To my Mother
Black woman, African woman, O mother, I think of you …
O Dâman, O mother,
who carried me on your back, who nursed me,
who governed by first steps,
who opened my eyes to the beauties of the world, I think of you …
Woman of the fields, woman of the rivers, woman of the great river, O
mother, I think of you …
O Dâman, O mother, who wiped my tears,
who cheered up my heart,
who patiently dealt with my caprices,
how I would love to still be near you.
Simple woman, woman of resignation, O mother, I think of you.
O Dâman, Dâman of the great family of blacksmiths, my thoughts are
always of you, they accompany me with every step,
O Dâman, my mother, how I would love to still feel your warmth,
to be your child that is close to you …
Black woman, African woman, O mother, thank you; thank you for all
that you have done for me, your son, so far away yet so close to you!
— Camara Laye
Summary
“To my Mother” is a heartfelt tribute by the writer, Camara Laye, to his mother, and by extension, to African motherhood, especially with his repetitive use of “Black woman, African woman.”
The poet recalls all the things his mother did for him when he was growing up in Africa. He remembers how she carried him on her back when he was little; fed him; taught him to walk; showed him beautiful things in the world; comforted him when he was sad; and put up with him when he was difficult.
Now that he is far away from home, the poet wishes he could be close to his mother again, to feel her warmth and be her little boy once more. At the end, he thanks his mother for everything she’s done for him. He says even though he’s far away, he feels close to her in his heart.
Camara Laye reechoes his family’s traditional occupation and lineage in his reference to having come from “the great family of blacksmiths,” as we have seen in his novel, The African Child.
Therefore, “To my Mother” is a touching ode to African motherhood. It captures the universal themes of maternal love and the bittersweet feelings of a child who has grown up and moved away from home.
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