Abstract

This is a translation, accompanied by a preface, of the first published novel by this Congolese writer. Although U Tam'Si's prose is classical, the novel's form is far from being linear, the narrative veers off and is subsequently woven into a complex narrative of stories, dreams, songs, proverbs, mores, imagery and symbols, some of which have their origins in African oral tradition and others that are part of U Tam'Si mythical universe. The translation is done in a literal, "foreignizing" manner according to approaches advocated by translation studies theorists such as Antoine Berman and Lawrence Venuti. This foreignizing approach rejects the prevalent requirement for fluency in translation, in order to give prominence to the alterity of the novel and the author's style. The preface describes the translator's quest for a translative position through her application of these approaches.