Writing for Kenya
Page 25
poor.
People are following diff erent paths. Is this the best way, each follow-
ing his own path, or is it better for all of us to follow one path? Shall we
each continue to have our own work as now, but in addition all work
together at a common task? Th
e writer thinks this would be best.
We should therefore have a new motto to follow: ‘THAT ALL THAT
BRINGS HAPPINESS AND UNITY TO US IS GOOD.58 ALL THAT
BRINGS DIVISION AND UNHAPPINESS AMONG US IS BAD.’ Th
is
should be the basis of our work, so that when we work, we can ask if it
will unite us or what its benefi ts will be. If it does not unite or benefi t us, we should discard it.
15. Is our community’s population increasing or decreasing?
Th
e writer’s answer to this question is that it is increasing.59 Because
the government has helped the people, there are many hospitals in the
country and people are not dying as they did in the past. When people
get educated, they’ll have their own doctors and live longer.
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Andũ maga gũkua nĩ kũingiha maingĩhaga na maingĩha no makenda
kũndũ kũnene gwa gũikara. Na hĩndĩ ĩrĩa ndeto ya gĩkinya hau-rĩ,
tũgakĩririkana atĩ ti ithuĩ twĩyathaga, nĩ thirikari ĩtwathaga. Tũgakĩ-
ĩra andũ arĩa matwaragĩrĩria atĩ matũthaithanĩrĩre gwĩ thirikari tũheo
ũikaro hĩndĩ ĩrĩa twahihinyana mũno.
No rĩrĩ, harĩ bata ũrĩkũ andũ matarĩ ũndũ mwega, na ciĩko njega,
aici, atunyani, irimũ, na athĩni kũingĩha? Hatirĩ bata kũingĩha tondũ
maingĩha no thĩna mekũingĩhia.
Tondũ rĩrĩ, tahũra mbica ya Rũrĩrĩ rũmwe rũrĩa andũ aruo matuĩkĩte
aici, na atunyani, ithayo, na andũ a haro, na matangĩiguana, na matarĩ
wĩra mwega mangĩhotera tiga o kwenda kũrĩa na kũiya, na kũharana
na irimũ na athĩni.
Kũingĩha kwa rũrĩrĩ ta rũu-rĩ, kĩguni kĩha?
Tahũra mbica ĩngĩ ya rũrĩrĩ rũngĩ rwĩna maũndũ mega. Rũhoreri,
rũiguaĩne, rwĩna kĩyo na rwendi kũruta wĩra na kĩyo, na wĩra wa hinya,
rwĩna ũgĩ mũingĩ ta wa gwaka nyũmba njega, na thaka na theru na cia
gũtũra.
Ũgi wa kũrĩma mĩgũnda wega na kũmĩnoria, rũkamenyerera irio
rũtikae gũkorũo nĩ ng’aragu. Rũkarĩithia mbũri na ng’ombe wega
kũringana na mũtugo mwega. Rũkagĩa na ngwatanĩro maũndũ-inĩ kana
mawĩra-inĩ mothe na andũ aruo magakoragwo magĩkurwo nĩ kwenda
gũteithia andũ arĩa angĩ. Na rũkehokana, na o mũndũ agakoragwo ena
wendi wa gũtuĩka wa kwĩhokeka. Kwoguo akaga maheni na agathũra
kũgĩa na kĩndũ atarutĩire wĩra. Ũgũkĩona atĩa harĩ ndũrĩrĩ icio cierĩ?
Ningĩ ũkwenda tũtuĩke a rũrĩkũ?
Ngwĩgereria atĩ ithuothe no twende tũtuĩke ta rũrĩrĩ rũu rwĩna
maũndũ mega. No rĩrĩ, kwenda ni gwĩka? Ningĩ-rĩ, nĩatia tũreka nĩgetha
tũnine aici na njĩra ya kũmaneana moko-inĩ ma watho, nĩguo maheri-
thio o mũndũ kũringana na ũru wake?
Angĩkorũo wahota kũhĩtha mũici, nĩ kuga o nawe ũrĩo mũici. Na
ũkwenda tũtuĩke ta rũrĩrĩ rĩu rũtarĩ bata. Tondũ o ũrĩa wothe ũiyaga
kana wĩkaga o ũndũ ũrĩa ũngĩ ũtarĩ mwega, nĩ rũrĩrĩ rũake amenithagia.
Ningĩ-rĩ, nĩ atĩa tũreka nĩguo o mũndũ witũ agie na ũndũ oĩ, ta
ũbundi kana ũgĩ wa gwaka wa gũtũra wa gũthoma wa kũina wa kũrĩithia
wa kũrĩma wa kwendia kana wakũruta wıra ũngĩ o wothe?
Ningĩ akorũo wĩna ũbundi waku-rĩ, nĩ atĩa ũreka wongerere ũgĩ ũcio
waku, ona nĩ andũ aigana ũronia ũgĩ ũcio waku?
what should we do, our people?
165
If people don’t die they increase in number and need more space
to live. When matters get to this stage, we remember that we do not
govern ourselves, the government does. We therefore ask our repre-
sentatives to plead on our behalf to the government for more shelter
when we get overcrowded.60
But do we need the badly behaved people—thieves, spivs, fools, the
poor—to increase? Th
ere’s no need for them to increase, for if they do
so too does misery.
Th
is is why. Just picture a community whose people have become
thieves, spivs, fools, aggressors, and divided.61 Th
ey can do nothing
other than eat, steal, and mix with fools and the poor. What use is
population increase in such a community?
Picture another community with good things, where people are
peaceful, agreeable, hardworking, and knowledgeable in many ways,
such as how to build good, clean, and long-lasting houses. Th
eir wis-
dom behind good farming makes the land fertile, producing the food
to prevent famine. Wise people herd goats and cows according to good
husbandry. Th
is community is united in its labour and its people are
keen to help others. Th
ey trust each other, and everyone wants to trust
the other, so they do not lie, nor hate what they have not worked for.
How would you compare those two communities? Which one would
you wish us to emulate?
I imagine we would all wish to be like the community with the good
things, but are wishes deeds? What are we doing to eliminate thieves?
Are we taking them to the authorities so that they are punished, each
according to his crime?
If you protect a thief it means that you too are a thief and want us
to be like the useless community. For whoever steals or does wrong
discredits his community.
What are we doing in order that each of us should know some skill,
carpentry, studying, singing, herding, farming, trading, or other kinds
of work?
If you are a skilled artisan, what are you doing to improve your skill,
and with how many others are you sharing your knowledge?
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16. Ũgĩ na ũrimũ
Kũhĩga nĩ kwenda maũndũ mega na kũmenya gĩtũmi kĩamo. Nakuo
gũkĩga nĩ kwenda maũndũ moru na kũrigwo nĩ gĩtũmi kĩa wega na ũru.
Harĩ ũgĩ mĩthemba ĩtatũ, wa ngoro, wa mũtwe na wa moko, ũgĩ ũrĩa
mũnene kũrĩ macio mangĩ nĩ wa ngoro, ũkarũmĩrĩrũo nĩ wa mũtwe,
naguo wa mũtwe ũkarũmĩrĩrũo nĩ wa moko.
Ũgĩ wa ndini kana wa magongona nĩ wa ngoro. Ũgĩ wa gwĩciria ta wa
kũmenya kwaria mĩarĩrie mĩingĩ nĩ wa mũtwe, naguo ũgĩ wa gũthondeka
kĩndũ ta ũbundi wa gwaka kana wa gwĩka ũndũ ũngĩ o wothe na moko
nĩguo wa moko. Tondũ ũcio-rĩ, hatirĩ ũgĩ wa macio matatũ ũngĩgĩa
bata kana ũtuĩke mũgima ũmwe wamo ũngĩehera. Tondũ ũcio-rĩ no
kinya maũgĩ macio matatũ marutithanie wĩra, nĩgetha mũndũ atuĩke
mũgima, kana mũgi.
Tondũ-rĩ, mũndũ angĩgĩga na ũgĩ wa ndini na age ũgĩ wa gwĩciria,
ciĩko ciake no ituĩke ta ciokĩgu harĩ andũ arĩa mena meciria. Ona mũndũ
ũcio ndangĩhota kwĩra andũ aria angĩ ũrĩa ngoro yake ĩkũigua.
Ningĩ mũndũ angĩgĩa na ũgĩ wa mũtwe na age ũgĩ wa ngoro, mũndũ
ũcio ndangĩgĩa na kĩharĩro, no atuĩke mbũıũrũ ya gũthiaga o h
arĩa aigua
he mwago, tondũ ũgĩ wake ndũrĩ na gĩtũmi kana mĩri, na nĩyo ngoro.
Naguo ũguo noguo tũngiuga harĩ ũhoro wa ũgĩ wa moko, tondũ
naguo ndũngĩrutĩka hatarĩ maũgĩ macio merĩ twagweta.
Na tondũ ũcio-rĩ, nikĩo andũ aingĩ magegaga hĩndĩ ĩrĩa mona mũndũ
mũthomu mũno, agĩka maũndũ matarĩ mega, makoiga atĩrĩrĩ, ‘Ĩ ndi-
kuona ng’ania arĩ mũndũ mũgĩ mũno, na Gĩthũngũ, egwĩka maũndũ
ta macio nĩkĩ?’
Kũmenya Gĩthũngũ tikuo bata gũthira, ningĩ Gĩthũngũ nĩ mwarĩrie,
mũndũ aragia maũndũ marĩa ecirĩtie, na meciria mega nĩ marĩa
moimanĩte na ũgĩ wa ngoro, kwoguo angĩkorũo mũndũ ndari na ũgĩ
wa ngoro no ũgĩ wa kwaria rũthiomi, rũthiomi rũu rũake no atũmĩire
na kwaria maũndũ matarĩ ma ũgima, na maheni na mwĩtĩyo wa-atĩ nĩ
mũgĩ na Gĩthũngũ. Na wahota kuona andũ aingĩ matariĩ ũguo.
Ningĩ angĩkorũo ekwaria maheni na Gĩthũngũ, ona mwarĩrie wake
no aragie maheni, na maũndũ mangĩ matarĩ ma gima tondũ ndarĩ na
mĩtugo mĩega. Tondũ mũtugo mwega umanaga na ũgĩ ũcio wa ngoro.
Tondũ ũcio-rĩ, twenda Ciana citũ igĩe na ũgĩ wa ũguni-rĩ, nĩ irutwo
mũno ũhoro wa ndini, nigetha ũgĩ ũrĩa ũngĩ ũgĩcoka kũgĩa meciria-inĩ
mao ũgĩe na gĩtina kĩega kĩna mĩri mĩrũmu.
what should we do, our people?
167
16. Wisdom and ignorance
To be intelligent62 is to love good things and know their meaning. To
be foolish on the other hand is to love bad things, and to fail to dis-
tinguish good from bad.
Th
ere are three types of knowledge; spiritual, mental and manual.63
Th
e greatest of all is the spiritual, followed by the mental and then the
physical.
Religious and sacrifi cial knowledge falls under spiritual knowledge.64
Knowledge that enables one to learn many languages falls under men-
tal knowledge, and the knowledge one uses to build things or to do
practical things with one’s hands is physical knowledge. None of the
three is unimportant, and none can function without the others. Th
e
three types of knowledge must work hand in hand for someone to be
complete in themselves or wise.
For if someone has spiritual knowledge but lacks mental knowledge,
the educated will think his actions foolish. He won’t be able to tell oth-
ers what is in his heart.
On the other hand, if someone with mental knowledge lacks spiri-
tual knowledge, he has no foundation65 and will become a vagabond,66
always going wherever he hears there is enjoyment. His knowledge has
neither reason nor spiritual roots.
We can say the same about physical knowledge, for it cannot be
realised without the two other sorts of knowledge we have mentioned.
Th
is is why many people are amazed when they see a highly educated
person doing unacceptable things. Th
ey ask, ‘I fi nd so and so to be fl u-
ent in the English language, why does he do such things?’
To know English is not important. English is a language, and with
it one speaks what one has conceived in one’s mind. Good ideas come
from the heart, and so if someone has linguistic intelligence without
spiritual wisdom,67 he will use that language to speak of immature
things, of lies, and of his pride in knowing English. You can fi nd many
people who behave in this way.68
If he tells lies in English, he will always tell lies and other immature
things, as he lacks good habits. Th
is is because good habits come from
spiritual knowledge.
Th
erefore, if we wish our children to have valuable knowledge, let
them be trained in religious matters, so that the other knowledge they
learn will have a good basis69 and fi rm roots.
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Ndũngĩhota kũrutana, ũndũ ũtoĩ gĩtũmi kĩaguo, na tondũ ũcio-rĩ,
ũkĩenda kũruta mwana waku ũhoro wa ndini, no wambire gũtuĩka
wa ndini we mwene. Na ũmenye ndũkae kũmwĩra atĩ, ũthĩni nĩguo
ũtũmaga mũndũ athiĩ igũrũ no ũmwĩre atĩ ũtonga wa mũndũ mũkĩgu
ndũngĩtũma athiĩ igũrũ, tondũ worĩa aigite ngoro yake harĩ ũtonga ũcio.
Na ũmwĩre atĩ, mũndũ mũgĩ ndaigaga ngoro yake harĩ ũtonga wake
no aigaga ngoro yake harĩ Ngai, tondũ nĩwe ũmũhete ũtonga ũcio.
Kĩndũ kĩrĩa kĩrĩ bata gĩtĩonagũo oũguo tũhũ, no nĩgũcario gĩcaragio
na hinya mũno gikĩoneka. Gĩkanogerũo na gĩgothĩthinĩrũo. No kĩndũ
kĩrĩa gĩtarĩ bata-rĩ, gĩticaragio ona gĩtithithinagĩrũo kana gĩkanogerũo.
Ona gĩtihoyanagwo.
Na tondũ ũcio-rĩ, ũtonga na ũthĩni nĩ maũndũ merĩ, ũmwe wĩ bata
na ũrĩa ũngĩ ũtarĩ bata. Na ũngĩkorũo ũkuga atĩ Ngai witũ aheyanaga
maũndũ marĩa matarĩ bata-rĩ, ta ũthĩni-rĩ, ndũngĩkorũo ũkĩaria ma.
Makĩria no ũkorũo wĩ mũkĩgu na mũthau. Na maũndũ macio ũkorũo
ũkwaria nĩguo ũhorerie ngoro yaku ũtige gwĩtanga.
Ningĩ ũngĩkorũo ũkuga Ngai witũ aheyanaga maũndũ marĩa mega-rĩ,
na nĩwe ũmenyereraga andũ-rĩ, wakorũo ũkĩaria ma ũngiuga atĩ Ngai
nĩwe ũheyanaga ũtonga na akamenyerera andũ matikae kũiga ngoro
ciao harĩ ũtonga ũcio wao.
Kũrĩ andũ aingĩ-rĩ, maũndũ no merĩ marĩ bata, ‘Kũrĩa, na gũtonga’.
Na matingĩhota kuona gĩtũmi kĩa ũndũ ũngĩ ũtakonainie na maũndũ
macio merĩ.
Tatuge atĩrĩrĩ, harĩ andũ aingĩ mangĩiguo mĩgambo ya kĩnanda ũigue
makiuga atĩrĩrĩ, ‘Mĩgambo ĩo ona yagira-rĩ, nĩ-ĩrĩagwo?’
Ningĩ angĩ mangĩona mahũa-rĩ moigaga atĩrĩrĩ, ‘Rĩu ona mahũa
mathakara-rĩ, nĩ marĩagwo’? Kuga ũguo gũkuonania ũrĩa mugi akun-
deretie meciria. Tondũ wa gwĩciria atĩ kĩndũ kĩrĩa kĩrĩ bata no gĩa-kũrĩa,
no atĩ kĩndũ gĩothe kĩrĩa atangĩhota kũrĩa gĩtirĩ bata.
Kũrĩ ndũrĩrĩ ingĩ-rĩ, na iria irĩkĩtie kũhĩga-rĩ nĩcugaga atĩ he maũndũ
mana marĩa magucagia ngoro cia andũ, mĩario-inĩ kana ciĩko inĩ, na
maũndũ macio nĩ maya: MA, WEGA, ŨTHAKA na GĨKENO.
Na tũngĩtua gũtaũra maũndũ macio na ciugo nyinyi-rĩ, no tuge atĩrĩrĩ,
harĩ mũndũ mũgima-rĩ, wĩna ũgima ũrĩa tũgwetire-rĩ, wa ngoro, na
mũtwe na moko rĩ, nĩabataragio nĩ kwaria MA, ũguo nĩ kuga agathũra
kwaria maheni, ngoro yake ĩgagĩtuĩka atĩ ĩkũgucio nĩ MA.
Ningĩ hĩndĩ ĩrĩa ekũruta wĩra ona ũrĩkũ-rĩ, akenda kũruta wĩra mwega,
na ũguo naguo nĩ kuga atĩ agathũra wĩra mũru ngoro yake ĩgagĩtuĩka
ĩkũgucio nĩ WEGA ũcio.
what should we do, our people?
169
You cannot teach what you do not know. So if you want to teach
your child religious matters, you must be well grounded in religion
yourself. Take care not to tell him that it’s poverty that makes one go to
heaven, but tell him that a fool’s wealth can never take him to heaven,
since it’s in wealth that the fool puts all his hopes.
Tell him, rather, that a clever person does not place his heart in
wealth b
ut in the God who gave him wealth.
Important things are not found easily; they need a lot of eff ort. You
get tired and sweat for them. Unimportant things, however, are never
looked for, and they don’t make one sweat or get tired. People don’t
even borrow them.
Th
erefore, wealth and poverty are diff erent, one is valuable and the
other worthless. If you say our God gives worthless things like poverty,
you won’t be telling the truth. Further, you might well be foolish and
immature. You will be saying such things to console your heart in its
troubles.
If you say our God gives good things and takes care of people, you
will speak the truth, for God gives wealth, and yet prevents people from
putting all their trust in it.
To many people, there are only two important things, ‘eating and
wealth’. Th
ey fail to see anything else.
If people’s [singing] voices are recorded, you will hear people say,
‘Th
ese voices may be good but are they edible?’
And when they see fl owers, they say, ‘Th
e fl owers are so beauti-
ful, but can they be eaten?’ In so saying they show themselves to be
simpleminded, for they think that only edible things are valuable, and
that things which cannot be eaten are useless.
In other countries knowledgeable people say that four things attract
human hearts in word or deed. These are: TRUTH, GOODNESS,
BEAUTY, and HAPPINESS.
If we briefl y explain these, we can say that a mature person, with the
kind of maturity we described earlier—spiritual, mental and physical—is
supposed to speak the TRUTH.70 Th
is means that he hates lies and his
heart is attracted by TRUTH.
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Hĩndĩ ya kinya ya kũruta wĩra mũna na moko, kana gũthondeka
kĩndũ o giothe akenda gũthondeka kĩndũ gĩthaka. ũguo nĩ kuga atĩ
ŨTHAKA nĩguo ũkagucagia ngoro yake.
Namo maũndũ macio mothe magakorũo magĩkwo atĩa nĩguo mũndũ
agĩe na GĨKENO, na tondũ ũcio nakĩo gĩkeno gĩgatuĩka atĩ nĩ gĩkũgucia
ngoro ya mũndũ ũcio.
Rĩu-rĩ, tũngiuga ũrĩa tugire tũkĩambĩrĩria gũtereta gũkũ-rĩ, ngwĩciria
no ũigue gĩtũmi wega, tondũ tugire atĩ ‘Kũhĩga nĩ kwenda maũndũ mega
na kũmenya gĩtũmi kĩamo. Nakuo gukĩga nĩ kwenda maũndũ moru na