We Are Still in the Fort

We Are Still in the Fort is a curated selection of about seventy poems by Muyaka bin Haji al-Ghassaniy divided into three sections spanning the quotidian, the amorous, and the political. The first part, “I Swipe Their String of Fish: Poems of Mombasan Society,” features his often satirical commentary on daily life in Mombasa. The second part, “Take Your Misery With You: Poems of Love and Marriage,” focuses on his psychologically sensitive observations on the volatility of love, marriage, and illicit affairs. The last part, “We Are Still in the Fort: Poems of War and State,” includes epigrammatic critiques of local political leaders and a series of anti-imperialist poems defending Mombasa’s independence against the invading Omani Empire. The volume also features contextual materials on Muyaka and the context of Swahili poetry, a translator’s note, and introductions for each of the three sections.