Imagine a Hausa translation of some of today’s contemporary novels set in Nigeria’s north. And then even more exciting, Hausa literature in English. Wouldn’t it be just so cool?
By Nathaniel Bivan
If you have ever picked up a Hausa romance novel, popularly referred to as littattafan soyayya (love books), I’m sure you may have wondered what I have wondered for years and decided to finally make noise about it now. You see, when we go down memory lane, there’s lush Hausa literature, from the era of ‘Ruwan Bagaja’ and ‘Magana Jari Ce’ by Abubakar Imam to those of Balaraba Ramat Yakubu and her Soyayya cohorts. If my memory serves me well, I read Magana Jari Ce in both Hausa and English which is a good thing. So why not do the same for some contemporary novels?
It was in a literary festival (I’m not sure whether it’s the Kaduna Book and Arts Festival or Ake Festival) that I once witnessed one of the most ludicrous ‘literary’ arguments a couple of years back. This was when, in response to a comment on the need to translate Hausa literature, a northern speaker said something about the stories serving their purpose for the region. Okay, I know, like me, you’re chuckling right now and thinking up ways to crush that response. Well, just calm down and let me grab the mic (to ward off the guilt for not doing so then).
First things first, stories are written (or even told) to transcend time. This was why our grandparents saw the need to tell us tales by moonlight. Thus literature earned its place as one of the most respected forms of art. And newsflash: Stories are meant to be enjoyed by a limitless number of people across the world. For this reason, the world makes bestseller lists. After all, isn’t readership the first reason why anyone writes?
So, if Hausa literature is written for Hausa readers, Yoruba literature for its readers, and Igbo stories for Igbo people, how else will anyone learn more about Nigeria or Africa for that matter? And, if you allow me, I’ll say most works written in Nigerian or African languages are more likely to have a depth that those written in adopted languages like English or French will lack. This is why we need translations. If I have my way, right now off the top of my head (imagine if I could do the magic) I’ll have Safiya Ismaila Yero’s ‘Naja’, Elnathan John’s ‘Born on a Tuesday’, and Abubakar Adam Ibrahim’s ‘Season of Crimson Blossoms’ translated into Hausa. Why? It’s simple – because I believe non-English readers need them.
‘Naja’ is a coming-of-age story about a girl filled with dreams but yet forced to marry an elderly man she doesn’t know or love. ‘Born on a Tuesday’, on the other hand, follows a young boy as he tries to find himself in the midst of Nigeria’s religious and political landscape. Then there’s ‘Season of Crimson Blossoms’ where a sizzling relationship between a thug and a fiftyish woman takes place in the sidelines of corrupt politicking. Picture these three books available to Hausa readers! And why? They are all set in the north. They have served the English reading public, so why not the Hausa readers too?
And maybe, who knows, some words like “you understand” and other obscenities Reza likes to spew in Ibrahim’s novel may just ring better for English readers who care to read the Hausa version. Forgive me. I grew up reading books in both Hausa and English, so maybe there’s a little bias here because I’ve talked less about translations in other Nigerian, or even African languages like Swahili. But hey, this is my case and I hope I have made a strong one.
