Ngugi wa Thiong'o sobre Nadine Gordimer, em prosa e poesia

O escritor queniano Ngugi wa Thiong'o, autor de uma obra fundamental sobre o colonialismo, Decolonising the Mind, romancista, dramaturgo, é também fundador da revista Mutiri, escrita na língua nativa Gikuku. Deixamos-lhe aqui a sua homenagem a Nadine Gordimer, falecida a 13 de Julho, no jornal Mail and Guardian, em "Fairwell to a great spirit", artigo onde também lhe dedica um poema:

Dear Nadine Your Name is Hope

You were born on the wealthy side of the colour divide
You built bridges across the divide
Even when apartheid destroyed or burnt them down with hatred
You went back at it with pen courage and hope

Dear Nadine Your Name is Hope

You found the crying; you wiped their tears
Those without food; you shared what you had kept aside
Those that were thirsty; you shared the water you carried
The tortured you uplifted them with words of hope

Dear Nadine Your Name is Hope

You found swords raised
You just raised your pen
A miracle came to be
The pen had power greater than the sword

Dear Nadine Your Name is Hope

What then remains to say:
You found broken hearts
You put them back together with words
From a pen that flowed ink instead of blood

Dear Nadine Your Name is Hope

Even though you’re now with Mandela and others
Even though we don’t see you with our earth-bound eyes
We have inherited hope from your words
That you have spun these 90 years

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