Epic of Sundiata

Sundiata ka sangaa waati

These books were made by students of Grand Street Campus High School in Brooklyn, New York, USA in collaboration with artist Cooper Holoweski. We send them with love and peace to the children of Ganalé,

Mali.

56 Bogart StreetBrooklyn, NY 11206www.nurtureart.org

Books for: MaliNURTUREart Education ProgramsIn partnership with buildOn

2012

Nare Fa Maghan was the king of the small kingdom of Mali. He was married to Sassouma and had a son named Dankaran Touman.Nare Fa Maghan touyé Mali mansakể yé. A touyé Sassouma furu , ani deen kelé toubể a bolo otoko ko Dankaran Touman.

One day, a hunter arrived in Nare Fa Maghan’s court with the prophecy that if he married a hunchback woman, he would have a powerful son to become king.Dodola, dossokểdo nana Nare Fa Maghan ka sokono , kafo agnana ko aka mosso danto furu. Omanakể, abena deen do soro mi bena kể mansakeyé.

Soon after, two more hunters arrived with a magic hunchback woman named Sogolon Kedj. She was the human double of a buffalo in the countryside.Dooni okofể, dossokể fila werể nana ni mosso danto yé mi toko yé Sogolon Kedji. Sogolon Kedji touyé sigui yelểma yé.

True to the prophecy, Nare Fa Maghan had a child with the buffalo woman, Sogolon Kedju and named him Sundiata.Sébagaya kono, Nare Fa Maghan yé deen soro sigui yelểma mosso fể miyé Sogolon yé. Deen toko ko Sundiata.

Maghan’s first wife, Sassouma was jealous of the Sogolon and upset that her son would not become king.Maghan mosso folo, Sassouma keleyara Sogolon ka deen kola ka dakan alé deen tana sé ka kể mansakể yé Sundiata koro.

Sundiata was a very slow learner. He was physically sick and mentally weak as a child.Sundiata ka famouyali tou kaguểlin . Alé touyé banabakatoyé farissogola ani hakilila deemisséni yala.

In spite of his limitations, King Maghan gave his griot to Sundiata.

Obểni ataw taw mansakể Maghan yé a ka djiliba di Sundiata ma.

One day, King Maghan died.

Dodola, Maghan sara.

The King’s oldest son, Dankaran Touman became the new King as Sundiata was unfit to serve.Dankaran Touman kera mansakể kourayé, ka da kan, Sundiata kou té sé ka fossi kể.

During this time Sassouma insulted Sogolon and Sundiata and treated them poorly.Dankaran ka fanga kono, Sassouma yé nenini ani toroya tiaman da Sogolon ani Sundiata kan.

Sundiata soon taught himself to walk with the bowed iron cane as a teenager.

Sundiata tora ka a yểrể déki tama la ni a ka néké beré yé.

Everyone celebrated Sundiata’s strength!

Sundiata ka télééni diara bểyé.

Dankaran and Sassouma were very upset by Sundiata’s strength and made Sundiata and his mother, Sogolon, leave Mali.Dankaran ni Sassouma keliyara Sundiata ka tama la fo ka dimi ka Sundiata ani Sogolon labo Mali kono.

While in exile Sundiata grew up traveling throughout West Africa.

Kato a n’kounfểể, Sundiata bognana, ayé, taama tiaman kể farafina worodugu kono la la.

He became stronger everyday and learned to hunt.

Dokodo, do toubể fara a ka Fagan kan, ayé dossoya déki.

One day Sundiata met some other people from Mali at a market in Mema and they told him that Mali was conquered by the evil king Soumaoro.Dodola , Sundiata ni mali mogo dow bin na Mima soukou la. Oulou ya fo Sun-diata yé ko Soumaoro yé Mali mina.

Soumaoro banished Dankaran from Mali and took over the kingdom as his own.Soumaoro yé Dankaran Touman guin ka bo Mali kono, ni kassoro ka Mali kể a yểrể tayé.

Soumaoro took Sundiata’s griot as his own and took Sundiata’s half-sister as his wife.Soumaoro yé Sundiata ka djeli kể taa, ka Sundiata dogo mosso furu ểé.

Sundiata traveled back to Mali and created a great army to destroy Sou-maoro, assembled from all of the lands he had traveled growing up.Sundiata sékina a ko Mali la, ka kélểton ba dla, sanko a ka sé ka Soumaoro mina.

He gathered horsemen, archers and fighters during his journey back to Mali.

A yé sotigui, tamantigui ani kéléketiể tiaman fara gnonkonkan , a ka tama bolofể kana Mali la.

Sundiata’s army fought Soumaoro’s army and won every battle.

Sundiata ka kelểbolo yé Soumaoro ka kelểbolo la ton yorobểla , ka sé oula.

However, Soumaoro’s magic made him impossible to kill. He would disap-pear and teleport from one place to another.Obểna taw taw, Soumaoro ka souya doni ya to a massé ka faga. Soumaoro bể to ka tounou, ka tla kana a yérểyé iko djina mory.

Discouraged, Sundiata spoke with soothsayers on how to harness his super natural powers.Sundiata kononaguan nể yé dougou koungninina fara gnonkon kan, ka férể gnini Soumaoro ka souya la.

The council of soothsayers told him to sacrifice 100 white oxen 100 white rams and 100 white roosters.Koungninina ya yira ko ka sarakabo. Saraka fin yé michi toura diểman kểmể, saga djigui diểman kểmể ani dounoukoro diểman kểmể.

Sundiata’s half-sister and griot approached him during the slaughter to tell him that Soumaoro’s sacred animal was the rooster.Kểlểkonona la, Sundiata dogo mosso ani a ka djeliba yafo a yé ko Soumaoro lakari yé dounoukoro yé.

During a battle Sundiata shot Soumaoro in the shoulder with his arrow. This arrow killed Soumaoro.Kểlể konona la, Sundiata yé Soumaoro soko a kamankouna ni o bignể yé. O kểra Soumaoro saya sababouyé.

After winning the battle and killing Soumaro, Sundiata invited leaders of the 12 kingdoms to join his great empire. A kểlé ka Soumaoro faga, ka kele tiekouya ta, Sundiata yé diamana tani fila mansakểou wélé ka fara a ka diamana kan.

The Empire of Mali was born and Sundiata ruled over the empire until his death in 1255.O kểra Mali diamana na tioko yé, Sundiata tora fanganla foka saya sé a ma sann 1255.

Derek AbbeyAlex Adeyeye

Yasin AliBubakar BahAbif BhuiyanRochelle BishErika Bravo

Darick BuenoRoy Bull

Jonathan CaraballoGerardo Castillo

Ackeda ChambersShakira Charles

James ChenDanasia Darden

Kensa DialloMiguel EspinosaLonnaya Evans

Charlie FernandezMaoly FernandezCristian Garcia

Juanisabel GarciaKelly Gazca

Chelsea GibsonJesenia Ginyard

Wayne GoodenMonique GordonMarlena GrahamJesebua Gunyanl

Essence HayesMario Henry

Marissa HenryElizabeth HigginsNoimal HossainTiarra JacksonSatara Kelley

Jing LinMable Lou

Ayana MajorShequla Mason

Kevin MataShamar McBeanCory McCarthyDaniel McRaeJulio MoralesAmala Mubel

Jeffery Norman Jr.Ginelie Olliviere

Darien OrtiezNadira Persand

Daija RamirezKaren RamirezKarina Ramirez

Vanessa RamirezRun Rampatsingh

Tansib RazzakiDianna Rivera

Varitca RodriguezSaisha Ryan

Jerome SmithMayreli TaverasAlexsa TokitinoKevin VasconesBrian VazquezPeterson Victor

Elvis VidalJhyrell Wallace

Emily WangKhadijah Wiggins

Nareba WilsonStanley Wu

Krisly M ZamorMateusz Zuba

In collaboration with Cooper Holoweski

NURTUREartMolly O’Brien

Chioma Ebinama

buildOnKimmy Kunkle

Mat Pryfogle

Thanks for your support:Angel Colon

Mr. DialloRoseena Haniff

Afsana HyeMelissa Norman

And our generous sponsor:Barclays Wealth