Translation

[emhcee]

Does anyone know the translation of what I believe to be a Swahili sasying??
Usitunge Mashairi Lazima Ufikiri
Many thanks

[Baldric]

"do not surely think poetry should""

"usitunge mashairi lazima ufikiri" from Swahili

[Baldric]

^^^^^
According to, Google Translate.

[ann_h]

Had a mooch on grammar pages etc and I think it's u-si-tunge (you not should) mashairi (plural of ushairi=poem ie poetry) lazima (a necessity) u-fikiri (you consider) OR in English, One should not consider poetry a necessity. How to interpret that is another matter, maybe it means poetry is an unnecessary indulgence - which I find unlikely. I think it means necessity as in chore, so poetry is a pleasurable and worthwhile pastime.