Mfalme Edipode

Mfalme Edipode is the acclaimed Swahili translation of Sophocles' classic Greek tragedy, Oedipus Rex (Oedipus the King). Translated by the distinguished Tanzanian scholar and diplomat Samuel S. Mushi, this work is a cornerstone of African translated literature.

The play explores the harrowing journey of King Oedipus of Thebes, who unknowingly fulfills a chilling prophecy: that he would kill his father and marry his mother. Mushi’s translation is celebrated for its poetic depth and its ability to transplant the gravitas of ancient Greek drama into the rhythmic and expressive nuances of the Swahili language, making it a staple for secondary and university-level literature (Fasihi) studies across East Africa.