Sayings from the Machame Language = Methali Za Lugha Ya Kimachame 1511855339, 9781511855334

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SAYINGS FROM THE MACHAME LANGUAGE

METHALI ZA LUGHA YA KIMACHAME

2015

Sayings from the Machame Language

Sayings from the Machame Language Methali za Lugha ya Kimachame FLORA M. POPENOE

Copyright © 2014 Flora M. Popenoe All rights reserved. ISBN: 1511855339 ISBN-13: 978-1511855334

Introduction

Utangulizi

Upon the southwestern foothills

Kusini Magharibi chini ya mlima

of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania,

Kilimanjaro uliopo nchini Tanzania,

the area known as Machame is the home to the Machame language and people. Proverbs were commonly used by ethnic Machame as an educational tool both before and immediately after the introduction of western education. Today they have faded from common use. The oral tradition in place for many centuries no longer passes down these culturally rich sayings; thus, it is apparent that before long the wealth of folk knowledge would vanish.

kuna sehemu inayojulikana kwa karne nyingi kama Machame, ambako wanaishi Wamachame, wanaoongea lugha ya Kimachame. Kabla ya kuingia kwa elimu ya kisasa na muda mfupi uliofuata baadaye, methali zilikuwa

Since knowledge of the Machame language is waning, I felt obliged to make it possible for a wide array of audiences to benefit from these sayings. I have compiled proverbs in three of the languages which I speak fluently (Kimachame, Swahili, and English), and I hope that you will be able to read and understand them in one or two of the languages provided.

Kufifia kwa maarifa ya lugha ya Kimachame kumenilazimisha niandike hizi methali kwa njia ambayo itawafaidi watu wengi. Nimezikusanya na kuziandika methali katika lugha tatu tofauti ambazo naziongea kwa ufasaha

I took up writing this book mainly because I love history and did not want to see the traditional

Sababu kubwa iliyonifanya niandike hiki kitabu ni kwamba ninafurahia na kuijali historia na sikupenda kuona maarifa na

zinatumiwa na Wamachame kama njia

mojawapo ya kufundishia. Siku ya leo hazitumiki sana katika maisha ya kila siku. Kwa vile mila na desturi zilizokuwepo Machame kwa karne nyingi haziendelei kusimuliwa, inaonekana wazi kuwa haitachukua muda mrefu kabla maarifa ya sanaa hizi za jadi kusahaulika kabisa.

(Kimachame, Kiswahili, na Kiingereza),

na ninaamini kuwa utaweza kuzisoma na kuzielewa kwa lugha moja au nyingine, kati ya hizo zilizotumika.

knowledge and wisdom held amongst the Machame people disappear from this earth. Most of the proverbs in this work came to me as I sat down with people in Machame and listened to them in casual conversation. Others I just remember hearing as I was growing up in Machame, and I can still recite them to this day.

maadili yaliyokuwepo baina ya Wamachame yakitoweka duniani. Nyingi ya methali zilizoko kwenye hiki kitabu zimenijia wakati nikiwa kwenye mazungumzo na watu wa Wamachame. Nyingine ni kumbukumbu tu za methali nilizosikia wakati wa utotoni nilipokuwa Machame.

Even though I have given my best to compile this collection, I am convinced that there is much more to be learned and written about the proverbs and the way of teaching of the Machame people. There is no way I could collect and write down ail the aphorisms,

Ingawaje nimejitahidi kadiri ya uwezo wangu kuziweka hizi methali pamoja, bado ninaamini kuwa kuna mengi ya kujifunza na kuandikwa kuhusu methali na namna ya Wamachame ya kufundisha. Haiwezekani kabisa kwangu mimi kuandika misemo, hadithi na vitendawili vyote kutoka Machame

stories, and riddles from

Machame unless I visited each and every one of the villages and its people. Therefore, I urge you to consider this as just the starting point; let us keep the wheel spinning so that traditions and wisdom which existed among the Machame people continue to thrive. It is wise to capture these traditions on paper soon. If we don’t act we will regret seeing that we have lost a big piece of the

kimoja kilichoko Machame na watu wake. Kwa sababu hiyo, ninakusisitiza kuwa uone kuandika kwangu kama kianzio tu na wote kwa pamoja tuendelee kuifanya hii kazi ili mila na maadili yaliyokuwepo kati ya watu wa Machame yaendelee kuwa na ufanisi. Itakuwa busara kuhifadhi mafundisho haya kwenye karatasi leo na tusingoje mpaka kesho. Kama tukisubiri tutakuja kujuta kuona kuwa tumepoteza sehemu

culture, customs, and traditions

uliotufanya sisi tuwe kama tulivyo leo.

with which we were molded.

kubwa ya mila, desturi na utamaduni

Acknowledgements

Shukurani

My greatest acknowledgement goes to the many elders I spoke

Shukurani zangu za dhati nazitoa kwa wazee wengi nilioongea nao kule

with in Machame, Tanzania.

Machame, Tanzania.

Since proverbs are not used as a

ya Kimachame haitumiki tena kama chombo cha kufundishia, haikuwa rahisi kwangu kumwuuliza mtu aniambie methali wakati wowote isipokuwa kwa bahati tu methali moja au mbili zijitokeze zenyewe kwenye mazungumzo. Kwangu binafsi kupata nafasi ya kuwa miongoni mwa wazee ilikuwa ni sawa na kuwa kwenye darasa la kisasa.

teaching tool anymore, it was hard to ask someone to come up with one—but sometimes the saying just wandered into the conversation. For me, being among the elders was almost like being in a classroom.

Kwa vile misemo

I owe my parents and my grandparents from both sides an unforgettable gratitude for allowing me to become the person Iam. When Iwas growing up in Machame I learned some proverbs by visiting my grandparents. I still remember those proverbs today and IJwas able to use them in this book.

Imenipasa kuwashukuru wazazi wangu, bibi na babu zangu wa pande zote mbili kwa kunifanikisha niwe mtu niliye siku ya leo. Nilipokuwa nakulia Machame nilifanikiwa kujifunza baadhi ya methali za Kimachame wakati nikiwatembelea bibi na babu zangu. Hizo methali bado nazikumbuka mpaka siku ya leo na nimeweza kuzitumia katika hiki kitabu.

My husband Darwin was helpful in editing this book and designing the cover. My children, Subira and Anthony, helped in proofreading the English part. I am truly grateful for the family I have.

Mume wangu Darwin alikuwa ni msaada mkubwa katika kuhariri na kusanifu jalada la hiki kitabu. Watoto wangu, Subira na Anthony nao walisoma na kusahihisha sehemu ya Kiingereza. Kusema kweli nina bahati kuwa nafamilia kama yangu.

I would also like to thank all the people of Machame who have crossed my path, because I have learned from them in one way or another. These people really helped compile these proverbs. Dr. Sonja Darlington’s love for literature was instrumental in reviewing this booklet.

Pia ningependa kuwashukuru watu wote wa Machame ambao wamenisaidia na kunifundisha kwa njia moja au nyingine. Kwa kweli hao watu wamehusika sana kuweka pamoja hii misemo. Sitapenda kumsahau Dr. Sonja Darlington ambaye upendo wake wa fasihi umekuwa muhimu katika kupitia na kukifanyia marekebisho hiki kitabu.

I thank all my siblings who took some time even as we took care of my ailing older brother. So often we were able to share, among ourselves, some proverbs which came to us at the spur of the moment, as a way of dealing with our brother’s illness. Working on these proverbs really did help us forget for a minute about what was to become of my brother’s short life.

Nawashukuru ndugu zangu wote waliochukua muda wakati tukimwuuguza kaka yetu mkubwa. Bila kukusudia kwa pamoja tuliweza kushirikishana misemo mingi ikiwa ni njia mojawapo ya kupambana na

maradhi yaliyomkumba. Tulipokuwa tunatoleana methali ilitusaidia kusahau kwa muda mfupi kuhusu yaliyokuwa yatokee, kutokana na maisha mafupi aliyoishi kaka yetu.

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