Elegy for Sëriñ Masamba Mbakke (Marsiya Sëriñ Masamba Mbakke)
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| Title | Elegy for Sëriñ Masamba Mbakke (Marsiya Sëriñ Masamba Mbakke) |
| Author or Owner | Serigne Moussa Ka, also known as Sëriñ Muusaa Ka |
| Subject | Biography, Elegy, History, Muridiyya, Bamba, French Colonial Government |
| Content | The poem was written by the most prolific Wolof Ajami poet, Serigne Moussa Ka also known as Sëriñ Muusaa Ka (1889-1963). It is a poetic elegy for Sëriñ Masamba Mbakke, the younger brother of Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba, founder of the Muridiyya Sufi order. The poem retraces his life from his birth in Mbakke-Kadjoor to his death in Kawlax (or Kaolack), highlighting his great achievements and the miracles he performed or witnessed. The poem repeatedly refers to Masamba as Bamba’s scribe, indicating that he wrote down and recited many of the saint’s poems. It places special attention on his devotion to Bamba and his advanced Islamic education. It also makes numerous mentions of his generosity to the poor, noting that he gave away significant sums of both money and livestock frequently, while eschewing personal wealth. The poem also touches on several historical events, including Bamba’s exile to Gabon, his travels in Mauritania and Senegal, and tensions between the Murids and the French colonial government. Readers will notice several metaphors that appear in the document: the comparison of the Murid order, embodied in Bamba, to the ocean; that of a train, tickets and baggage for one’s life and achievements, and that of the eyes and vision, wherein the author refers to Shaykh Amsatu as the pupils of his eyes. But above all, the poem shows the intense personal connection between Masamba and Bamba, his spiritual father. |
| Genre | Poem |
| Language | Wolof |
| Script | Wolof Ajami |
| Manuscript condition | Handwritten, good condition |
| Type | Handwritten |
| Publisher | Unpublished |
| Provenance | Touba, Senegal |
| Source Reference | Fallou Ngom’s personal collection |
| Access condition and copyright | These materials are subject to copyright and are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 4.0 License, which permits non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. For use, distribution or reproduction beyond these terms, contact Professor Fallou Ngom (fngom@bu.edu). |
| Contributors | Fallou Ngom, Elhadji Djibril Diagne, Cheikh Mouhamadou S. Diop, Daivi Rodima-Taylor, Gana Ndiaye, Martin Aucoin, Eric Schmidt, Alison Parker, Frank Antonelli, Shawn Provencal, and Mark Lewis. |
| Required citation information | Fallou Ngom (PI), Elhadji Djibril Diagne, Cheikh Mouhamadou S. Diop, Daivi Rodima-Taylor, Martin Aucoin, and other contributors. 2022. “Elegy for Sëriñ Masamba Mbakke.” https://sites.bu.edu/nehajami/the-four-languages/wolof/wolof-manuscripts/marsiya-serin-masamba-mbakke/ |
Manuscript
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Transcription and Translations
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Multimedia