Africa my Africa by David Diop — Analysis & Translation

Original Poem

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, my Africa Africa of brave fighters in ancient grasslands Africa that my grandmother sings about By the faraway river I have never met you But your blood runs in my veins Your beautiful black blood that waters the land The blood from your sweat The sweat from your labor The labor from your enslavement Africa, tell me, Africa Is this your back that is unbending This back that never breaks under shame This back shaking with red scars And refusing the whip under the midday sun But a serious voice replies to me Reckless child, that tree, young and strong That tree over there Magnificently alone among white and faded flowers That is your Africa rising anew rising patiently, stubbornly Whose fruit gradually gains The bitter taste of freedom.

About the Poet

David Diop (20th century)

David Mandessi Diop 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: Free verse
When Written: Mid-20th century
Background: The poem reflects Diop's connection to Africa and his anti-colonial stance, emphasizing the struggle and resilience of African people under colonial rule.

Sources: https://folukeafrica.com/africa-my-africa-by-david-diop/, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Diop

Detailed Explanation

David Diop's poem 'Africa my Africa' is a powerful reflection on the poet's connection to Africa, despite never having been there. It begins with a nostalgic invocation of Africa, described through the lens of ancestral pride and the songs of his grandmother. The poem acknowledges the historical suffering and resilience of African people, symbolized by the 'beautiful black blood' that nourishes the land, and the 'sweat' and 'work' that speak to the legacy of slavery. Diop questions Africa's strength and resilience, personified as an unbending back that withstands humiliation and refuses to succumb to oppression. The poem concludes with a hopeful image of Africa as a young and strong tree, symbolizing renewal and the gradual achievement of freedom, despite the bitter struggle. The poem is a testament to the enduring spirit and identity of Africa, emphasizing themes of heritage, resistance, and liberation.

Themes

Literary Devices

Word Dictionary

Word	Meaning	Translation	Transliteration
savannahs	grasslands	large open plains with grass and few trees	suh-van-uhs
ancestral	related to ancestors	pertaining to family members from the past	an-ses-truhl
irrigates	waters	supplies water to land for growing crops	ir-i-geyts
humilation	shame	feeling ashamed or disgraced	hyoo-mil-ee-ey-shuhn
impetuous	reckless	acting quickly without thought or care	im-pech-oo-uhs
obstinately	stubbornly	refusing to change one's opinion or course of action	ob-stuh-nit-lee
liberty	freedom	the state of being free within society	lib-er-tee
splendidly	magnificently	in a way that is impressive or beautiful	splen-did-lee
trembling	shaking	shaking involuntarily, typically as a result of anxiety or excitement	trem-bling