Song of Lawino

Classic African Poetry by Okot p'Bitek

Sep 3, 2008 Whitney Moore

Okot p'Bitek's Song of Lawino is a poem about African/Western relationships often studied by literature students throughout the world.

Okot p’Bitek’s poem Song of Lawino was written in 1969 about a woman whose husband abandons her for Western ways. The poem was originally written in Okot p’Bitek’s native language of Acholi but has been published in English in several volumes most of which are out of print now. It can also be found in the textbook The Bedford Anthology of World Literature Book 6.

Lawino’s Song

The poem explores one African woman’s feelings toward her husband’s adoption of Western ways and the feelings he expresses toward her desire to hang onto her traditional African religious practices. He feels that she does not want to fully integrate into Western society and uses many derogatory terms toward her such as “The fool” (line 51) and “Kaffir” which is Arabic for “nonbelievers.”

Her lament also includes references to her husband insulting her and laughing at her (lines 10-11) in addition to his name calling. The treatment also extends to her family. Her husband is abusive of her mother in the same ways he is to her and this makes her ashamed. Her mention in line 41 that her husband “abuses me in English” is further proof of her feelings toward his new Western ways.

The poem uses the literary device of a female character to address issues that were facing Africa at the time. When Okot p’Bitek wrote this poem Africa had recently been liberated and there was a question whether or not it should keep its African values or look to the West for new ideals.

Lawino’s husband clearly identifies his goal of Westernization for Africa through the act of bringing home a Westernized woman and rejecting his wife in favor of her.

Origins of Okot p’Bitek

Okot p’Bitek worked as an anthropologist, poet, novelist and was a soccer player which led him to England in 1958 where he studied education, law and anthropology before returning to Africa where he taught at Makerere University in Uganda.

Although the poem became a bestseller in 1971 after being translated into English by the author p’Bitek still lamented its translation by saying “[I have] clipped a bit of Eagle’s wings and rendered the sharp edges of the warrior’s sword rusty and blunt, and also murdered rhythm and rhyme” because he felt his native language better suited the structure of the poem.

The poem has since become a standard for students studying world literature, African history and poetry. Other works by Okot p’Bitek include his first novel Lak Tar and Two Songs.

The copyright of the article Song of Lawino in World Literatures is owned by Whitney Moore. Permission to republish Song of Lawino in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Song of Lawino explores culture conflict