A TRIBUTE TO GISA [GENERAL FRED RWIGEMA], A YOUNG MAN WITH AN INDESCRIBABLE BEAUTY

By Alexandre Kimenyi [From Impuruza No. 17 ] December 12, 1990 Photo: -Dr. Alexandre Kimenyi (Right) -General Fred Rwigema (Left) The following is an English translation from the original Kinyarwanda of the poem "NSINGIZE GISA UMUSORE UTAGIRA UKO ASA" published in Impuruza No.17 on December 12, 1990. ===================================================
A TRIBUTE TO GISA [GENERAL FRED RWIGEMA], A YOUNG MAN WITH AN INDESCRIBABLE BEAUTY.
By Alexandre Kimenyi
December 12, 1990

It was the first day of October
The month after beautiful September
You responded positively to our call for war
As army Chief of Staff
You proudly led the front
Assisted by Bayingana and Bunyenyezi
Shinning like stars
You were ready for a major undertaking
To lead an invasion of Rwanda [October 1, 1990]
Troops and ammunitions were gathered
At dawn you crossed the Rwandan border
And quickly took your positions
Ready to open fire
During the late morning hours the fighting began
The wild boars [Hutu soldiers of the Rwandan Armed Forces]
Had the jitters when the brave soldiers [Tutsi, RPF] opened fire
Victory seemed certain.

After you witnessed their bravery
You said good‑bye to your soldiers
You told them: we are finally home [ Rwanda ]
It is time for me to hand over the torch
Do not show yourself unworthy of my sacrifice
It is our tradition to sacrifice one’s life for the sake of the progeny and the deprived
This tradition was initiated by King Bwimba [a Tutsi monarch]
It was carried on by Gihana [a Tutsi warrior whose life was sacrificed to save the monarchy]
Now, it has become a sacred ritual in the Country of Gihanga [mythical Founder of Rwanda].

Be courageous and stay away from disgrace
Fight ardently so that the name Inkotanyi [those who use a sword to kill; in feudal Rwanda , "INKOTANYI" meant "hired killers"; they were a sort of commando unit used by Tutsi Kings to kill at will, often as a ritual] inspires terror
Fight bravely to bring peace to the country
So that the fifty‑niners [Tutsi refugees of 1959] can return home with no fear or anxiety.

At noon, soldiers gathered for the final farewell
They roared: annihilators of the schemers
No high jumper will ever beat your record
Join our ancestors and receive your Medal of Honor
I praise you Gisa, you are a brave soldier, your beauty is indescribable.

Your fame and beauty have earned you name recognition abroad
Teenager girls get distracted gazing at your beautiful face
It is not surprising that you took the lead in sacrificing your life To free us from the greedy wild beasts [Hutus] To save the Drum [symbol of the Tutsi monarchy] from the bad guys [Hutus]
And you did it all in style
The real reason for your death is your praiseworthy kindness
A birthright that you share with those you are joining [Tutsi ancestors]
There is an origin to every quality
You inherited your good character from our ancestors [Tutsis]
You could never tolerate living under the orders of anyone and the humiliation of living an unsettled life abroad [Tutsi Diaspora]
You are veritably venerable and meritedly the highest ranking Inkotanyi.

We proudly accept the challenge to reach the goal that you set for us
We are Noble [Tutsis believe they are noble]
And we have the means to achieve that goal
Scores of recruits are joining the battle
We are all bravely following your footsteps
Bad news for the enemy [Hutus]
You instigated courage in all of us and nobody will ever take it away
The brave fighters [Tutsis] will drive the termites [Hutus] out of the country

[Note: The following paragraph contains some nerve‑racking insults that are close to impossible to translate into a non‑native language*]

You are a bullfighter who launched a war to free the Nobles [Tutsis]
Since you decided to use the entire arsenal
The termites [Hutus] will run out of the country
Just a few days after the first shell has landed
Those wild rats, corrupted crooks [Hutus] are already panic‑stricken
They are looters, hooligans, and killers [Hutus]
I see those traitors with bloated cheeks [Hutus] running in panic and disarray
Those thieves [Hutus] are troublemakers.

Those ugly creatures [the Tutsi mythology preaches that people of Hamitic origin are generally handsome whereas people of Bantu origin are generally ugly] are insane and furious
They are the enemies of Rwanda
They are nothing but a bunch of dishonorable dirt
Those cretins cannot think of anything but their bloated stomachs
God knows they should lose their entire progeny [this constitutes the most offending insult to a Rwandan because it is interpreted as a wish for extinction of the genetic heritage]
They are perverted damned and suckers
They are frightened by our firepower
They are losing their minds
I hear them barking like dogs
They are begging White people [French and Belgians] to protect them
And prevent us, the Nobles, from evicting or enslaving them
You omnipotently have come to our rescue
Your reward is waiting for you in the Royal Palace
Today, our children are tortured as soon as they leave their mothers’ backs [Rwandan mothers carry babies on their backs]
People waist their time working at Umuganda [self‑development community services people were doing to compensate the scarcity of technology] on roads
The Hutu King [President Habyarimana] forces our people to plant useless trees [several reforestation projects existed throughout the country before the start of the October 1, 1990 invasion]
The business community is losing its wealth taken forcibly by some stupid people [Hutus]
Under your command, we took up arms and waged a fierce war that scared the enemy.

Your watchwords and plans will be with us for ever and we will never be tired of them
Today we all are prepared for war.

You are an honorable man that admirers swear by
You are a magnificent, admirable, and great person
Those rapacious vultures [Hutus] have nothing on their minds
But to fill their stomachs just like Ngunda [a greedy person in the Rwandan mythology] or pigs
Those thugs [Hutus] destroy pastures reserved for shepherds [Tutsis]
You gave the order to make those bandits [Hutus] disappear from Rwandan villages and fields
So that noble people [Tutsis] can live there free and under self‑rule Rwigema, you are our almighty advocate There is nothing to fear; there is no doubt that we will make you happy
We are already celebrating our recovered dignity
There is no more reason to be sad, the enemy cannot laugh at us anymore
Beloved son of the Kingdom of Mutara [a Tutsi monarch], you are our guiding light
On the eve of the D‑day you got together with your assistants
You asked young fighters to be brave You made the return of the fifty‑niners possible
And now noble intellectuals [Tutsis] are going to help our country reclaim its past prestige
Now the horizon is clear and beautiful
We shall go home proud and patriotic
We shall leave all the misery abroad
We shall unit our forces to develop the country of our ancestors
You are a good‑hearted individual; a cow mother could not do better
As any good shepherd you took good care of your herds
Now that your corpse is lying in the pastureland reserved for the majestic Inyambo cows [Rwigema died in the Mutara prairie that includes the Akagera National Park and a vast area of pastureland, home of Inyambo cows, characterized by their majestic long horns; in feudal Rwanda, they constituted an exclusive property of Kings]
Let us drink your blood out of the chalice
So that our veins become so strong that we will never bleed again
Our muscles will be stronger as well
We shall always win We shall fight on and clear Rwanda of dirt [Hutus]
You were created to help and enlighten us
You are the great pillar that our homes can stand on and our precious jewels hang on
We shall follow you and never be lost under your guidance
Your remembrance shall be institutionalized by law
Live in everlasting happiness at the Royal Palace
We shall always praise your heroism Rwigema, the Courageous, the Great; you will always live in the minds of us all
As the greatest combat troops commander who wins wars and reserves special rewards for bravery Gisa, your wife and children are going to take over the lead to get us out of exile
You are a stunning warrior; there are lots of things to praise you about
But let me conclude with a promise that time and muse allowing
I shall write more poems for you, I shall create a large repertoire of poems
For the Great, Charismatic, Supernatural, and Extraordinary Man you are.

Notes:
[…] : Comments added during the translation.

Impuruza was the first newspaper of the Rwandan diaspora.
Founded by Alexandre Kamenyi in the US, the title was well chosen to describe the spirit of retaking by force of arms that political power which was lost.
In Kinyarwanda, Impuruza is the traditional drum used before colonial times by the Tutsis as a call to war.

General Fred Rwigema was the leader of the October 1, 1990 invasion of Rwanda the RPF rebels.

Dr. Alexander Kimenyi is a Rwandan national, Professor of Ethnic Studies at the California State University at Sacramento , USA .

Related Materials: The Acronym IN.YE.NZI: A Symbol of Bravery
The honours: Rwanda decorates foreign dignitaries A tribute to the Late Maj. Gen Rwigyema