This paper is a contribution to the 26th Swahili Colloquium in Bayreuth 2013. As the main theme of the conference was Tafsiri ‘Translations’, an analysis of Euphrase Kezilahabi’s poetry will be present-ed, with particular focus on the limits of both language and translation. Looking at the linguistic prop-erties of Kezilahabi’s poetry these linguistic limits seem to represent the various stages of his philoso-phy; in this journey language is the means and the goal itself as it is an important unit of existence. Kezilahabi transfers many ´African´and Swahili elements from past to present and he transfers for-eign elements, from outside to inside, written anew and revived through the poet’s words. This analysis will consider the poetic word as a result of this comparison. The poetic of Euphrase Kezilahabi is also an original result of a comparison between his culture and literature and foreign literature.

This paper is a contribution to the 26th Swahili Colloquium in Bayreuth 2013. As the main theme of the conference was Tafsiri ‘Translations’, an analysis of Euphrase Kezilahabi’s poetry will be present-ed, with particular focus on the limits of both language and translation. Looking at the linguistic prop-erties of Kezilahabi’s poetry these linguistic limits seem to represent the various stages of his philoso-phy; in this journey language is the means and the goal itself as it is an important unit of existence. Kezilahabi transfers many ´African´and Swahili elements from past to present and he transfers for-eign elements, from outside to inside, written anew and revived through the poet’s words. This analysis will consider the poetic word as a result of this comparison. The poetic of Euphrase Kezilahabi is also an original result of a comparison between his culture and literature and foreign literature.

Euphrase Kezilahabi, outstanding Swahili writer, thinker and scholar who was born on 13 April, 1944, passed away on 9 January, 2020. In this obituary, Roberto Gaudioso pays homage to his path-breaking achievements in Swahili creative literature by highlighting his poetry which Gaudioso has studied in depth. He emphasizes that the late Kezilahabi’s contribution as an intellectual and a poet goes beyond limits of space and time, as is shown by generations of researchers and translators who have been working on him.

In her review, Flavia Aiello states that Roberto Gaudioso’s monograph, his PhD thesis written under the co-tutelle of the University of Naples “L’Orientale” and the University of Bayreuth, is a robust study of Euphrase Kezilahabi’s dynamic “thinking poetry” as expressed in his poetry collections. She emphasizes that due to its well-informed theoretical grounding, original critical approach to Kezilahabi’s poetry and close-reading textual analysis, this book represents valuable reading for literary researchers investigating the works of Euphrase Kezilahabi and for scholars interested in new critical approaches to Swahili poetry.

The aim of this article is to analyse allegories in the first four novels of the Swahili-writing author Euphrase Kezilahabi who is one of the most renowned authors in contemporary Tanzania. This analysis will be based on allegory as it is defined in literary studies. What is aimed at with this study is a hermeneutical interpretative approach to the allegories found in Kezilahabi`s early novels which shall be based on as much contexts as available: text-context, intertextual context, cultural context, historical context, only to mention the most important (cf. Mohlig 1994: 257). The text-context or co-text, however, is considered as the most reliable basis of such a study.

This study aims at studying one of the most important contemporary Kiswahili writers: Euphrase Kezilahabi. In a way this paper can be seen as a continuation of my earlier articles on the same writer. It is definitely different from the other ones though a certain thread links them: the interest in Kezilahabi`s philosophy. In this paper my interest is with two main motifs namely contemptus mundi and carpe diem. Contemptus mundi is a Latin expression for contemptible world, world as a bad place and one that is perceived contemptuously. I intend to explore the said motifs in Kezilahabi\'s prose works: Rosa Mistika, Kichwamaji, Gamba la Nyoka, Dunia Uwanja wa Fujo, Nagana and Mzingile. The latter two works are slightly short, lacking the novel length of the other four works. I do not, however, want to entangle myself in the polemics of genre as to what a novel or novella is. I will, however, regard the two as novellas at least by the virtue of their length.

This study elaborates how Kezilahabi depicts elements of Roman Catholic faith in his book Mzingile. Throughout the book religious institutions and the image of God are deconstructed. Nevertheless, Kezilahabi uses images derived from the Bible and Roman Catholic rituals to describe the new world order. This leads to the conclusion that the recognition of the existence of these concepts as concepts opens the way for the creation of a new world. Kezilahabi seems not to be convinced of the Roman Catholic faith being useful in search of the meaning of life. He rather builds upon the creative space, the emptiness left after the deconstruction of religious concepts.

Since the very moment of their appearance two recent works of Euphrase Kezilahabi- Nagana (1990) and Mzingile (1991)- hold a very special place in the whole development ofKiswahili literature, giving a lot of puzzles for the reader and a lot of material for the scholars of literature. I\' m going to dwell upon only one aspect of the book - its generic origin; for I think that this question will sooner or later arise. To this effect, I would dare first narrate - very briefly - the contents of the book I would refer to it as `the book´, although it actually consists of two parts - but these parts are so closely related to each other, that it seems possible to speak of Nagana and Mzingile as one piece of work. To what literary genre shall we ascribe the latest work of Tanzania` s leading writer? I would dare to come forward with such a question, because within the structure of the book there seem to be at least four more or less easily tangible stylistic plans. The first one I would call a folkloristic plan, for Kezilahabi uses widely and vividly the elements of African folklore - from mythological concepts to folklore plots, inserted into the narration. The second stylistic plan of the book can be called that of a parable - a parable in the sense of a self-contained story conveying didactic message to a reader or a listener. The book is full of such stories. The next stylistic plan one can call that of science-fiction - or, I would rather say, of antiutopia, for the author draws apocalyptic pictures of the world after the nuclear war, implyin the technique inherent to science-fiction novels. Finally, another stylistic plan of the book can be called realistic - for the author gives, for example, the descriptions of modern city, where the Msichana-Mwokozi dwells, or of an African village, when he tells about the childhood of the main character, using the traditions of east African realistic novel, portraying shortly but vividly urban and rural life. I would say that this realistic plan takes smaller place than the other three - but it is by no means less noticeable.

Makala hii inachambua riwaya ya pili ya mwandishi maarufu wa Kiswahili, Euphrase Kezilahabi (*1944) iitwayo Kichwamaji (1974). Inajaribu kuzingatia mikondo miwili ya uchambuzi yaani inajadili kwa ufupi nadharia ipi au mkondo upi wa kimawazo unafaa zaidi katika kuichambua riwaya hiyo: udhanaishi au ufeministi. Je, inawezekana kuunganisha yote mawili? / In this essay, I would like to analyse the novel Kichwamaji (‘Empty-head’; 1974) by the well-known Tanzanian writer Euphrase Kezilahabi against the background of two philosophical theories: existentialism and feminism. I will first discuss existentialism and the existentialist elements in the novel. Then I will present feminist theory and focus on the female characters in Kichwamaji. I will argue that a feminist reading of the novel is impossible due to its predominant existentialist character.

Makala haya yanashughulikia maswahli ya udhanaishi katika fasihi ya Kiswahili. Makala yanalinganisha riwaya mbili, Mgeni ya mwandishi wa Kifaransa anayeitwa Albert Camus na Kichwamachi ya mwandishi wa Kiwahili, Euphrase Kezilahabi, na kuonyesha jinsi riwaya hizo zinayofanana na zinavyotofautiana. Kwa vile Kichwamaji inafanana na Mgeni, ni sahihi humwita Kezilahabi mwandishi ya udhanaishi, lakini kuna tofauti nyingi pia baina ya riwaya hizo mbili. Tofauti moja ni kwamba Albert Camus anamtazama mtu peke yake na hali yake iliyotengwa kabisa na watu wengine, na Kezilahabi, licha ya mtu peke yake, anaizingatia jamii nzima na hali yake vilevile. Tofauti hii ni tokeo la sifa za communalism katika mawazo Kiafrika ya kimapokeo yanayotilia mkazo jamaa na jami, siyo mtu peke yake. / This article analyses and compares the the two writings Kichwamaji by Euphrase Kezilahabi and L´etranger by Albert Camus. Written in the tradition of existentialism, the two writings have many similarities but also differ in some important aspects. While Camus sees the individual just by itself, Kezilahabi also includes the whole family and is writing with it in the tradition of the african communalism.