Rafiki yangu Georgios
Si Mgogo wala Mgiriki
Si Muislamu wala Mkristo
Si Mtanzania wala Mtasmania
Si Mweupe wala Mweusi.

Rafiki yangu Georgios
Ni binadamu.
Mwenye rangi ya damu
Rangi ya sisi sote wana wa Adamu.

Rafiki yangu Georgios
Ni mtu aliyetulia
Ni kibwenyeye aliyetosheka
Ni msomi aliyejitolea.

Urafiki anautunza
Unafiki anauponda.
Dhulma anaipinga
Huruma anaikuza

Udumu urafiki wetu
Wenye mizizi ya mapambano
Wenye mti wa malumbano, ya itikadi
Uliotukuka kwa misimamo
Usiotetereka kwa majigambo.

~~~

To my friend, Comrade Georgios

My friend Georgios^[1]
Is neither Gogo nor Greek
Is neither Muslim nor Christian
Is neither Tanzanian nor Tasmanian
Is neither White nor Black

My friend Georgios
Is human
Red blooded human
That red of us all, children of Adam.

My friend Georgios
Is content
Is a sufficiently satisfied petty-bourgeois
Is a dedicated scholar

He values friendship
Squashes hypocrisy.
Fights injustice
Treasures compassion

Long live our friendship
Rooted in struggles
Born of ideological debates
Revered in stances
Never swayed by heroics.

March 31, 2012