Africa by David Diop — Analysis & Translation

Original Poem

Africa Africa my Africa Africa of proud warriors in ancestral savannahs Africa of whom my grandmother sings On the banks of the distant river I have never known you But your blood flows in my veins Your beautiful black blood that irrigates the fields The blood of your sweat The sweat of your work The work of your slavery Africa, tell me Africa Is this your back that is unbent This back that never breaks under the weight of humilation This back trembling with red scars And saying no to the whip under the midday sun But a grave voice answers me Impetuous child that tree, young and strong That tree over there Splendidly alone amidst white and faded flowers That is your Africa springing up anew springing up patiently, obstinately Whose fruit bit by bit acquires The bitter taste of liberty.

Translation (English)

Africa Africa, my Africa Africa of brave fighters in ancient grasslands Africa that my grandmother sings about By the faraway river I have never known you But your blood is in my veins Your beautiful black blood that waters the fields The blood from your sweat The sweat from your labor The labor from your slavery Africa, tell me, Africa Is this your back that is unbent This back that never breaks under shame This back shaking with red scars And saying no to the whip under the midday sun But a serious voice answers me Rash child, that tree, young and strong That tree over there Standing alone among white and faded flowers That is your Africa growing again Growing patiently, stubbornly Whose fruit slowly gains The bitter taste of freedom.

About the Poet

David Diop (20th century)

David Mandessi Diop (9 July 1927 – 29 August 1960) was a French West African poet known for his contribution to the Négritude literary movement. His work reflects his anti-colonial stance.

Historical Context

Literary Form: Lyrical poem
When Written: Mid-20th century
Background: The poem reflects the Négritude movement's themes, emphasizing African pride and identity in response to colonialism and the African diaspora's disconnection from their roots.

Sources: https://folukeafrica.com/africa-my-africa-by-david-diop/, https://literarydevices.net/africa-my-africa/

Detailed Explanation

David Diop's poem 'Africa' is a powerful reflection on African identity and heritage. The poem begins with a personal and emotional address to Africa, acknowledging the poet's ancestral connection despite never having visited the continent. Diop uses vivid imagery to describe Africa's history, marked by the proud warriors and the painful legacy of slavery. The poem questions whether Africa's spirit remains unbroken despite its scars from colonial oppression. The imagery of the 'back that never breaks' symbolizes resilience and strength. The poem concludes with a hopeful metaphor of a tree growing amidst faded flowers, representing Africa's renewal and the gradual attainment of freedom. Diop's work is deeply rooted in the Négritude movement, emphasizing pride in African culture and identity while critiquing the colonial past.

Themes

Literary Devices

Word Dictionary

Word	Meaning	Translation	Transliteration
savannahs	grasslands	large open plains with grass and few trees	suh-van-uhz
irrigates	waters	supplies water to	ir-i-geyts
humilation	shame	feeling of being ashamed or embarrassed	hyoo-mil-ee-ey-shuhn
obstinately	stubbornly	refusing to change behavior or ideas	ob-stuh-nit-lee
impetuous	rash	acting quickly without thought	im-pech-oo-uhs
splendidly	magnificently	in a grand or impressive manner	splen-did-lee
liberty	freedom	state of being free	lib-er-tee
trembling	shaking	shivering or quivering	trem-bling
veins	blood vessels	tubes carrying blood in the body	vayns
ancestral	related to ancestors	pertaining to family from previous generations	an-ses-truhl