The Defence of Lawino

by Okot p'Bitek

A new translation of the late Okot p'Bitek's classic epic poem 'Wer pa Lawino', first published in Acholi in 1969, and recently listed in Africa's 100 Best Books. Lawino is a female voice, taking issue with her husband whom she witnesses imitating a European culture which is destroying a more deeply rooted African culture.

Genres: Poetry, Africa

132 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1966

About the author

Okot p'Bitek (7 June 1931 – 20 July 1982) was a Ugandan poet, who achieved wide international recognition for Song of Lawino, a long poem dealing with the tribulations of a rural African wife whose husband has taken up urban life and wishes everything to be westernised.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Rudi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Snubla over denne boka i ei 10kr-eske utenfor et antikvariat i Bergen. Jeg har knapt lest noe litteratur fra Afrika, og overhodet ikke hørt om denne boka. Jeg ble litt skuffa da jeg oppdaga at den ikke var oversatt fra acoli/luo (språket den opprinnelig ble skrevet i), men fra engelsk. Den engelske oversettelsen var gjort av p'Bitek selv, og han sier selv den har "skjemt krigarens sverd, klipt ein bit av ørnevengen og drepe rim og rytme". Den norske oversetteren har litt mer tro på sin oversettelse: "eg vil tru at sjølv eit stuttsverd kan bite, og eg vonar ørna enno har vengefang til å vere flygedyktig." Men rimen og rytmen mangler likevel enda.

Hele boka er en rekke dikt (egentlig sanger), hvor Lawino klager over hennes mann (Ocol) sin forfengelige modernisering og avvising av deres egne Acoli-tradisjoner. Jeg leser boka ikke nødvendigvis som er kritikk av modernisering - men heller en kritikk av hvordan deres egne tradisjoner blir avvist. Lawino er litt stolt over den nye klokka på veggen, men misliker samtidig at hun blir dømt for å ikke beherske den "moderne" tidstellinga.

Selv om formen er noe amputert i oversettinga, er den likevel skrevet i godt språk, og mange av bildene som blir brukt fungerer enda like bra. Særlig når kritikken av moderne kultur blir uttrykt med tradisjonelle bilder.

jeg skulle ellers ønske at oppfølgerboka, som er et svar fra Ocol, hadde vært med i samme bok (selv om de er to utgivelser). Det virker som om de vanligvis leses sammen nå til dags.

[Sonja · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book by Ugandan poet Okot p’Bitek. An important book about colonization from a woman’s point of view. I feel that I learned so much from this narrative poem. It was translated from Acóli by the author and the version I read was published in Kenya, Modern African Library. There are some illustrations. “ Let no one uproot the pumpkin.”

[Sean Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cool🤙🤙

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

unable to use the app 😭😱

[maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

beautiful lyrical language used to voice the conflict between traditions and costums being threatened by westernisation.

the poems really pull you into the narrative, clever and well crafted they deliver a strong sense of perspective that allows the reader to understand these characters, who are well defined, explored and developed which makes them an interesting study.

as I read, my mind opened up to the process of two different cultures meeting and the struggle that can take place where there is assimilation. within this, the poems examine many facets of cultural identity, from food to dance, gods to medicine, clothes, hair and the way you treat your family and neighbours - something that I find incredibly interesting to delve into.

"Song of Lawino remains a classic because the issues it tackles are as contemporary now as they were in the sixties and because Okot achieved a stylistic masterpiece." I very much agree

(the quote is from the introduction of my edition)

[Zen Cho · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this and did not know there was also a Song of Ocol. It is funny and dauntless and not in the least cowed even though it's basically this woman listing how horrible her husband is to her and how he says she's uneducated and the ways of black people are primitive and barbaric etc. etc. And she is just like, whatever! You have got it all wrong!

Lots of quotable quotes: liked the musty forest of books, books smashing her husband's testicles (there is kind of a lot of ARE YOU A GIRL OR ARE YOU A MAN stuff which, oh well), and the bit about what's a home without babies to muddy you up and what is sweeter than children's cries.

Anyway it was good stuff and Frank Horley's illustrations suited. Lots of pointed defiant fun. (Though why does "Christ" come out as "Hunchback"?)

[Keith Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extended poem narrated by Lawino, a traditional non-educated Acoli woman abour her relationship with her educated husband who has abandoned the village society of his birth and fully embraced - both the good and the ill - of a modern western way of life. In such a toxic situation, there can be no give, no take.

Now, more than 50 years since it was written, the problems engendered by the break-up of tradition and the adoption of an alien culture can be viewed even more clearly.

[Giulia Goldston · Rating 4 out of 5]

An outstanding work of poetry. Very very highly recommended.

[Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lament poem overflowing with vibrant images around the device of a wife (“traditional Africa”) bemoaning the arrogance and distain of her husband (“colonized Africa”).