Mbaé Trambwé, the poet king

In Washili, in the heart of Ngazidja, the village of Koimbani keeps the memory of a ruler unlike any other: Mbaé Trambwé. The elders describe him as a wise and pious man, and above all as the greatest poet of his time. He is still called the “poet king”.

The storytellers tell how, to quarrels between villages and matters of honour, he did not respond with the sword. He would summon the opponents to the square, listen to them at length, then speak to them in riddles and parables. Each would search for the meaning of his words, and as they searched, their anger subsided; when the key was finally given, each understood that it was about them. More than once, it is said, men who had come armed went away reconciled.

His proverbs and maxims, inspired by Islam and the wisdom of the elders, have come down through the generations. More than his victories, it is his eloquence that people remember.

In Koimbani, the places of his power are still shown: the old palace, the public square of Shangani where assemblies were held, and the royal tombs. Every year, the village honours his memory with exhibitions, dances and poetry evenings.