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.

This article is based upon the following concept: Poetry is a chain of representation of the sub-conscience that is the creative source. We can read the poetic text in many ways, but if we imagine the text as the stage of images, we can understand the fundamental abstraction of the conscience. In this sense, oneiric images in some of Euphrase Kezilahabi’s poems will be analysed by using insights from psychoanalytic theory.

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.

Makala hii inachambua sitiari katika Kichomi, diwani ya kwanza ya marehemu Euphrase Kezilahabi. Mashairi yaliyochunguzwa yanahusika na dhamira tatu za kijumla: maana ya maisha, udhalimu wa kikoloni, na hali ya sasa ya Afrika. Mashairi yanayochambuliwa ni: “Nimechoka”, “Mwamba Ziwani”, “Fungueni Mlango”, na “Kisu Mkononi” (dhamira ya “maana ya maisha”); “Hadithi ya Mzee” (dhamira ya “udhalimu wa kikoloni”); “Afrika na Watu Wake”, “Kumbe”, na “Namagondo” (hali ya sasa ya Afrika). Mashairi haya yako kwenye muundo usiofuata urari wa vina na mizani. Lengo la makala hii si kufanya uchambuzi wa kina bali ni kuonyesha kuwa sitiari ni mbinu ya msingi ya mshairi katika kuwasilisha maana na mtazamo wake katika dhamira kadhaa. Nimeteua mashairi hayo tu ili kudhihirisha mbinu ya kisitiari katika dhamira zilizotajwa. Uchambuzi wa sitiari umezingatia mkabala wa kisemantiki unaotambua vipengele vitatu katika muundo wa sitiari: kifananishi, kitajwa na kiungo (taz. Richards 1936; Leech 1969). Hitimisho muhimu ni kwamba sitiari ni mbinu inayoyawezesha mashairi hayo kuchanuza mawazo na hisia kwa uwazi na athari nzito. / This article analyses metaphors in Kichomi, the first collection of poems by the late Euphrase Kezilahabi. The poems analysed deal with the following main themes: the meaning of life, colonial oppression, and the current state of Africa. The poems under discussion are: “Nimechoka” (I Am Tired), “Mwamba Ziwani” (Rock in Lake), “Fungueni Mlango” (Open the Door), na “Kisu Mkononi” (Knife in Hand; theme: meaning of life); “Hadithi ya Mzee” (An Old Man’s Tale) (theme: colonial oppression); “Afrika na Watu Wake” (Africa and Its People), “Kumbe” (That’s Why ), and “Namagondo” (Namagondo; theme: current state of Africa). The structure of these poems does not follow the conventional rules of metre and rhyme. The aim of this article is not a thorough analysis, but to show that metaphor is a fundamental device for the poet to present meaning and his view concerning a variety of themes. I have selected these poems only in order to make the device of metaphor clear concerning the mentioned themes. The analysis proceeds on a semantic approach which recognizes three aspects of metaphor: vehicle, tenor and ground (cf. Richards (1936); Leech (1969:153-56)). An important conclusion is that metaphor is a device which enables the poems to evoke thoughts and feelings in a candid manner and with a deep impact.

This article is based upon the following concept: Poetry is a chain of representation of the sub-conscience that is the creative source. We can read the poetic text in many ways, but if we imagine the text as the stage of images, we can understand the fundamental abstraction of the conscience. In this sense, oneiric images in some of Euphrase Kezilahabi’s poems will be analysed by using insights from psychoanalytic theory.

This paper deals with intertextuality in two contemporary Swahili novels: Euphrase Kezilahabi`s Nagona (1987/1990) and William E. Mkufya`s Ziraili na Zirani (1999). It is a first approach to intertextual relations between these two novels. My aim is to show how the contemporary Swahili novel has further opened up its scope to universal questions of mankind. Nagona describes the journey of an unnamed protagonist through strangely abandoned landscapes and his surrealistic experience. It is written in a puzzling style between realism and hallucination. The second work, Ziraili na Zirani, is a novel written in the style of an epic. Dwelling on its literary role models, which are Dante`s Divina Commedia (1312-1321) and Milton`s Paradise Lost (1658-1665), it describes the battle over religion. It takes the reader on a fantastic journey between heaven, paradise and hell, with several excursions to the historical and contemporary malices and catastrophes on earth.