Unit 3: Serigne Khalil Mbacké

Videos
Community Images
Pedagogical Activities

Metadata

TitleConversation with Serigne Khalil Mbacké 
InterviewerFallou Ngom
SubjectAjami poetry, geography, travel, education, the United States
ContentIn this interview, Serigne Khalil Mbacké (Sëriñ Xaliil Mbàkke in the standard Wolof Latin script orthography) discusses his upbringing, education, and how he acquired Wolof Ajami literacy. He also reflects on the relationship between Wolofal poetry and Arabic poetry. He discusses how he developed interest in world geography and started composing Ajami poems on that topic as a result of the influence of his late grandfather, Serigne Saliou Mbacké  (1915-2007) or Sëriñ Saalihu Mbàkke in the standard Wolof Latin script spelling. He shares how his grandfather, who served as the Caliph of the Muridiyya Sufi order of Senegal from 1990 to 2007, was well versed in world geography and used to discuss this subject with him. He shares his views on the educational value of traveling and explains why he documents the geography of the countries he visits in the form of Ajami poetry. He notes that using Google and maps, and writing poems on the geography of the countries he visits (United States, France, Belgium, Italie, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde, etc.), allows him to better understand those countries and travel in them more easily. The excerpt of the poem he reads in this interview was written during one of his trips to the United States.
LanguageWolof
ScriptWolof Ajami (locally called Wolofal)
LocationTouba, Senegal
Pedagogical content/applicationIncludes relevant linguistic, stylistic and cultural skills as identified in our assessment guidebook/ ACTFL guidelines
Access condition and copyrightThese materials are subject to copyright and are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 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).
ContributorsFallou Ngom, Ablaye Diakite, Daivi Rodima-Taylor, Sam Niang, Elhadji Djibril Diagne, Gana Ndiaye, Alison Parker, and Frank Antonelli.
Required citation informationFallou Ngom (PI), Ablaye Diakite, Daivi Rodima-Taylor, Elhadji Djibril Diagne, Sam Niang, and other contributors. 2023. “Conversation with Serigne Khalil Mbacké.” https://sites.bu.edu/ria/wolof/wolof-unit-3/

Videos

Wolof with English Subtitles

Wolof with Latin Script Subtitles

Community Images

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  • Fii moo di Angal Sëriñ Fàllu Mbàkke ca Tuubaa. || This is Serigne Fallou Mbacké’s Corner in Touba.

  • Ab xasidaab Seex Ahmadu Bamba bi ñu bind mbind mu rafet te wekk ko ci ab néeg. || A poem of Shaykh Ahmadu Bamba beautifully written and hung on a wall.

  • Sëriñ Fàllu Ngom (féete càmmooñ), ak Sëriñ Xaliil Mbàkke (nekk ci digg bi), ak Sëriñ Saam Ñaŋ (féete ndayjoor) ñoo ngi taxaw ci buntu këru Sëriñ Xaliil. || Mr. Fallou Ngom (left), Mr. Khalil Mbacké (center), and Mr. Sam Niang (right), all standing at the door of Mr. Khalil’s home.

  • Aw miir wu ñu bind: Ahlu Khidmatul Khadīm ak waa-kër Maam Seex Ibraahima Faal, Lamp al-Muridīna. || Written on a compound wall: The servants of the Servant [of the Prophet] and the followers of Mame Cheikh Ibrahima Fall, the Light of the Muridiyya.

  • Tablo bii di wone Seex Ahmadu Bamba (féete càmmooñ) ak Sëriñ Muntaxaa Mbàkke (féete ndayjoor) bokk na ci yi ñu defaroon ngir waajal Màggalu atum 2020 [18 Safar 1442 AH]. || This billboard showing Shaykh Ahmadu Bamba (left) and Serigne Mountakha Mbacké (right) is one of those made in preparation for the 2020 Màggal (annual pilgrimage to Touba commemorating Bamba’s deportation to Gabon in 1895 by the French colonial administration).

  • Fii ci biir Tuubaa-Mbàkke la dend ak Jumaa ju Mag ji. || This photo was taken in Touba-Mbacké next to the Great Mosque (not visible in the photo).

  • Bërëb bii moo jàkkaarloo ak Jumaa ju Mag ji ci Tuubaa. Armeel yi féete ko gànnaaw. || This plaza faces the Great Mosque in Touba. The cemetery is located behind it.

  • Li ñu bind ci nataal bii and ak gaynde gi te nekk ci benn buntu kër ca Tuubaa moo di: Jërëjëf Muhammadu Lamiin Baara Mbàkke! || Written below this image of a lion on the door of a house in Touba is “Thank you Mouhamadou Lamine Bara Mbacké!”

  • Ab deseŋ bu nekk ci ab miir fa Jurbel di wone Maam Seex Ibra Fall (mi sol lu ñuul li) ak sëriñam Seex Ahmadu Bamba (mi sol lu weex li). Li ñu ci bind ci Wolofal moo di: Jërëjëf Sëriñ Tuubaa! || A drawing on a wall in Diourbel showing Mame Cheikh Ibra Fall (in black) and his Sufi master Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba (in white). Written to the left of Cheikh Ibra Fall in Wolof Ajami is “Thank you, The Master of Touba (Bamba)!”

  • Tablo yiy wone fi lopitaal bu mag bi tudd Matlabul Fawzayni nekk ca Tuubaa. || Signs indicating where the major hospital, called Matlaboul Fawzaini, is located in Touba.

  • Fii moo di Daaray Kaamil te ñu koy woowe itam Maktabatul Shaykhul Khadim. || This is Daaray Kaamil, also known as Maktabatul Shaykhul Khadim (Shaykhul Khadim Library).

Pedagogical Activities

Glossary
Notes
Exercises
Wolof Keyboard

Glossary

  1. Añ b-: Lunch
  2. Araf b-: From Arabic ḥarf, letter
  3. Araf wu góor g-: A male letter meaning a consonant in Wolof
  4. Araf wu jigéen j-: A female letter meaning a vowel in Wolof  
  5. Arūd b-: From Arabic ʿarūḍ, the study of poetic meters
  6. Bahru b-: From Arabic baḥr, meter or poetic genre in Wolof
  7. Bayit or Bëyit b-: From Arabic bayt, a metrical unit of poetry, verse
  8. Bes or bis b-: Day
  9. Bindoo: Characterized, shaped
  10. Ci keppaar g-: Under the guidance, guardianship, supervision, or tutelage of
  11. Daahira or daayira: Religious organization
  12. Dëkk b-: Town, city, village. When used as a verb, it means to live, reside, dwell, inhabit
  13. Dex g-: River, stream
  14. Eskëy! An interjection expressing satisfaction or approval, commonly used in religious discussions
  15. Falsafa: From Arabic falsafa, philosophy
  16. Fànn w-: Topic, domain, subject matter, field, area
  17. Fekke: To witness, take part, attend
  18. Gerte g-: Peanut
  19. Jukki: To excerpt, extract, take from, retrieve. When used as a noun (jukki w-), it means unit, chapter, section
  20. Lim: To enumerate, tally, count. When used as noun (lim b-), it means number, figure
  21. Loyalu b-: Keyboard
  22. Mbay m-: Farming, agriculture
  23. Mbindum wesar m-: Prose writing
  24. Mbootaay m-: Organization, association, assembly, institution
  25. Melosuuf: Geography
  26. Njàng mu gaaw: Intensive learning, crash course
  27. Peese: From French peser, to weigh, evaluate, or assess 
  28. Siyaare: From Arabic ziyāra, to pay a visit, often used for a pious visit to a religious leader or site
  29. Toftal: To add words
  30. Toq b-: Drop, small amount
  31. Waxtaan w-: Discussion, conversation

Notes

  1. Aji Màkka: To perform the pilgrimage to Mecca, one of the five pillars of Islam. Every Muslim must make the pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime if they have the means.
  2. Dal: To stay somewhere, to be hosted. In some contexts, criticize. In Senegalese culture, guests are to be well treated. Because guests are regarded as silent critics, hosts are expected to ensure that there is nothing bad to say about them.
  3. Sànc daara: To create a Quranic school. It is regarded as an honor in Wolof society and one of the ultimate goals of many Quranic school students.
  4. Sëriñ Saaliw Mbàkke par Serigne Saliou Mbacké: One of the sons of Shaykh Ahmadu Bamba (1853-1927), the founder of the Muridiyya Sufi order of Senegal. He served as the fifth Caliph of the Muridiyya from 1989 to 2007. His major achievements include founding and improving numerous Quranic schools in Senegal, especially in the city of Touba. He is also remembered as the founder of the largest “school-farm” in Khelcom in the 1990s where students pursue Islamic studies and work on farms to support their communities.
  5. Tuubaa or Touba: Capital of the Muridiyya Sufi order of Senegal founded by Shaykh Ahmadou Bamba in the 1880s. It is the second largest and fastest growing city in Senegal.
  6. Xelkom or Khelcom: Name of one of the “school-farms” founded by Sëriñ Saaliw Mbàkke, the fifth Caliph of the Muridiyya.

Exercises:

Comprehension || Writing || Listening / Speaking and Conversation || Cultural Competence

Comprehension: Video

Comprehension: Image

Writing

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Listening / Speaking and Conversation

  • Tënk ak tontu ay laaj. Tënkal li widewoo bi ëmb ci sa gis-gis ci kanamu say naataango. Boo noppe, ñu laaj la ci nga wax.

Cultural Competence

  • Woneel aada  ngëm-ngëm yi gën a am solo ci biir widewoo bi.