"Kiswahili !!" by Sheikh Mahmud Ahmed Abdull Kadir (Ustadh Mau): Kiamu Phonetic Transcription (IPA) and French Translation

This deposit contains the precise linguistic transcription and French translation of the poem "Kiswahili !!", composed and recited by the prominent Lamu poet Sheikh Mahmud Ahmed Abdull Kadir, widely known as Ustadh Mahmoud Mau.

The transcription, established by Dr. Mathieu Roy, utilizes the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) to faithfully render the phonetic, phonological, and morphological specificities of the Kiamu dialect. It is strictly based on original audio field recordings captured in 2005 in the Lamu archipelago (Kenya).

Through this powerful piece of political poetry, Ustadh Mau articulates a strong Swahili cultural nationalism. He actively reclaims the Swahili language for its native speakers, addressing the historical and contemporary confiscation of the language by non-native continental populations. This document serves as a crucial primary source for the study of modern Swahili literature of commitment, linguistic rights, and the structural analysis of the Kiamu dialect.