About the Poem
A Lomwe woman’s song from central Mozambique. The singer is forced to grow cotton for the Companhia dos Algodões de Moçambique, owner of the cotton concession for the district of Ile. Her earnings are a derisory 5 escudos.
Meanwhile, under the same forced labour laws, her husband is a labour migrant, working 300 km away at Luabo, headquarters of Sena Sugar Estates.
Sung by Armena Muhinayula, Helena Souzinho and Casavera Fernando, all from Mulevale, Ile, at Checanyama compound village, Luabo, 30 August, 1975.
This poem was sung in chiSena by Fernando Nicolas with women of Piria village, Luabo, 5 August, 1975.
| Elomwe | English |
Kohaw’oye, Oyi-ya-e‑e Kohaw’oye, Kohawa, murima onanla Miyano thitho? Kohawa, murima onanla Nochochi nakalimi Kohawa, murima onanla Alulo, alulo etokwa, Kohawa, murima onanla oPoma iwe keliwo Kohawa, murima onanla Kinyiviwo nekomi Kohawa, murima onanla Miyo wupuwela-ay Oyi-ya-e‑e Kohaw’oye Kohawa, murima onanla Ayakali hali Kohawa, murima onanla oLuapo iwe keli Kohawa, murima onanla Olapawaya lapi Kohawa, murima onanla Alikintaki muhali ali Kohawa, murima onanla Evinyekali makivo Kohawa, murima onanla Wapulisiya keli Kohawa, murima onanla Anamiwa matani Kohawa, murima onanla Miyo wupuwela-ay Oyi-ya-e‑e Kohaw’oye Kohawa, murima onanla
I suffer, I do Oyi-ya-e‑e I suffer, I do I suffer, my heart is weeping What’s to be done? I suffer, my heart is weeping I cultivate my cotton I suffer, my heart is weeping Picking, picking a whole basketful I suffer, my heart is weeping I’ve taken it to the Boma there (1) I suffer, my heart is weeping They’ve given me five escudos I suffer, my heart is weeping When I reflect on all this Oyi-ya-e‑e I suffer, I do I suffer, my heart is weeping My husband, that man I suffer, my heart is weeping He went there to Luabo I suffer, my heart is weeping He went to work, work hard I suffer, my heart is weeping He broke off some sugarcane to eat (2) I suffer, my heart is weeping Leaving work, he was arrested I suffer, my heart is weeping He was taken to the police I suffer, my heart is weeping He was beaten on the hand I suffer, my heart is weeping When I reflect on all this Oyi-ya-e‑e I suffer, I do I suffer, my heart is weeping
- The Boma is the administrative centre, the local chefe do posto being responsible for forcing the women to work and supervising the cotton sales.
- Cane cutters were strictly forbidden to refresh themselves with sugarcane, and the penalties were severe
Listen to the poem in English
“Leroy Vail and Landeg White. Capitalism and Colonialism in Mozambique: A Study of Quelimane District. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. 1980. Pp. Xii, 419.” The American Historical Review, 1982, https://doi.org/10.1086/ahr/87.2.516-a.
Complaint. https://africanpoems.net/protest-satire/complaint/. Accessed 12 Apr. 2023.