Tag: english

CMA

~ David Achodo ~ Leave a comment
I’m Nobody

I’m Nobody

English
1I’m Nobody! Who Are You?
I’m nobody! Who are you?
Are you nobody, too?
Then there’s a pair of us — don’t tell!
They’d banish — you know!
How dreary to be somebody!
How public like a frog
To tell one’s name the livelong day
To an admiring bog!
Fon
Un nyi Mɛɖebǔ ă! Mɛ̌wɛ a ka nyí?
Un nyi Mɛɖebǔ ă! Mɛ̌wɛ a ka nyí?
Hwi lɔmɔ̌ nyí mɛɖé ǎ wɛ à ?
Lóɔ‚ mi mɛ we wɛ-ma ɖɔ nú mɛɖé o!
Ye na nya mǐ-a tuun!
Kpɔ́n lee é nɔ vɛ́ mɛ sɔ ɖɔ è ni nyí mɛɖé é!
Lee é nɔ cí ɖò agbawungba ɖi aglobesé ɖɔhun gbɔn é
Bo na dó vɔ ɖɔ nyikɔ mɛtɔn ɖò azǎn ɔ bǐ jí
Ðò tɔ̀ e nɔ kpa susu nú mɛ é ɖé mɛ!
French
Je ne suis personne! Et toi?
Je ne suis personne ! Et toi?
N’es-tu personne, toi aussi?
Alors, nous sommes deux — ne le dites à personne!
On nous chasserait — tu le sais bien!
Comme c’est morne d’être quelqu’un!
Comme c’est public — tel un crapaud —
De répéter son nom tout le long du jour
À un marais admiratif!
Yoruba
Emi ki se enikan! Tani Iwọ?
Emi ki se enikan! Iwo nko?
Se iwọ naa ki se enikan bii?
Nigbanaa awa mejeeji jẹ bakanna—
ma so fun enikeni!
Won yoo le wa jade—iwo mo bi!
Bawo ni o se dun lati je enikan!
Bawo ni o se han gbangba bi
ọpọlọ to nsokunrin!
Lati maa so oruko eni fun ojo gbogbo
Si adagun to nife!
Notes
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Date: 2026-04-09

CMA

~ David Achodo ~ Leave a comment
A Book

A Book

English
1A Book
There is no frigate like a book
To take us lands away,
Nor any coursers like a page
Of prancing poetry.
This traverse may the poorest take
Without oppress of toll;
How frugal is the chariot
That bears a human sou!
Fon
Wema
Tɔjihun ɖaxó ɖebu ɖè wema ɖɔhun
Bo na sìxú zé mǐ yí tò linlín lɛ mɛ ǎ.
Sɔ́ wezun nɔ ɖebǔ ka ɖè ɖì
Wexwɛ xógbelómilomí ɖɔhun ǎ.
Tomɛyiyi enɛ ɔ, wamamɔnɔ lɛ sixu yì
Takwɛ mɛvò ǎ;
Kɛkɛví énɛ é nɔ hɛn
lindɔ̌n gbɛtɔ́ tɔn ka xɔ akwɛ taun mɛ.
French
Un livre
Il n’est point de frégate comme un livre
Pour nous porter loin des terres,
Ni de coursiers pareils à une page
De poésie bondissante.
Ce voyage, le plus pauvre peut l’entreprendre
Sans subir nul tribut ;
Qu’économe est le char
Qui porte une âme humaine!
Yoruba
“Iwe
Ko si ọkọ ogun oju omi bi iwe
Ti o mu wa lọ si ilẹ ti o jina,
Tabi awọn ẹṣin-kẹkẹ bi oju iwe kan
Ti ewì ti n jo lọ.
Irinajo yi eniyan to talaka ni le gba
Lai san owo tabi owo ori kankan;
Bawo ni kẹkẹ gbigbe naa ṣe rọrùn to
Ti o gbe ẹmi eniyan!
Notes
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Date: 2026-04-09

CMA

~ David Achodo ~ Leave a comment
Nature

Nature

English
1‘Nature’ is what we see—
The Hill—the Afternoon—
Squirrel—Eclipse—the Bumble bee—
Nay—Nature is Heaven—
Nature is what we hear—
The Bobolink—the Sea—
Thunder—the Cricket—
Nay—Nature is Harmony—
Nature is what we know—
Yet have no art to say—
So impotent Our Wisdom is
To her Simplicity.
Fon
‘Nǔɖiɖó’ wɛ nyí nǔ e mǐ nɔ mɔ é—
Só ɔ—Hwemɛ ɔ—
ɖɔn—nùdìdá hwe ɖɔ hun lɛ—wǐn—
Eo—Nǔɖiɖó ɔ wɛ nyí Jinukúnsin—
Nǔ e mǐ nɔ sè é wɛ nyí jɔwamɔ—
Xɛ e nyí Bobolink ɔ—Xù ɔ—
Xɛvioso—Klikɛti ɔ—
Eǒ —Nǔɖiɖó lɛ wɛ nyí Bǔninɔ—
Nǔ e mǐ tuùn é wɛ nyí jɔwamɔ—
É ɖo mɔ̌ có, mi ɖó nǔnywɛ́ ɖěbǔ bó ná ɖɔ ǎ—
Nǔnywɛ Mǐtɔn ka ɖó hlɔnhlɔn sɔ
Nǔ bɔkun tɔn ǎ.
French
« La “Nature”, c’est ce que nous voyons
La Colline — l’Après-midi —
Écureuil — Éclipse — le Bourdon —
Non — la Nature, c’est le Ciel —
La Nature, c’est ce que nous entendons —
Le Goglu — la Mer —
Tonnerre — le Grillon —
Non — la Nature, c’est l’Harmonie —
La Nature, c’est ce que nous savons —
Et dont nous n’avons nul art de parler —
Tant est impuissante Notre Sagesse
Devant sa Simplicité.
Yoruba
“Iṣẹda” ni ohun ti a ri—
Oke—Osan—
Okere—apakan oṣupa—Idin oloro—
Rara— Iṣẹda ni Orun—
Iṣẹda ni ohun ti a gbọ—
Ẹyẹ ti njẹ Bobolink—Okun—
Ara—Irẹ—
Rara— Iṣẹda ni Ibaramu—
Iṣẹda ni ohun ti a mo—
Sibẹ a ni ko si ona lati so—
Bẹẹni ọgbon wa wa alailagbara ni
Si ayedẹrọ rẹ.
Notes
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Date: 2026-04-09

CMA

~ David Achodo ~ Leave a comment
Poems

Hope

English
1‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers—
That perches in the soul—
And sings the tune without the words—
And never stops—at all—
And sweetest—in the Gale—is heard—
And sore must be the storm—
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm—
I’ve heard it in the chillest land—
And on the strangest Sea—
Yet, never, in Extremity,
It asked a crumb—of Me.
Fon
‘Nukúnɖiɖo’ wɛ nyí nǔ e ɖó fún é—
Nǔ énɛ́ ɔ́, é nɔ́ nɔ lindɔ̌n mɛ—
Bo nɔ ji han ɔ xógbe lɛ mɛvo—
Bɔ é nɔ ɖó te gbeɖé ǎ —ɖò gbeɖé ǎ—
Bɔ nǔ e vivi hú bǐ é—ɖò Gale mɛ—è nɔ sè—
Bɔ jɔhɔn ɖaxó ɖó ná vɛ́ jlɛ́—
E ná sixu dó wlú Xɛví kpɛví é.
E é nɔ hɛn mɛ gègě hùn zo é—
Un ko sé e ɖo to e mɛ fífá ɖe hú bǐ é mɛ—
Bɔ ɖò Xù e jiwǔ hú bǐ é jí ɔ—
É ɖò mɔ̌ có, ɖò tagba mɛ ɔ,
É byɔ nǔ kpɛví ɖé gbeɖé—ɖò nyɛ sí ǎ.
French
« L’Espoir » est la chose aux plumes —
Il demeure dans l’esprit
Et chante l’air sans les paroles—
Et ne s’arrête jamais—du tout—
Et c’est dans la bourrasque qu’il se fait le plus doux —
Et bien rude doit être la tempête—
Qui pourrait troubler le petit Oiseau
Qui réchauffa tant d’êtres —
Je l’ai entendu dans le pays le plus glacé —
Et sur la mer la plus étrange —
Pourtant, jamais, dans l’Extrémité,
Il ne demanda une miette — de Moi. —
Yoruba
‘Ireti’ ni nkan ti o ni irun-iyẹ,
Ti o joko ninu ẹmi,
Ti o nkorin lai pẹlu awọn ọrọ,
Ti ko dakẹ rara.
Atipe gbo ohun rẹ dun ju ninu iji lile,
Atipe iji gbo naa ni yoo nilo,
Lati mu iyalẹnu fun ẹyẹ kekere naa,
Ti o mu ọpọlọpọ lọ wọọrọ.
Mo ti gbo o ni ilẹ tutu julo,
Ati lori okun ti o ṣajeji julo,
Sibẹ, lailai, paapaa ninu iponju,
Ko beere eerun kan lọwọ mi.
Notes
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Date: 2026-04-09

Introduction on Cultural Mediation: Challenges of Stylistic Translation in the Francophone African Novel

~ David Achodo ~ Leave a comment

In the current study, I propose an analysis of style in literary translation, a branch of translation that involves aesthetic texts like novels. I take the author’s style to be a defining component of such texts. The author reveals values, identities, emotions, personalities, feelings, and ideas inherent in his or her cultural background and expresses them in specific, unique ways.

Continue reading “Introduction on Cultural Mediation: Challenges of Stylistic Translation in the Francophone African Novel” →