example, when she is

the chosen wife, to bring along tales of disorder in the harem, or of the negligence of this or that wife in her work; the women settle the small problems among themselves so that they never reach the husband. This vexed my father at first, but before long he grew easy with the arrangement, and he once confided to me that he was content with this state of affairs, and preferred not to be reached by the women's problems, which the wisdom of men is powerless to solve!!

As for marriage in Nigeria, it is a matter in which private and public alike take part. I still remember the first marriage in our family: my eldest brother, then seventeen years of age, decided that the time of his marriage had come — and that, of course, was not the result of his having made the acquaintance of some girl. He went to my mother and asked her to choose his bride for him, since it is the parents who give the final decision, after dis-cussing the matter with the elders of the family. The meetings kept convening and adjourning for two weeks; at last the general opinion settled on a visit to the house of a girl in the nearby quarter. All the members of the family, even the little ones, took part in this official visit; the servants carried the gifts, and the conversation ranged over every subject except the subject of the visit. All the while my brother was watching the graceful girl come and go with the trays of hospitality. At last my father rose and addressed the girl's father: "My eldest son would be honored to take your daughter as his first wife, and it is our honor to join with you in this matter" — while the girl had vanished, perhaps behind some wall, straining her ears for the happy news!!

The girl's father received this question with a smile, without answering, and everyone returned home while the negotiations went

forward between the two families; at the third meeting the bride and groom met, and the date of the wedding was fixed... Among us it is forbidden for the betrothed pair to go out together, or to meet alone, even during the engagement; the first meeting comes on the wedding night. Two weeks before it, the girl came to my mother to receive from her the arts of pleasing her husband: the kinds of food he likes, what sort of clothing to wear, then how to walk and how to smile — even how to care for the child with whom she would honor the family. Then the bride returned to her father's house, where she remained awaiting the great event.

My brother's friends gathered in circles for drinking and merriment, and so did the bride's companions; then her procession set out toward our dwelling, she in resplendent attire, a gown studded with jewels, her guardians walk-ing at her side, and behind her the men of her kin carrying the gifts and the goods, which exceed the bride-price in value. When all had arrived, they laid out the gifts at the door of my brother's house for every passer-by to admire; then a sumptuous table was spread, around which sat the bridal pair and their intimates; and when all had eaten, my brother took the cup of wine, drank from it, and offered it to the bride, who took it, knelt upon her right knee, sipped a little, and returned it to him; and the celebration went on until a late hour of the night.

Life went its regular round in the palace, but I began to notice a new topic entering the women's talk: my brother's wife, who was slow in conceiving the child that would honor her husband and his family. The poor thing came to my mother to express her deep regret, like every wife who feels the responsibility laid upon her

shoulders; and what she proposed was that another wife be taken for him. My mother reassured her, and called her to hope and to cast off despair. And indeed, at the end of the year my brother married another woman, in whose choosing his first wife took part; and not long afterward the first gave birth to a male child, who restored the family's affection to his mother, and gifts poured in upon her from every side. And thus a new generation began in the unfolding age of our nation!...

Bouh — Poems and Songs

At last... it has appeared

Bouh

Poems and Songs

Edvick Jureidini Shayboub

You will find it in all the bookshops