'to fast.' On 
 the Idi or festival when the fast ends the Spirits are no longer 
 ' funga'd ' and a feast is held. 
 
MAGIC IN PEJVIBA 14;} 
 
 wateje, wakafaiiya karamii. Na hiyo karainu wenyewe 
 wana jina lao huita ' kiano ' — na kiano hikio wengine 
 hufanyiza vitumbua na mikate ya kusonga, na mikate ya 
 gae — kulla namna. Wakiisha timiza kama ni watu sita ao 
 ni kumi wakachukua, wakenda zao hadi k^^■a mganga wao. 
 Na wakilika wote. hupanda Pepo, kuUa mtu hupinda ma- 
 gote, akaja mganga akashika kiehwa kidla mteje, mganga 
 akapokea vitu. aka^^•eta A\aganga wenziwe, wakala vitu 
 vyao. Wakiisha kula na yule mganga mwenyi kufanyiwa 
 hayo, hutupa kaiamu na ngoma na mbiizi, ajipataye hutoa 
 ngombe akawapa wateje ^^'ake siku knu. 
 
 Kisha hayo hawana miko tena — kulla Pepo siku atakayo 
 hupanda ndani ya kichwa, laldni ikibainikana Ramadhani, 
 hufungwa kama liivyo — Na nianeno hayo nilipata kusikia 
 kwa waganga — ndiyo habari ya waganga wanao punga Pepo 
 wao. 
 
Ill AIDS TO TIIK STl l)\ OK Kl-.S\VAll[Li 
 
 THE WITCHES' SABBATH 
 
 Vhv (jiigiii of witchcraft is a witches' Sabbath. Tliey 
 meet cm Wednesday or Saturday at twelve midnight. 
 They are seen on no othei' day. nor is anotlier day of any 
 use to them. And if the meeting is a long way oft" they can 
 Hy to it, but every one must return to his home at dawn. 
 Any one who sees them retuining will not recovei". At 
 the meetings the}^ ^^ear no clothes. When they require a 
 victim, they arrange a meetihg, when they say to the brother 
 of the prospective victim, ' It is your turn to supjjly us, 
 give us an ox.' Now by ' ox ' they mean a human being. 
 He replies, ' Who do you want ? ' The wizards say, ' We 
 want your bi'other ' ; or possibly his wife tliej' will want. 
 ' I am ready,' he tells them, and a date is decided upon. 
 
 When the time is up they assemble as before, and the 
 ])lace of meeting must be one of two places — either among 
 the graves which the Swahili call ' Mava ' or the Cemetery, 
 or else in an open place which the Swahili term ' Uchanjaa'' 
 or plain. When all are collected there may be as many as 
 three thousand. They sa}^ to the victim's brother, ' Here 
 we are, supply us.' He says, ' Wait and I will fetch him.' 
 He starts off with two or three attendant ' famihars ' and 
 they go together to the house of the man who is destined 
 to be bewdtched ; he is called by his name and answers. 
 He gets up as if he were asleej), and he is quite unconscious. 
 But if he is a strong man when asked, ' Who are you % ' he 
 will answer, ' Go away, you will not get me ' ; but if he is 
 jiot strong he will go wdth them to the assembly. Thereon 
 the man who has ' suppUed ' liim says to the other, ' Here 
 is your ox.' And the wizards say to him, ' Let us com- 
 mence.' The victim's brother then commences to hit him. 
 Now their sticks are bones of legs — which the Sw^ahili call 
 ' miundi ' or shm bones. When he has finished hitting 
 him all his comrades do likewise ; they belabom- his head 
 
 ^ cltango. There is a common Swahili custom, viz., that two 
 men agree that one shall receive the wages of both for one month 
 and that the other shall recei\'e the wages of both for the next. 
 'Iliis is called ' cJuingo.^ H. mentions ' tango ' (Ki-Mvita) =a con- 
 tribution, levy, and its verb ku-tangiza — to make a collection. 
 
MAGIC IN PEMJiA 145 
 
 KIKOA KIA WACHAWl 
 
 Asili ya uchawi ni kikoa kia wachawi. Na sikii ya kikao 
 ni Jumaa 'nne ao Jumaa mosi kwa saa sita za usiku. Siku 
 nyingine hawatumii, wala hawaonekani. Na ikiwa mbali 
 Sana hiiruka, na zamani alifajiri hiirudi killa mtu kwake ; 
 iwajDO kinia waona wakiriidi hiiponi. Na kikoani wachawi 
 hawana ngiio. 
 
 Zamani wakitaka mtu. hnmtoa kikao. hutokea ndiigii 
 3^ake aliye mchawi akaamhiwa. ' »Sasa cliango * ni kwako, 
 tupe iigombe.- Basi yule ngombe ni mtu. Hujibu, 
 ' Mwataka nani ? ' Wale wachawi husema, ' 'I\\ataka 
 ndugu yako,' ao mke pia hutaka. Humwambia ' Tayari,' 
 wakapana miadi. Siku ikitimia hukutanika vile vile, na 
 mahali wakutanapo ni mahali pauili, kwanza ni penjd 
 makabuii Wasawahili huita, ' Mava.' ^ Wakikosa hapo 
 hukaa katika mboga, Wasawahili huita ' uchanjaa ' ■* 
 wakiisha timia. liesabu yao ni alifu tatu. Humwambia, 
 ' Tunakuwapo haya tupe.' Husema ' ngojani nikamchukue. 
 Huondoka yeye na masheitani ^ mawili ao matatu, waka- 
 fuatana hadi nyumbani kwa yule mtu atakaye rogwa, huit- 
 wa kwa jina lake, huitika, kama yu usingizini huondoka, 
 hana fahamu,*^ ao kama naye ni hodari huulizwa ' nani ? ' 
 hujibu ' Hamunipate. rudini,' "la' si hodari hufuata hata 
 kikoani. Yule niAvenyi kutoa hujibu, ' Ngombe yenu hii.' 
 Wale wachawi husema nao, ' Tuanzie.* Yule ndugu yake 
 huanza kumpiga : na fimbo zao ni mifupa ya miguu — 
 
 ^ ngOfnbe. The victim is referred to as the ' ox.' This wizards' 
 Sabbath is said to have existed in Pemba before the Arabs came. 
 It is a mutual benefit society whereby- each member takes it in turns 
 to supply a victim from his own family. If they succeed in killing 
 him by their ' w-itchcraft ' they share his property. At other times 
 the fees paid by the witch-doctor are suflicient. 
 
 * mava : cemetery. 
 
 * iichanjaa : plain. 
 
 ^ masheitani: 'familiars,' spirits (of the dead often) who can be 
 invoked at the ' kikao ' onlj- and by those very skilled and learned 
 in the books of black magic. These wachawi are said to be able 
 to raise the dead. 
 
 * hana fahninu, i.e. the victim is in a trance from the time of 
 his being summoned from his house till the time of his return thither. 
 
lie, AIDS TO t'lIK 8TUI)V OK KT-SWAHILI 
 
 until all the bones are broken inside. Vet the injuries aic 
 not visil)le to any one except the wizards — and tlie reason 
 of this is that their stieks are cnehanted. After tliis they 
 send him baek to liis home— and all the while he is being 
 returned he is unconscious. 
 
 On leaohing his home he feels ill— it may l)e in the head 
 or it may be in the stomach — but wheiever it is the wi/ards 
 are the cause of it. 
 
 If he has another brother the brothei" will go to the witch- 
 doctor and say, ' Come and see my brother who is. sick.' 
 So the witch-doctor goes, and when he sees the jmtient, he 
 knows at once that it is the wizards who liave done tliis 
 thing. 
 
 If he sees that the victim is hkely to jecover lie asks 
 tor his reward, but if otherwise, he says, ' I am going away 
 and will return to-morrow.' After leaving he goes to the 
 wizards' meeting and demands the man's life. B\it before he 
 goes he takes cakes and ])read and cuttle fish^ — for such is 
 the custom when dealing with wizards. He goes mthout 
 clothes on, and says to the Avizards, ' I have come to you.' 
 They ask him, ' What do you want ? ' The witch-doctor 
 says, ' I wish to go and heal So and So, and I cannot do so 
 without your leave, because he is in your jDower.' If they 
 are for granting his request they say to him, ' Give us our 
 due.' Now this due is a big one ; in the first place it is an 
 ox, and as much rice as they warUt, possibly twenty or thirty 
 bags — and cakes too, possibly ten to fifteen baskets full. 
 After getting his answer the witch-doctor returns to the 
 sick man and tells him what the wizards demand. If he 
 has a brother who is able, he pays it. When he has re- 
 ceived it the witch-doctor repairs to the wizard's and on 
 arrival says, ' I have brought the things which you de- 
 
 ^ mitindi : sliin-bones. 
 
 2 hutebanya. The,y ' doctor ' these clubs of their 's in such a way 
 that although the bones of the skull are broken the danger is not 
 visible to» the eye of ordinary mortals. It is only the ' myanga/ 
 
MA(J1(J IN PEMBA li7 
 
 Wasavvahili liiiita ' mhfndi.' ^ Akii.sha piga ycye. iia niAveii- 
 ziwc hiimpiga wote — hupiga kichwa hata mifupa ikavuiijika 
 yote ndani, wa!a liaijulikani iii watu \\eiigine ela wao 
 wachawi, sababu fimbo zao hutebanya.'^ Wakiisha hum- 
 rudisha, na ukati wakimiudisha hana fahamu. Akifika 
 kwake huona ugonjvva, kama ni kichwa ao ni tumbo, lakini 
 sebabu yake ni wachawi. Iwapo ana ndiigu zake mwingine 
 huenda kwa mganga, ' Twende ka-tezame ndugu yangu 
 mgonjwa.' Mganga huenda, akimwona hujua hawa ni 
 wachawi waUotenda vitcndo hivi. 
 
 Akiona aweza kiipona hntaka iijira wake, ao liaponi 
 husema, ' Nenda zangu, kesho ntaknja.' Akiondoka hapo 
 huenda kikaoni ^ kwa wachawi, akamtaka. Na atakapo- 
 kwenda huchukua vitumbua na mikate na pweza — ndizo 
 ada za wachawi. Huenda hana nguo, husema na wachawi, 
 ' Nimekuja kwenu.' Huuliza wachawi, ' Wataka nini ? 
 Yule mganga husema, ' Nataka kwenda ku mganga Fulani, 
 namimi siwezi kumganga ela munipe ruhusa sababu ni 
 mtu wenu.' Kama watampa humwambia, ' Tupe haki 
 yetu.' Na haki hiyo ni kubwa ; kwanza ni ngombe, na 
 mchele kama watakao, kama ni gunia asherini ao ni the- 
 lathini, na vitumbua vile vile kama ni kapo kumi ao kumi 
 na tano. Akiisha jibiwa hurudi mganga, akenda kwa yule 
 mgonjwa akamwambia kama waHvyotaka wachawi. Iwapo 
 nduguye ni mweza hutoa. Ikiwa ametoa hupewa yule 
 mganga, mganga akachukua hadi kwa wachawi. Akiisha 
 fika husema, ' Hivyo mulivyonambia nimeleta.' Wachawi 
 hujibu, ' Tunakubali.' Na mganga husema, ' Ni dawa gani 
 itakayomfaa ? ' Wachawi hujibu, ' We\Ae mganga utajua.' 
 Na mganga husema, ' Kama nuniakubali kubalini yote 
 
 the ' wliite magician,' who can identify the work of the ' inchawi ' or 
 ' black magician.' 
 
 •* kikaoni. The wizards at their meeting are .said to bo invisible, 
 and the ' myanya ' to see them must take off his clotlies. This is 
 the reason why the ' ivachawi ' are not to be detected in evory-day 
 life. They are visible to the ' mganga,' but he is made to ' kula 
 amini ' not to disclose their identity. At any rate if he did so his 
 ' iiganga ' would be of no use in the future because they \\ould ha\e 
 nothing to do with liim. I am told that ' wizards ' in every -daj- 
 life affect black clothes. 
 
IIS AIDS TO TlIK STri)V (H-' KI-SWAHIIJ 
 
 maiuk'd." And tlicy reply. ' We are agreeable." And the 
 witch-doctor says, ' What medicine will suit him i ' And 
 the wizards reply. " You are the witch-doctor, you ought 
 to know.' Then the doctor says, ' It is no good agreeing 
 unless you agree entirely and give me some philtre and 
 treatment for him. Then they tell him, ' Make him vomit.' 
 ' And what then ? ' says the doctor. ' Anything you like,' 
 they answer. So the doctor returns to the sick man and 
 hrini£s his medicine with him. Now the first of these 
 medicines is called ' vtio,' and it grows by the seashore, or 
 else in the cemetery, and another medicine is tq be foimd 
 in the book of Black Magic which the Swahili call ' Babv.' 
 He makes medicine for him, and if it be not his fate to die 
 he gets well ; or if the wizards have refused to come to 
 terms with tlie witch-doctor they nay to him, 'If you are 
 really a witch-doctor — well, prescribe — we dont want to. 
 and do not meddle in this matter. This man is neither 
 brother or father of yours — wiiy all this feeling ? Go your 
 way and mind your own business ! ' But some witch- 
 doctors are able to get the better of wizards, but-only those 
 whose lot has been to study much, and \Aho can summon 
 familiars to converse with them. 
 
UAiilV IN PEMRA 149 
 
 munipe sadaka ^ na dawa ya kumfanyizia.' Hiimwambia 
 ' Mtapishe.' Mganga hiisema. ' Nikiisha hayo liufanyaje ? ' 
 Wachawi humwambia, " Kama iqjendavyo.' Mganga hurudi 
 hata kwa mgonjwa, akachukua dawa zake. Dawa ya 
 kwaiiza Imitwa ' vi:o,' - na ' vuo ' hilo huota ^ karibu ya 
 pwani ao ndani ya ' mava,' na dawa nyingine zimo katika 
 chiio cha iiganga. Wasawahili huita ' habn.' ^ Humfanyia 
 dawa, kama hakiijaliwa kiifa, hupona ; ao kama wachawi 
 hawakiiknbali maneno ya mganga humwambia mganga. 
 ' Kama wewe mganga kweli — basi — kafanye dawa, liatntaki 
 wala usingie maneno hayo. nitn hnyu si ndugu yako wala 
 si baba yako, waona ucliungii \\a nini nenda na shughnli 
 yako.' Waganga wengine waweza knwashinda wachawi, 
 na wale Avawezao knwashinda n\ wale waliojaliwa knsoma 
 Sana, wenye kuwaita masheitani ^ knsema nao. 
 
 ^ Sadaka, vide Krapf. Here the best translation is 'philtre.'' 
 ^ Vuo, made of the mixed leaves and roots of two ti'ees called 
 ' M pacha ' and ' Mwenyika ngim.' 
 
 3 The various meanings of the verb ku-ota are worth remembering. 
 
 (1) to spring out of the gromid (as here). 
 
 (2) to dream. 
 
 (3) to warm oneself at a fire ' yiiote motoni ' =Let me warm myself 
 at the fire. 
 
 (4) to roast meat (without fat) on a stick. 
 
 * Babu. (The ancestor ?) a name of one of the books of Black 
 Magic. Other books are Mjarabati and Shems-l-maarifa . Another 
 tells me Ba?^w = chapter (presumably from the Arabic). Orthodox 
 Muhammadans are forbidden to read these books. 
 
 ^ Both black and white magicians are condemned by the Muham- 
 madans but they do not scruple to make use of them. These 
 ' witches' Sabbaths ' are said to have been held until quite recent 
 times but are so no longer. 
 
150 ATDS TO TIIK STrOY OF KF-SWATriLl 
 
 FOUR CHAKxMS WHEREHY TO CAUSE EVIL TO AN 
 
 ENEAn 
 
 One charm is earth taken from tlie footprint of the man 
 who is to be bewitched. Now some, when they have 
 obtained this take some more of the earth and mingle it 
 with tlie roots of a certain tree. This tree is called ' Mviru.* 
 Having done this lie buries the mixture in a grave, where- 
 upon he utters his spells at the hour and time that seems 
 fit to him as he wills. Sometimes this is successful, but 
 if the man finds that he has not affected his victim he 
 collects his spittle or his hair and mixes these with a piece 
 of cloth from a shroud and water of burial ablutions. Tak- 
 ing this with him, he goes to where there is a big tree. Now 
 this tree is called the " Destroyer of Pity ' and blossoms with 
 red flowers ; there he utters his plaint, ' " Destroyer of 
 Pity,"' [ lay before you my plaint against Such an one — by 
 this hour and by the Planets of this hour, if it is the hour 
 of Kamari I lay my plaint before you ; if it is the hour of 
 Shemshi I lay my plaint before you — give judgement for 
 me against Such an one.' After saying this he strips him- 
 self naked and returns to his owii place. If the spell works, 
 one of two things will happen before ten or even five days — 
 the bewitched one will climb a tree and fall down, or he will 
 be lost and stay not in that to\ATi : or else he will l)e crushed 
 by the might of the Powers that be and be imprisoned or 
 executed. If neither of these sj)ells touch him he seeks for 
 a man who is his enemy's friend, and gives him a fee, and 
 says to him. ' There is something I want from you against 
 Such an one. And the friend asks him, ' What thing ? ' 
 And the wizard replies, ' It is a secret.' The friend will say, 
 ' Tell me what is this secret thing.' Then the bad one will 
 say, ' I want some grime from Such an one's body or else 
 one of his garments. Now if this friend is a true one he 
 will refuse, but if he is not he will say, ' This is an easy 
 matter; I am Such an one's friend and can certain]}^ obtain 
 it.' He then goes stealthily until he gets what is wanted, 
 whereupon he sends it to the other. And the bad one takes 
 it and mixes it with drugs. Sometimes he will go and place 
 the charm by a river where he knows Such an one is coming, 
 
MAnrO IN PEMHA 151 
 
 8IHIRI 
 
 Saliiii moja ni inchaiiga wa iinyayo wa mtii aliyetaka 
 rogwa. Akiisha pata huchukua mwengine, huchanganya 
 na mizizi' wa mti. Na mti huu huitwa ' Mviru.' Kisha 
 huzika ndani ya kabiiri ; kisha hiisema maneno yake 
 atakayo saa zake na siku zake. Kama alivyoniulia. 
 Pengine husibu Kama akiona hakumpata huchukua mate 
 ao nywele.. akachanganya na kitambaa kia sanda na maji 
 ya ufuo. Akiislia chukua Jiivyo huenda navyo penyi mti 
 mkubwa, na mti huo huitwa ' Mvunjn hunima,' hutenda 
 maua mekundu, hushitaki. ' Ewe Mvunja hunima naku 
 shitakia Fulani kwa saa hii na manazili ya saa hii, kama 
 ni Kamari ^ namshitakia, k?.ma ni Shemshi ^ namshitakia, 
 munihukumu na Fulani. Kisha kusema hivyo huwa tujui- 
 tupu. hurudi akenda zake. Twapo imesibu haitimizi siku 
 Ivunii wala tano mambo mawili, yule mwenyi kurogwa 
 hupanda mti akaanguka. ao hupotea asikae mji ule ao 
 husubiwa ni nguvu za ufalme kifungo ao kuuawa. Asipo- 
 mpata kwa sihiri hizo hutafuta mtu aliye rafikiye, akampa 
 ijara, akamwambia, ' Nataka kitu juu ya Fulani na yule 
 huuliza, ' Kitu gani ? ' Yule mchawi husema, ' Kitu hicho 
 ni siri.' Na yule humwambia, ' Nambia ni siri gani ? '" 
 Yule nibaya husema. ' K^vanza ni nongo - za Fulani ao 
 nguo yake.' Kama yule rafikiye ni mwema hukataa, kama 
 si mwema humwambia, ' Hilo neno dogo. mimi na Fulani 
 ni rafiki ^^angu, lazima ku})ata. Huenda k^^a hadaa hata 
 akapata. Akiisha pata humpelekea, na yule mbaya huchu- 
 kua, akatia na dawa pamoja, Pengine huenda kuweka 
 sihiri mtoni anapojua mto huu Fulani yuwaja, ao asii:)Oweka 
 hapo huweka njiani ai5ita2)0 : na njia hizo ni tatu ndipo 
 paikwapo sihiii. Ikiwa amepita yule mtu mwenyi kurogwa 
 pengine husibu ; ikimsiba upesi ni wazimu, kama haku- 
 
 ^ Shemshi and Kamari are names of stars : the latter ' conies 
 out at 12 midnight.' The former is not, as might be supposed from 
 the Arabic, ' the sun ' or the latter the ' moon.' 
 
 - nonijo : the dirt which comes oft" when a part of the body i.s 
 violently ruljbed w ith the hand ; an exact equivalent of the Malay 
 ' daki.'' 
 
ir>2 AIDS TO TIIK STl'DY OF KI-SWAHILI 
 
 or if not tlicic he will placo it on the road where ho ])asses : 
 at the meeting of three I'oads, that is where the eharm is 
 placed. If the man who is to be bewitched passes some- 
 times the sjx'll w ill act : if it does, lie will shortly become a 
 madman : but if he is not affected the wizard will saj% 
 ' There is nothing that can affect this man." But if his 
 hate for him is very great he will search out a Master and 
 pay him his due and tell him what he wants, and the 
 Master will say. ' What is it yon wish ? ' And the other 
 will tell hi(n his desire. But some of the Masters will not 
 kill a man they aie afraid of sin : lint this one, if he be 
 daring, will say, ' Bring a pigeon." Having got it he will 
 write a charm from the book of wisdom of White Magic, 
 and having written, he will tie it round the pigeon's neck 
 and the pigeon's name will be changed and it will l)e called 
 by the name of the man who is to be bewitched. 
 
 And he wills, '0 Such an one, I make my prayer before God 
 and this hour, and the planets of this month, the planets 
 of the beginning of the month, and the planets of the middle 
 of the month, and the planets of the end of the month : 
 before the planets of the beginning of the year, and those 
 of the middle of the year, and those of the end of the year ; 
 and before the planets of the beginning of day, and of the 
 middle of day and of the end of day.' After that the bird 
 is let fly. And if the spell works the victim ^Adll be utterly 
 lost and never return to his own again.' And this is true, 
 for such an act was done to me.^ 
 
M\i:ilC TN PEMBA in.T 
 
 patikana yule mchawi husenia, ' Mtu huyii liana litakalo- 
 mpata.' Ikiwa kanamchukia saiia hutafuta mwalimu, akatoa 
 haki, akamwambia maneno yake kama atakayo. Mwalimu 
 husema. ' Watakaje ? ' Na yule hiisema kaina apendavyo. 
 Walimu wengine hawawezi kuua nitu, huogopa zani))i yule, 
 kama ni jahili huwambia, ' Lete njiwa,' akiisha pata 
 huandika talasimu la katika chuo Ida ilimu ya uganga. 
 Akiisha andika humfunga njiwa katikati ya shingo. Na 
 yule njiwa hiigeuzwa, akaitwa jina la yule mtu arogwaye. 
 Akanuilia, ' Ewe Fulani naomba kwa Mngu na saa hizi 
 na nianazili ya mwezi huu, awali ya mwezi, na manazili ya 
 katikati ya mwezi, na manazili ya mwisho wa mwezi, na 
 manazili ya awali ya mwaka, na katikati ya mwaka, na 
 mwisho wa mwaka, na manazili ya aAvali ya siku,na katikati 
 ya siku, na mwisho wa siku.' Akiisha hurushwa. Iwapo 
 imesibu hupotea kabisa, harudi kwao kabisa. Na hayo ni 
 kweli mimi nimefanyizwa kama hayo. 
 
 1 My informant tells me that Sharif Hasan bin Said Aloi was 
 the son of Sharif Said Aloi bin Ahmad and his mother Mwanaislia 
 binti Said Ali Sharifu. His parents died and left him much property 
 in Pemba — 3,000 ' Mikiraju ' (clove-trees), to say nothing of many 
 cocomit trees. On the death of his parents his uncle Sharif Said 
 Ahmad bin Ali, who coveted the property, cast tliis spell upon him. 
 As a result he felt ' mad ' and wandered to the wharf, entered a 
 Jehazi (dhau) and Avent to Zanzibar and thence by steamer to Mom- 
 basa. After stajing at jMombasa tliree days he got into another 
 steamer without inquiring where it was going. ' \Vhen I came to 
 my senses,' he continued, ' I found my.self at Baghdad. Nor did 
 I write to my agent in Pemba for four months, when I told him where 
 I was. My relations came and fetched me. Even now I dare not 
 stay in Pemba or live on my property, but I occasionally get some 
 money sent.' 
 
 There is no doubt that sympathetic magic is a great power if 
 only it is believed in. My informant is not of a specially credulous 
 character as is shown b\' liis attitude towards the Spirit-dauce. 
 
ir>4 AIDS TO TIIK STl'DV OK KI-SWAIIIL' 
 
 CHARM TO OBTAIN A WISH FROM A RICH MAN. A 
 KINCJ, OR A WOMAN 
 
 Here is another (.luiriii. If you wisli to gain your desiie 
 from a rich man. a king, or a woman, there is a certain tree 
 wliich they call * Mviza ' or the ' guardian." Now this tree 
 grows in stony places or in deserted plantations. When the 
 sun shines all leaves wither up, but this tree does not wither 
 —-it is always green. A man will go and sprinkle on it salt 
 or rice. Then he mutters to it, ' O Guardian, who dost 
 mar the sini and the rain and the lion, and everything 
 Ihat liath might thou dost mar. Mayst thou mar Such 
 an one in all that I desire.' Then he takes some of the 
 leaves and places them in his mouth and goes his way. If 
 his mission be to l)orrow from a rich man he obtains his 
 wish, if he is going to a lawsuit he Mi us his case, if he goes 
 with the desire of marrying a wife he gets her even if the 
 woman l)e unwilling. And this I belie v^e because it was 
 done for me by a man who knows charms, so that T got 
 the wife whom I have with me now. And how was that ? 
 — Because when 1 wanted her there was another man who 
 had paid the dowry in order to marr}^ her. And Avhen I 
 saw her I A\anted her. But she answered me, ' I am not 
 marriageable, for there is another man.' But my friend, 
 who was skilled in charms, said, 'To-morrow you shall marry 
 her.' And I said, ' You do not speak truly, how can I 
 marry w'hen the woman is unwilling ? ' And he answere.i 
 me, 'Wait and to-morrow you will see.' So we slept. 
 And the next day he came bringing the leaves of this tree 
 and said, ' Put them in your mouth, and go to her house, 
 and say what you will.' So I tried. And it happened that 
 the w^oman had no answer for me but to consent. So I 
 married her. Then I asked my friend, ' Tell me of that 
 tree, what kind of a tree it is.' And he told me its name 
 l)ut did not show it to me. This charm I learned from 
 Afuhamadi bin Hamisi. 
 
MAOTC TN PRMBA l.^r, 
 
 8IHIRI YA KUPATA HAJA KWA TAJ]RI AG KWA 
 MFALME AG KWA MWANAMKE 
 
 Iko na sihii'i moja. Iwapo wataka haja kwa tajiil ao 
 kwa mfalme ao kwa mwanamke uko mti mmoja wenyewe 
 huita ' Mviza.' Na mti hno huota katika mawe ao katika 
 sliamba lisilolimwa tena ; jua likitoka majani yote hukauka, 
 Uikiiii huo liaukauki, kuUa sik\i hunawiri. Hiicnda mtii 
 liiichukna chiimvi ao mchele akaiimwagia, akiislia liunuilia, 
 ' Ewe Mviza iivizao jua na mvua na simha,^ na kulla mwenyi 
 nguvu wewe humviza. nami napenrla ninvize Fnlani kwa 
 kvilla nalotaka.' 
 
 Akiisha hayo huclnikiia majani yako akatia kanwani, 
 akenda ; kania yuwenda kwa tajiri kukopa, hiipata, kama 
 yiiM'enda katika danwa hushinda, kama enda taka mke 
 humwoa ; ijapokuwa mke hataki, hupata. Na hayo mimi 
 nilisadiki kwa kuwa nilifanyiziwa ni mtu ajuae sihiri hata 
 nikapata mke niliye naye sasa. Sababu nilipomtaka 
 kulikuwa na mtu mwingine, amekuisha toa ' muhari ' ili 
 kumwoa. Mimi nilipomwona nikamtaka. Akanijibu, 
 ' Siwezi kuolewa sababu yupo mume mwingine.' 'Nna 
 rafiki yangu mwenyi kujua sihiri, akanijibu, 'Kesho utam- 
 woa.' Nikamwambia, ' U mrongo ntaoaje, na mke hataki ? 
 Akanijibu, ' Ngoja kesho.' Tukalala. Asubuhi akaja na 
 mti huo akanambia, ' Tia mdomoni, wende hadi kwake, 
 useme upendayo.' Nikajaribu, ' Ikawa hakuwa na neno 
 la kunijibu mwanamke ela kurithia. Nikamwoa. Kisha 
 nikamwuHza rafiki yangu, ' Habari ya mti ule, ni mti 
 gani ? ' Akanambia jina lake lakini hakmiionesha. Sihiri 
 hio nimeona kwa Muhamadi bin Hamisi. 
 
 * Simba. It is said that if you burn the wood of tliis (rco no 
 savage beasts will come near. 
 
md AIDS TO TlIK STUDY OK KT-SWAHILT 
 
 CHAR:MS 'I'( ) ( AT'SE THE SE]*A1^AT10N OF HUSBAKD 
 AND WIFE 
 
 One must find the egg of a black lien, and on it nnist be 
 written a charm from the book of White Magic. And a 
 root from the tree called ' Buzzing Bee ' is mixed with it. 
 Now he witch-doctors change the name of this tree and 
 call it, ' The Bonder over all.' One must take these two 
 things together and bury them at the door of the house of 
 the twain — man and wife — who are to be bewitched, and 
 this must be done when day, ])lanets and hour are jDro- 
 pitious. If the spell acts the man will leave his wife uncon- 
 sciously. But if he fails to touch him with this charm he 
 must find the egg of a red hen, and it must be its first egg, 
 and find a certain tree called ' Msasa,' though the witch- 
 doctors call it by another name, and that name in the 
 magic is 'The Derider of women,' also another tree called 
 The ' Jinn scarer,' and he must obtain the spittle of the 
 man and woman who are to be be^vitched. When he has 
 obtained the spittle he gets sand from their footprints and 
 mixes them all together, and buries the charm in the middle 
 of the oj)en space before the door of their house, or he buries 
 it in the grave of any one soever. And when he buries it he 
 wills, ' Almighty one, I am burying the love of Such an one, 
 son of Such an one, tind the love of Such an one, daughter 
 of Such an one. And he further prays, ' Almighty one, I 
 cause their love to die even as he died who lies in this grave. 
 I pray that the love of Such an one, son of Such an one 
 and Such an one, daughter of Such an one, may die even 
 as both Adam and Eve did die to one another, and this I 
 pray in the blessed name of God, the Books of Moses, the 
 Gospels, the Psalms and the Furukani.' 
 
 After this he departs, and if the spell acts they leave one 
 another that very day ; they leave one another without 
 cause — as it were in sleep — unconsciously. And there is 
 another spell that can be put on a woman, if it is AA'anted 
 to take away her luck, or to prevent a man obtaining a 
 wife or a sweetheart all his days ; or, if a woman, to prevent 
 her having a husband or a lover. You take some of his 
 hair and the paring of the nails of both hands and feet, and 
 
MAGIC IN PEiVIBA 157 
 
 SIHIRI YA KUWACHISHA MKE NA MUMEWE 
 
 Hutafuta yaii la kukii mweusi, hu aiidikwa talasiniii la 
 katika chuo cha uganga. Na mizizi wa ' Mvuma nyuki 
 huchaiiganya pamoja, na mti huo waganga hugeuza jina 
 wakauita ' Mnamia kmnbweni." ^ Huchukua pamoja, ika- 
 zikwa mlangoui kwao watu wawili mke na mumewe walio- 
 taka rogwa kwa sikii na manazili yao na saa njema. Ikisibu 
 mume liiimwacha mke we bila kufahamii, ao kama haku- 
 mpata' kwa sihiri hio hutafuta yaii la kuku mwekundu, na 
 yaii hilo shoti la kwanza, akatafuta na mti mmoja huitwa 
 ' Msasa,""' lakini waganga liuita jina lingine, na jina lake la 
 uganga ' Mcheka wanawake,' na mti mmoja tena huitwa 
 ' Mwinga Jinni,' akatafuta mate ya mke na ya mume 
 warogwao. Akiisha patamate hupata na mchanga wa unyayo 
 huchanganya, akavizika katikati ya uwanja wa nyumba 
 yao, ao huzika katikati ya kaburi yo yote. Ukati akizika 
 hunuilia, ' Yarabi nazika mahaba ya Fulani bin Fulani 
 na Fulani binti Fulani, akaomba tena, ' Yarabi nafarikisha 
 mahaba alivyofariki mwenyi kaburi hii, naomba itafariki 
 mahaba ya Fulani bin Fulani na Fulani binti Fulani kama 
 alivyofarikiana Adamu na Hawa kwa baraka ya Mngu, na 
 baraka ya Taureti, na Injili na Zaburi na Furukani.' 
 
 Akiisha hayo huondoka. Iwapo imesibu huwachana 
 siku ile ile, wala hapawi na sababu ya kugomba, hawachana 
 tu bure kama walio usingizini bila fahaniu. 
 
 Iko na sihiri tena ya kufanyiwa mwanamke. Iwapo 
 atakaondolewa bahati ; ao mwanamume asipate mwanamke 
 wala mchumba umuri wake ; na ikiwa ni mwanamke 
 asijjate mume wala hawa. Huchukuliw^a nywele zake na 
 kucha zake mikononi na miguuni, na mate yake, na nongo 
 zake, na jina lake ^ na jina la mamayake na jina 
 
 1 Mnattiia kumhweni. A Mombasa Bwaliili tells me that tlxis 
 is a tree whose leaves follow the direction of the sun on its course — 
 a Idnd of sensitive plant apparently-. 
 
 ^ Msasa : a small tree on the coast from which the Swahili are 
 fond of making walking-sticks ' (bakora '). H. saj-s that he does 
 not linow of tliis tree being used for making walking-sticks, but 
 knows that its leaves are used as sand-paper to smooth the ' bakora,' 
 and has himself iised thejn for this piu'pose. 
 
 3 Note the familiar idea that the name is an essential part of the 
 person who owns it. 
 
ins AIDS '!'() TIIK STl'DV OK KI-SWAIIILI 
 
 his s|)itll(' and tlic dill fioni his skin, and ids name, and the 
 name of his niotlior and the name of his father : a day and 
 hour are chosen andachaiin is written from that book of 
 magic, the ' M jam hat i.' And after all these personal 
 belongings wliich have been obtained are mixed with the 
 charm and are taken to where there is a ' Blasted One.' 
 Now this blasted one is a tree — a very large tree — a tree of 
 many yeai-s — whose leaves are withered, and whose baik 
 has come off, and which is split in the middle and whose shell 
 only remains -this is the ' Blasted One.' 
 
 And after going with these to the foot of the blasted one 
 he wills, ' Blasted One,! lay my plaint against Such an 
 one. daughter of Such an one (if she be a woman). But if he 
 be a man that sorcerer who would enchant him says, ' Oh, 
 Blasted One, I lay my plaint against Such an one, son of Such 
 an one. God make his fate that he be solitary — that he be 
 not loved by woman great or small, just as thou, Blasted 
 One, hast been deserted by the winged birds who one time 
 perched among thy branches, and Such an one, daughter of 
 Such an one — let her path be crossed by no man whosoever, 
 great or small, let her path be not crossed by neighbour, 
 stranger or friend — just as thy luck has deserted thee, O 
 Blasted One — so may Such an one find no luck — in the 
 blessed name of this year and that which is to come.' 
 
 And as he wills this he wears no clothes. Then he buries 
 the charm and as before says, ' I bury the luck and happiness 
 of Such an one, son of Such an one, or Such an one, daughter 
 of Such an one.' If the spell acts she, if she be a woman, all 
 her days will get no husband or friend ; if he he a man he 
 will get no wife or sweetheart luitil the day of his death. 
 And this spell I know was" cast upon my cousin. Such 
 was her fate from youth to full age. When those whose 
 business it was recognized that this was the result of a 
 spell and it was counteracted by the witch-doctor so that 
 she got a husband — by then she was full of years. And the 
 name of the man who bewitched her was the Wiseman 
 Jafar, and the name of the woman was Mariam , daughter 
 of Said Ahmad Sharif u. 
 
MAGIC IN VK.M1^>.\ ir,'j 
 
 la babayake, ikatafutwa sikii yake ua saa yakc, ikaaiidikwa 
 talasimii la katika chiio olia ugaiiga ' Mjayabad.' Xa 
 hivyo vitu vyake vyote vilivj'^opatikana Jidani ya invvilj 
 wake hucliaiigaiiywa pamoja na talasimu, vikachukuliwa 
 hadi paiiapo ' kunge,' na liiyo ' kvnge ' ni mti ulio mkubvva 
 Sana, uliopata miaka mingi, ukakauka majani. iikatoka na 
 uiagozi, ukakatika katikati, iikabaki siki — basi — hno hnitwa 
 ' kunge.' 
 
 Akiisha kwenda navyo chini ya ' kunge ' hunuilia, ' Ewe 
 " kunge " namshitaki Fnlani binti Fiilani,' ikiwa ni mwa- 
 iianike. Iwapo na mwananuune luisema yule nichawi 
 arogaye. ' Ewe " kunge " namshitaki Fulani bin Fulani 
 Mngu n'amjalie Fulani awe peke yake asi])endwe ni mke 
 mkubwa na nidogo kama wewe '^kiinge " ulivyokataliwa ni 
 ndege wa mabawa walio wakitua ndani ya majani yako, na 
 Fulani binti Fulani asipitiwe ni mume mkubwa wala mdogo 
 yo 3^ote, asipitiwe ni jirani wala mgeni wala rafiki, Fulani 
 iondoke bahati yake kama ilivyoondoka bahati yako wewe 
 '■ kunge" na Fulani akoslie kabisa bahati, kwa baraka ya 
 mwaka huu na ujao.' Na ukati akinuilia huwa tupu-tupu. 
 Akiisha hayo huzika, husema vile vile, ' Nazika bahati na 
 suudi ya Fulani bin Fulani ao Fulani binti Fulani.' Iwapo 
 imesibu umuri wake, kama ni mke hapati mume wala 
 rafiki, kama ni mume hapati mke wala mchumba hadi 
 kufa kwake. Na hayo nimeona alifanyiwa mtoto wa baba 
 yangu mdogo. Alifanyiwa kama hayo tangu kijana hat a 
 akawa mzee. Walipojua wenyewe ^ ni sihiri akagangwa, 
 akapata mume amekuwa mtu mzima na jina lake aliyenuoga 
 aitwa ' Mwalimu Jafari,' na jina la nnvanamke Mariamu 
 binti 8aidi Ahmad Sharif u. 
 
 ^ Wenyewe ; lit. " theiiiselves.' It is cliCtiuiilt to translate this 
 useful word. It means here and frequently elsewhere, ' Those 
 whoso basiness it was ' or ' relations.' 
 
 Printed in England by Butler & Tanner, Sclwood Printinj Works, Frome, Somerset 
 
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY 
 BERKELEY 
 
 Return to desk from which borrowed. 
 This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. 
 
 22.VIar'59CBf 
 REC'D LD 
 MAR 22 1959 
 
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 «0V12 1983 
 
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 AOIJO DISC NOV 14 1989 
 MAR 3 1969 g 7 
 
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