les chemins

Translated to English by Todd Fredson

The Corn and the Tchonran Sauce

Translated from the French by Kazim Ali

Author note: The poem presented here is from Emmanuel Toh Bi Tié’s recent collection, Parulies rebelles (Éditions L’Harmattan, 2007; As boils in the mouth, so rebels in our towns), in which he addresses the burden of rebel forces settling into towns during the First Ivorian Civil War (2002–2007).

Imperial Ennui

Even Sisyphus tires of it

Translated from the French by Todd Fredson

Author note: A fragment of the long poem Zakwato is published here. In the poem, Zakwato is trusted to be on watch for his village but falls asleep. He wakes to find his village decimated. Bereft, Zakwato travels toward a distant smith to have his eyelids removed. Like this, he will be forever vigilant of foreign invaders. 

from Zakwato

Translated from the French by Marco Wilkinson

“To anyone and everyone”

Translated from the French by Devon Hase

from Half-way