Ivory Coast poetry

Les chemins

An introduction to contemporary Ivorian poetry

Photo by Todd Fredson.

So, which Côte d’Ivoire? Yet, even that designation is not so stable — leftist nationalists of the recent wars often proclaim, not Côte d’Ivoire, but the state of Éburnie; Éburnie is proposed as a change to the country name, a change that would help move the country further from the status of residual French colony or international resource extraction zone. And as the country split during the civil wars, rebels in the north referred to a Republic of the North. So, who is an Ivorian poet?

NO MORE WATER, PARIS

The universe, which is … other people, has evolved no terms for your existence, has made no room for you. James Baldwin, “The Fire Next Time”

A Time That Thinks

Translated from the French by Todd Fredson

A Time That Thinks

from 'The Song of Babo Naki'

Translated from the French by Janis A. Mayes

from The Song of Babo Naki



XXX.

The Footbridge

Translated from the French by Zack Anderson

The Footbridge

Memories

Translated from the French by Virginia Konchan

Memories

Wild Words Wildfire

Translated from the French by Kazim Ali

Wild Words Wildfire

The Corn and the Tchonran Sauce

Translated to English by Todd Fredson

The Corn and the Tchonran Sauce

Imperial Ennui

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

from 'Zakwato'

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

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