The Philosophies of Ayi Kwei Armah

[Simba Nerevu]

The school system offered Africans an invitation into the European universe. So our teachers tried to equip us to discuss snow and European flowers and cities as if we lived among them, while remaining silent about the traditions we had left behind at home. The European invitation was, in essence a welcome into psychic and mental alienation, a deliberate, and often charitable, enticement into an officially supported form of lunacy.

Ayi Kwei Armah
The Eloquence of the Scribes

http://www.armahbooks.com

[Olùkọ́ Ọbádélé]

"We too have not been immune to calls of the flesh, calls to tired minds to give up thoughts of creation when all around has become a praise song to destruction. Against the testing hardness of life on paths to the way strong and sweet indeed to the blinded mind are the calls of despair, and often has our contemplation of this present world and its arrangements lent heavy weight to such despair. Always, the counter to that despair has been in deeper contemplation of the universe, in contemplation bearing action. Let despair run its course; there is no need to cut it short. The present chances that frigthen, let contemplation of these same chances be definite, clear, sustained and deep. That is what removes the fear. For the knowledge of all the chances piled against us fighting against death is also sure knowledge that if fear turned us from fighting the chances would not decrease just for that. They would increase. That other call, the raw fear of death? That too is strong, overpowering almost, at times. Again the exit from fear is to let the mind enjoy its freedom to thrust deep, contemplating that most frightening eventuality known to the cut-off self: death. For the mind untrammeled reaches this knowledge: that in these surroundings usurped by destruction the distinction is not between those dying and those not dying in our physical selves, but in the quality of the deaths we choose. There are those whose physical death is at the same time the triumph of destruction's road. There are those whose physical death is a necessary preparation for a profounder life, life of our people, life of our way, the way."

Armah

[Olùkọ́ Ọbádélé]

"We do not utter the praise of arms. The praise of arms is the praise of things, and what shall we call the soul crawling so low, soul so hollow it finds fulfilment in the praising of mere things? It is not things we praise in our utterance, not arms we praise but the living relationship itself of those united in the use of all things against the white sway of death, for creation's life. That is the beauty of the seers vision, that alone is music to the hearers ear. That is the sole utterance of utterers conscious of our way, the way. Whatever thing, whatever relationship, whatever consciousness takes us along paths closer to our way, whatever goes against the white destroyers empire, that thing only is beautiful, that relationship only is truthful, that consciousness alone has satisfaction for the still living mind."

Armah

[Olùkọ́ Ọbádélé]

"The white destroyers: what a scene of carnage, what utter desolation they have already left stretching over this land! What a destruction of bodies, what a death of spirit! But the reign of the destroyers cannot reach beyond these two thousand seasons. The predators from the desert, they who found so much to do among us turning living bodies to carrion, what are they now? A bizarre sort of egrets feast impudent on their very eyeballs in other deserts they once called their own. Thirty hundred seasons consumed in the lazy oppression of other people have killed their minds. All they can be now is willing instruments of worse predators than themselves, of destroyers even greedier. And the white destroyers from the sea, the worst there are, what of them? Their reign is surely bound within the two thousand seasons of our oppression. For their greed is preparing deep graves for them; it will raise against them the torrential wrath of all things in the universe, all bodies, all souls still with the seed of life unkilled in them. Were they not on their way to spread death elsewhere when their gluttony brought them here? Their greed is far flung, far beyond our land. Other lands have burned in their insatiate avarice, other peoples have died in the whiteness of their greed. In those other places surely other survivors have awakened from the whiteness of the trance of death. Others devoted to life will surely find that between the creation of life and the destruction of the destroyers there is no difference but a necessary, indispensable connection; that nothing good can be created that does not of its very nature push forward the destruction of the destroyers. And in that urge to live, in that fight against destruction's ashen blight each people of the way will find every other people of the way.

Dangers there will be in the newness of this discovery, dangers like the headiness of too quick, abundant faith from those too long sold to despair, the pull of old habits from destruction's empire; the sour possibility of people helping each other turning in times of difficulty into people using each other to create a selfish ease. Real dangers, but nothing beside the present danger of despair in the face of the illusion, massive, stone-like, of the permanence of this white destruction."

Armah

[Olùkọ́ Ọbádélé]

"And yet it happens that the beginnings of creation are hard to tell apart from mere destruction. This too should not escape our rememberance: the way is not an old road ready for consumers to travel on; the way is a call to creation. Easy it is to fall into the trap of loneliness if we forget that our people are not just of the present, not just the walking multitudes of murdered souls and zombis around us, but many, many more gone and many many more to come. Because it is useless to locate hope in the already destroyed; it is a method of the lazy hypocritical soul, courting despair so as to spare itself the necessity of action. As reasonable it would be to visit cemeteries, there to wait upon the dead to rise to our conversation. Yes, there are many whose semblance of life is all trapped within the present death. But what are we if their numbers alone, should depress us into immobility? What are we if we see nothing beyond the present, hear nothing from the ages of our flowing, and in all our existence can utter no necessary preparation for the future?

Certain it is decay runs exulting through our people, certain we have fallen into a grotesque dance of death, the dance of whites and kings and princes and other worms and parasites. But shall we call Idawa foolish urging us to remember even mortal bodies can destroy the lice infesting them? That our people will live, and will necessarily destroy the white destroyers infesting us together with their helpers and parasites?"

Armah

[Olùkọ́ Ọbádélé]

Translation of Ayi Kwei Armah's Two Thousand Seasons into Akan (Twi)
Translation of Ayi Kwei Armah's Two Thousand Seasons into Akan (Twi)
Nnianim (Prologue)
Mmasuo a [ch949]rek[ch596] anweatam h[ch596], koransan a worek[ch596] yi de[ch949] owunyane biara nni h[ch596]. Anweatam no di fadie. Anhweatam nnim adiama. W’ayamyesuo a [ch949]sen h[ch596] de[ch949], [ch949]ny[ch949] anweatam [ch596]brasu mu s[ch949] [ch949]tumi san ma wo biribi gye ad[ch596]kum mu ades[ch949]e. Asuwa mu nsuo a [ch949]resen k[ch596] anweatam h[ch596] no, ogyam’, nt[ch596]rease[ch949] da w’anim.
Ao! Nnipa a [ch949]rek[ch596] owia at[ch596]e[ch949] h[ch596], saa kwan so na owus[ch596]re ho anidaso[ch596] biara asa na [ch949]ntumi mma da. [ch400]h[ch596] na owusomfo[ch596] hwim nkwa, hwere koraa na yiyi nkwa firi ahihi ne ahaha nyinaa. Afei na s[ch949][ch949]fo[ch596] tu k[ch596] baabi fofor[ch596] hwehw[ch949] ahye[ch949] fofor[ch596] bi da biara daa. Baabiara a nkwa nkae bi da h[ch596] a w[ch596]annya nnw[ch949]re no a, dwuma bi da h[ch596] ma w[ch596]n. Biribiara a anka [ch949]rek[ch596] owia at[ch596]e[ch949] h[ch596] de[ch949], owusini nsonso retw[ch949]n w[ch596]n. Nnipa biara a w[ch596]ma saa at[ch596]e[ch949] h[ch596] ogya y[ch949] w[ch596]n botae[ch949] no, nt[ch596]rease[ch949] retw[ch949]n w[ch596]n w[ch596] as[ch949]efo[ch596] ntamu w[ch596] h[ch596].
Dammirifua! Wo, ansuaniwa a adiama hia wo, wo a wo nsuo yiri k[ch596] anweatam h[ch596]. Due! Ntamu-sen-suo a [ch949]regye nsuaniwa mmasuo de ama asuten a apem k[ch596] [ch596]s[ch949]e[ch949] h[ch596], de[ch949] [ch949]rehwehw[ch949] nt[ch596]rease[ch949].
Mo a mo w[ch949]n mo aso, mo a mohunu ade[ch949], mo a mosusu biribi ho, mo a modwene biribi ho, mo a mokae as[ch949]m, mo a mo hy[ch949] nk[ch596]m a y[ch949]afr[ch949] mo s[ch949] montu[ch949] nnipa a owuo y[ch949] w[ch596]n nwantanwanta aso w[ch596] nkwa-kwan ho nokor[ch949]s[ch949]m, mo a y[ch949]afr[ch949] mo s[ch949] monka nkae ne atiekan bom, s[ch949] momfa mmer[ch949] nkyeky[ch949]mu a [ch949]ny[ch949] ano-bi-ni toatoa [ch596]kyena dodo[ch596] a obi nnim mus[ch949]m no so, adawurub[ch596]fo[ch596] a y[ch949]adome mo s[ch949] monka y[ch949]n fibea[ch949] ho nokor[ch949]s[ch949]m nkyer[ch949] nnipa a [ch949]reb[ch596] kirididi ak[ch596] owuo h[ch596], w[ch596]n a s[ch949]nea w[ch596]ab[ch596]n afa y[ch949]n ab[ch596]se[ch949] ho ama y[ch949]ab[ch596] kwasiare, ama y[ch949]n akyeade[ch949] ay[ch949] y[ch949]n akyiwade[ch949], na obi b[ch949]tie wo dwuma mu kaase[ch949]b[ch596] no s[ch949]n?
Abrab[ch596] akansie nie, nanso y[ch949]b[ch949]kaekae nnipa a owusunsum asi w[ch596]n so[ch596] s[ch949]n? Y[ch949]ataa at[ch596]e[ch949] h[ch596] owia aky[ch949], a [ch949]resen ak[ch596] anweatam h[ch596], a y[ch949]rekanyane y[ch949]n ho ak[ch596] y[ch949]n sie[ch949] no.
Nkwa mu anadwo a y[ch949]n nne reba afiri y[ch949]n ab[ch596]se[ch949] no mu. Y[ch949]k[ch596]hwehw[ch949] y[ch949]n tiefo[ch596] bue y[ch949]n ano ak[ch596]ka as[ch949]m a y[ch949]ate. Nanso woowoo k[ch949]se[ch949] to y[ch949]n so[ch596]. Dede a w[ch596]n a owusunsum asi w[ch596]n so y[ch949] no na aboro so [ch949]nam abodan biara mu akwakoraa nnyeso[ch596] w[ch596] y[ch949]n afiasep[ch596]n a y[ch949]n w[ch596] mu yi ntira, saa nnyegyee[ch949] ano y[ch949] den mp[ch949]n apem sen nnyegyee[ch949] a y[ch949]de ba.
Y[ch949]n nne afa, y[ch949]tu asu b[ch596] y[ch949]n kaase[ch949] a [ch949]fa [ch596]kwan no ho. Atwetwesi mu na kirididib[ch596] d[ch596]m te[ch949]m moma owuo. Wiase anom adutoduru fitaa ama owuo anigyetraso aba mu ber[ch949] a aho[ch596]demfidie y[ch949] dede basabasa kwan so de b[ch596] gyegyeegye fofor[ch596] no ho w[ch596] at[ch596]e[ch949] h[ch596] owia ase[ch949]. Dwabum sakasaka yi akyi, biribiara a y[ch949]de tu asu nsi hwee, y[ch949]ka as[ch949]m a, [ch949]nka. W[ch596] nokor[ch949] mu, w[ch596][ch596]w[ch596][ch596] yi gye oniiko a anka [ch596]b[ch949]b[ch596] mu pae ne k[ch596]n so ntini. Ne nkra at[ch596] ansa na y[ch949]awo no, [ch596]te[ch949]mfo[ch596] boa saa sakasakay[ch949] no.

Amankwa, mmasuo a wo nsuo hwie gu [ch596]s[ch949]e[ch949] kwan so s[ch949] asub[ch596]nten a [ch949]repem k[ch596], wo daakye y[ch949] [ch596]s[ch949]e[ch949], wo mprempren y[ch949] [ch596]ma, [ch596]ma a [ch949]k[ch596] ohunu mu a asangye nni h[ch596] Wo sen nnim awus[ch596]re.

Kaanse [ch949]y[ch949] asuwa suban ne s[ch949] [ch949]ma ade[ch949]; [ch949]y[ch949] anweatam anwea suban s[ch949] [ch949]fa ade[ch949]. Kaanse senee na [ch949]y[ch949] w’ayamyesuo suban no; saa na [ch949]mem y[ch949] anweatam suban.

Mmom, wo ay[ch949]su nso di gye[ch949]. [ch390]ma, ogye[ch949], ogye[ch949], [ch596]ma, atoaso, abrab[ch596]. [ch390]ma mfra nhwea-so [ch596]brasuo no mu bi. [ch390]fa, [ch596]fa, [ch596]fa, [ch596]fa, anweatam de ne s[ch949]e[ch949] s[ch949]es[ch949]es[ch949]es[ch949]e biribiara a [ch949]ka no ho. De[ch949] [ch949]tu ne ho ky[ch949] anweatam biara agyae awunyane.

Asuwa s[ch949] ma. Asuwa s[ch949] sen. Nanso, s[ch949] asuwa toa ne nsuma ne ne nsusen no so a, anka anweatam h[ch596] kwan ny[ch949] [ch596]kwan pa bi.Anweatam h[ch596] kwan so na mmauo mu nsu y[ch949] duamono mu asonsuaa a [ch949]rete abunu hyehye framframfram, a anka akita nkwa dwoodwoo, afiri ntini tiri de rek[ch596] nkor[ch596]batawa tiri w[ch596] esum mu a adafitwa apia ak[ch596] amemeneban hann bi mu ama adane mogya-su-fene hyehyeehye a [ch949]rehinam akyer[ch949] [ch949]no ara ne duabans[ch949]e. Anweatam h[ch596] kwan na mmasuo mu nsuo y[ch949] [ch596]baa kuntunsini ho mogya w[ch596] ber[ch949] bi a [ch596]maanam de ne ho ka ha ama onwunu atom’.

Mmasuo nni h[ch596] a [ch949]tumi dane anweatam ani. Anweatam ka h[ch596] daa; mmasuo na [ch949]b[ch949]wo. [ch400]ny[ch949] asuten baako, [ch949]ny[ch949] aduasa, [ch949]ny[ch949] apem na [ch949]b[ch949]tumi adane anweatam ani. Nsakrae bi b[ch949]ba mu saa a, anka nsuyiri, ab[ch596]de[ch949] mu asu-santen a aka bom’ nyinaa a [ch949]rensen nk[ch596]sr[ch949] anweatam, a [ch949]resen s[ch949] [ch949]b[ch949]bunkam koraa. [ch400]no na [ch949]hia mmom, na [ch949]ny[ch949] asuwa-ko a [ch949]tumi dane asuwo(w).
[ch390]ma, ogye[ch949], ogye[ch949], [ch596]ma, biribiara a nkwa w[ch596] mu y[ch949] nta. Hwan na anka [ch596]b[ch949]tumi a yi owu-nkonyaa, ma [ch596]yaako ky[ch949] mu mmienu. Biribiara a [ch949]ntumi mma, biribiara a [ch949]nnim adegye[ch949] mpo, a [ch949]nim [ch7885]fa nko ara, saa ade[ch949] no na apa n’ankasa ne wuo. [ch400]y[ch949] owukurafo[ch596]. Dammirifua due, ademafo[ch596] a [ch949]nam saa [ch596]fafo[ch596] ne kwan so, [ch949]siane s[ch949], afei saa t[ch596]fo[ch596] anya ne nkonim mu t[ch596]fowusin.
Monnue, nnipakuo a [ch949]de ad[ch596]esator[ch596] ma ne ho nno[ch596]ma w[ch596] ayamyetraso mu, a afa [ch596]kwantemp[ch596]n bi so a [ch949]ny[ch949] nsiforo kwan na [ch949]y[ch949] n’ankasa ne nt[ch596]rease[ch949] kwan. Dammirifua due, nnipakuo, dammirifua due asuwa. Due asutiri, due adehufo[ch596], due as[ch949]ntefo[ch596], due as[ch949]nkafo[ch596]. Due mmasuo, nnipa a [ch949]reb[ch596] kirididi ak[ch596] Baamoa Owuo h[ch596].
[ch400]de[ch949]n koraa na [ch949]ka h[ch596]? Ahonu nnwonto[ch596], Nananom Nsamanfo[ch596] ho nnome na w[ch596] saa abrab[ch596]-s[ch949]-at[ch949]ky[ch949] abrab[ch596] mu gya akyirimma a y[ch949]annya nwo w[ch596]n saa atoyer[ch949]nky[ch949]m a y[ch949]reka ho as[ch949]m yi? Saa kwadwofo[ch596] asetena y[ch949] mmer[ch949], asabo(w) asetena a y[ch949]de tw[ch949]n owuo. Nsianee kwank[ch596] y[ch949] mmer[ch949] ma adekaefo[ch596] mpo.
Y[ch949]n a y[ch949]tie saa mma-wo-wer[ch949]-mfiri-wo-ay[ch949]su [ch596]fr[ch949] yi koraa, asa y[ch949]antwa ho adafi w[ch596] awudifo[ch596] owiagyinae hyehyeehye a y[ch949] w[ch596] mu yi? Nno[ch596]ma pepeankoma di y[ch949]n ho barehyia a w[ch596] de totoo h[ch596] a [ch949]di y[ch949]n brasu asi, de[ch949] [ch949]toa nk[ch596]nk[ch596]kyenenne[ch949] ma y[ch949]n wer[ch949] afiri y[ch949]n ho, de[ch949] [ch949]to y[ch949]n brad[ch949] s[ch949] y[ch949]b[ch949]k[ch596] [ch596]s[ch949]e[ch949] fitaa no mu. Y[ch949]n nso na y[ch949]anom awer[ch949]firi mmoroso ama y[ch949]afra ahos[ch949]p[ch949] owuo akyiridie yi.
Y[ch949]ntumi ntoa so saa. [ch400]nam s[ch949] akyipa po, saa nnyae[ch949] a y[ch949]de gya [ch596]kwan no, saa brakyea mu aso[ch596]den de[ch949], ase[ch949] pa nni h[ch596], nkontompohunu a [ch949]nt[ch596] aso mu nko ara.
Na adehufo[ch596], as[ch949]ntefo[ch596] ne as[ch949]nkafo[ch596] [ch949]? S[ch949] y[ch949]b[ch949]tumi ate ber[ch949] nkyeky[ch949]mu kitikiti nko ara de[ch949] a, [ch949]b[ch949]so s[ch949]n? S[ch949] y[ch949]b[ch949]tumi ahunu basabasa a [ch949]twa y[ch949]n ho hyia nko ara a y[ch949]kasa te s[ch949] ahwehw[ch949]-kuntun, akokoraa nnyeso[ch596]...

[Olùkọ́ Ọbádélé]

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