When I Die

When the sun has set for me and the stars should have blinked no more, When the time for me to go and see my friends on the other shore, When the breath that I have loved for seventeen years have ceased, Please, know it's already my evening sun, a fallen son of Mama Kipronoh. Do cry your tears for it will be the first and the last time seeing me happy For all these years I've been a lachrymose son of my mother, Let the hills of Sigor know that the son of Kisiara has gone to the ocean of haunting spectres, Be humbled by your tears, and accord me my due respect. When I die, let Marriam come home, Give her my share of land, For her farm of simsim is where we grew our love, For she is my all-time sinecure! But I promise her that in case she leaves my body to the maggots in my shanty that night, Then will I cause a stampede: I will refuse to get out of my hut for obsequies! When I die, I want my seven sons from different mothers to assemble near my grave Let them spit on my face as my only daughter sits far away: For I will not allow a girl like her to be near my putrefied body! When I die, tell my unborn son that he'll inherit my name, Tell him I died before I saw his face, For I'm sure a man like me always sires boys with you If in case she's a girl, woe unto you, Leave my house, for my birthday will be announced once again! When I die, I will want my books besides me Let my publishers come from where they sit down, Pocketing my hard-found publication fee Let them donate money to the pal-bearers for them to take me to my grave. Finally, when I die, Stop calling my home arap Borusei Call it the name of owls, Because I'm sure I'll die an horrible death, Yes, I'll die in vain!