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Axum / Timbuctu Lyrics by Kamau Brathwaite

Humboldt Caribbean Lit

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Brathwaite's reading of these poems can be heard on SoundCloud or by opening this annotation
AxumWith the help of the Caliph
of Heaven, who in heaven
and earth conquers all;
I, El Hassan, son of Amida,
King of Axum,
of Halen, Hemer, Rayden and
Salhen;
made war on the Noba;
fought at Takazi, by the ford
of Kemalke;
burnt town, destroyed
villages, pillaging
houses and temples
whether of stone or of straw
did not matter; splattered
blood in the corn;
burnt their altars of horn,
bronze and coppеr; threw
their dark wooden gods in thе river
and the next day moved on
till we reached the Red River ...
TimbuctuWhose gold you carry, camel,
in this cold cold world?
Whose pearls of great price?
Whose cinnamon, whose spice?
Your world of walls, o city
of my birth, rises so certain
so secure; the plains
of dust surrounding us
so kept away, so distant.
Whose gold you carry, camel,
on your hill-top back?
To what far land you now
transport our wealth?
And what wealth here, what
riches, when the gold returns
to dust, the walls
we raised return again
to dust; and what sharp winds,
teeth'd with the desert's sand,
rise in the sun's dry
brilliance where our mosques
mock ignorance, mock pride,
burn in the crackled blaze of time,
return again to whispers, dust.
Credits
Kamau Brathwaite

Kamau Brathwaite

About “Axum / Timbuctu” by Kamau Brathwaite

Read the complete lyrics to "Axum / Timbuctu" by Kamau Brathwaite from the album "Humboldt Caribbean Lit". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Non-Music.

"Axum / Timbuctu" is performed by Kamau Brathwaite. from the album "Humboldt Caribbean Lit" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Axum / Timbuctu", explore more songs by Kamau Brathwaite using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Axum / Timbuctu" is credited to Kamau Brathwaite. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Axum / Timbuctu" appears on "Humboldt Caribbean Lit".

Visit the Kamau Brathwaite artist page at /artist/kamau-brathwaite for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.