Journal / Translation
On translating poems from Hausa
A translator on rhythm, proverbs and the words that refuse to travel, from our side by side poetry editions.
14 October 2026 · 7 minute read · From the editorial desk
Two languages on one page
Our poetry editions print Hausa on the left and English on the right. Readers who have both can watch the poem change shape as it crosses. Readers with one can see the other is there.
Rhythm first
Hausa poetry has a long tradition of metre and rhyme that English does not easily carry. We decide early whether to chase the music or the meaning, poem by poem, and we say which in the notes.
Proverbs that will not travel
Some proverbs translate word for word and mean nothing. We look for an English phrase that does the same work, and when there is none, we keep the Hausa and gloss it.
A page that makes the room go quiet is the only test we really trust.
The poet in the room
We translate with the poet wherever possible. Many of our best decisions came from a long argument over tea on the shop veranda.
Why it matters
Translation is how a poem from Kaduna reaches a reader in Ibadan, Accra or London. Done well, it lets the original stay itself.
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