🔊 The fifth planet was very strange. It was the smallest of all. There was a lamplighter, somewhere in the heavens, on a planet which had no people.

Sayari ya tano ilikuwa ya ajabu sana. Ndiyo ilikuwa ndogo kuliko zote. Kulikuwa na mwasha taa, mahali pengine mbinguni, kwenye sayari isiyokuwa na watu.

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lamplighter /ˈlæmplaɪtər/

n. Mtu anayewasha na kuzima taa za barabarani.

🔊 "It may well be that this man is absurd. But he is not so absurd as the king, the conceited man, the businessman, and the tippler. For at least his work has some meaning. When he lights his street lamp, it is as if he brought one more star to life, or one flower. When he puts out his lamp, that sends the flower, or the star, to sleep. That is a beautiful occupation. And since it is beautiful, it is truly useful."

"Huenda kisima huyu mtu ni mpumbavu. Lakini si mpumbavu kama mfalme, mwenye kiburi, mjasiriamali, na mlevi. Kwa sababu angalau kazi yake ina maana fulani. Anapowasha taa yake ya mtaani, ni kana kwamba anaileta nyota moja zaidi uhai, au ua moja. Anapozima taa yake, hiyo huileta ua, au nyota, usingizini. Hiyo ni kazi nzuri. Na kwa kuwa ni nzuri, basi ina manufaa kweli."

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absurd /əbˈsɜːrd/

adj. Kisicho na maana, kipumbavu, chenye kuchanganya.

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conceited /kənˈsiːtɪd/

adj. Mwenye kujiona muhimu, mwenye kiburi.

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tippler /ˈtɪplər/

n. Mlevi, mtu anayekunywa pombe kwa kawaida.

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occupation /ˌɑːkjuˈpeɪʃn/

n. Kazi, shughuli, jukumu la kufanya.

🔊 When he arrived on the planet he respectfully saluted the lamplighter.

Alipofika kwenye sayari hiyo, alimsalimu mwasha taa kwa heshima.

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respectfully /rɪˈspektfəli/

adv. Kwa heshima, kwa adabu.

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saluted /səˈluːtɪd/

v. Kusalamu, kutoa heshima (hasa kwa namna rasmi).

🔊 "Good morning. Why have you just put out your lamp?"

"Habari za asubuhi. Kwa nini umemaliza kuzima taa yako?"

🔊 "Those are the orders," replied the lamplighter. "Good morning."

"Hiyo ndiyo amri," mwasha taa alijibu. "Habari za asubuhi."

🔊 "What are the orders?"

"Amri gani?"

🔊 "The orders are that I put out my lamp. Good evening."

"Amri ni kwamba nizime taa yangu. Habari za jioni."

🔊 And he lighted his lamp again.

Naye akawasha taa yake tena.

🔊 "But why have you just lighted it again?"

"Lakini kwa nini umeiwasha tena?"

🔊 "Those are the orders," replied the lamplighter.

"Hiyo ndiyo amri," mwasha taa alijibu.

🔊 "I do not understand," said the little prince.

"Sielewi," mfalme mdogo alisema.

🔊 "There is nothing to understand," said the lamplighter. "Orders are orders. Good morning." And he put out his lamp. Then he mopped his forehead with a handkerchief decorated with red squares.

"Hakuna cha kuelewa," mwasha taa alisema. "Amri ni amri. Habari za asubuhi." Naye akazima taa yake. Kisha akafuta paji la uso lake kwa leso iliyopambwa kwa miraba myekundu.

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mopped /mɑːpt/

v. Kufuta (hasa jasho) kwa kitambaa.

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forehead /ˈfɔːrhed/

n. Paji la uso, sehemu ya juu ya uso chini ya nywele.

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handkerchief /ˈhæŋkərtʃɪf/

n. Kitambaa kidogo cha kubeba mfukoni kwa ajili ya kufuta uso au kamasi.

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decorated /ˈdekəreɪtɪd/

v. Kupamba, kuongeza urembo.

🔊 "I follow a terrible profession. In the old days it was reasonable. I put the lamp out in the morning, and in the evening I lighted it again. I had the rest of the day for relaxation and the rest of the night for sleep."

"Ninafuatia taaluma mbaya. Zamani zilikuwa na maana. Nilizima taa asubuhi, na jioni niliwasha tena. Nilikuwa na siku iliyobaki kwa kupumzika na usiku uliobaki kwa kulala."

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profession /prəˈfeʃn/

n. Kazi ya kitaaluma, taaluma.

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reasonable /ˈriːznəbl/

adj. Kina mantiki, kinavyoeleweka, kisicho na ubaguzi.

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relaxation /ˌriːlækˈseɪʃn/

n. Kupumzika, kujiburudisha, wakati wa utulivu.

🔊 "And the orders have been changed since that time?"

"Na amri zimebadilishwa tangu wakati ule?"

🔊 "The orders have not been changed," said the lamplighter. "That is the tragedy! From year to year the planet has turned more rapidly and the orders have not been changed!"

"Amri hazijabadilishwa," mwasha taa alisema. "Hiyo ndiyo msiba! Mwaka hadi mwaka sayari imezunguka kwa kasi zaidi na amri hazijabadilishwa!"

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tragedy /ˈtrædʒədi/

n. Janga, tukio la kusikitisha sana, hasara kubwa.

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rapidly /ˈræpɪdli/

adv. Kwa kasi, kwa haraka.

🔊 "Then what happens?" asked the little prince.

"Basi nini hufanyika?" mfalme mdogo aliuliza.

🔊 "Then—the planet now makes a complete turn every minute, and I no longer have a single second for repose. Once every minute I have to light my lamp and put it out!"

"Basi—sayari sasa hufanya mzunguko kamili kila dakika, na sina hata sekunde moja ya kupumzika. Mara moja kila dakika lazima niwashe taa yangu na kuzima!"

🔊

repose /rɪˈpoʊz/

n. Kupumzika, utulivu, usingizi.

🔊 "That is very funny! A day lasts only one minute, here where you live!"

"Hiyo ni ya kuchekesha sana! Siku inadumu dakika moja tu, hapa unapoishi!"

🔊 "It is not funny at all!" said the lamplighter. "While we have been talking together a month has gone by."

"Hiyo si ya kuchekesha hata kidogo!" mwasha taa alisema. "Tulipokuwa tukizungumza pamoja mwezi umepita."

🔊 "Yes, a month. Thirty minutes. Thirty days. Good evening." And he lighted his lamp again.

"Ndio, mwezi. Dakika thelathini. Siku thelathini. Habari za jioni." Naye akawasha taa yake tena.

🔊 As the little prince watched him, he felt that he loved this lamplighter who was so faithful to his orders. He remembered the sunsets which he himself had gone to seek, in other days, merely by pulling up his chair; and he wanted to help his friend.

mfalme mdogo alipomtazama, alihisi kwamba alimpenda huyu mwasha taa ambaye alikuwa mwaminifu sana kwa amri zake. Alikumbuka machweo ambayo yeye mwenyewe alikuwa amekwenda kuyatafuta, siku nyingine, kwa kuinua tu kiti chake; na alitaka kumsaidia rafiki yake.

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faithful /ˈfeɪθfl/

adj. Mwaminifu, asiyegeuka, anayeshikilia ahadi.

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sunsets /ˈsʌnsets/

n. Macho ya jua, wakati jua linapozama.

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merely /ˈmɪrli/

adv. Tu, kwa urahisi, bila ya juhudi nyingine.

🔊 "You know," he said, "I can tell you a way you can rest whenever you want to..."

"Unajua," alisema, "naweza kukuambia njia ambayo utapumzika wakati wowote unapotaka..."

🔊 "I always want to rest," said the lamplighter.

"Mimi hutaka kupumzika kila wakati," mwasha taa alisema.

🔊 For it is possible for a man to be faithful and lazy at the same time.

Kwa maana inawezekana kwa mtu kuwa mwaminifu na wavivu wakati huo huo.

🔊

lazy /ˈleɪzi/

adj. Mvivu, asiyependa kufanya kazi.

🔊 The little prince went on with his explanation:

Mfalme mdogo aliendelea na maelezo yake:

🔊 "Your planet is so small that three strides will take you all the way around it. To be always in the sunshine, you need only walk along rather slowly. When you want to rest, you will walk—and the day will last as long as you like."

"Sayari yako ni ndogo sana hivi kwamba hatua tatu zitakufikisha kuzunguka kabisa. Ili uwe daima kwenye jua, unahitaji tu kutembea polepole kidogo. Unapotaka kupumzika, utatembea—na siku itadumu kadri unavyopenda."

🔊

strides /straɪdz/

n. Hatua kubwa za kutembea.

🔊 "That doesn't do me much good," said the lamplighter. "The one thing I love in life is to sleep."

"Hiyo haifai mimi sana," mwasha taa alisema. "Kitu kimoja ninachopenda maishani ni kulala."

🔊 "Then there's no help for it," said the little prince.

"Basi hakuna msaada," mfalme mdogo alisema.

🔊 "There is no help for it," said the lamplighter. "Good morning."

"Hakuna msaada," mwasha taa alisema. "Habari za asubuhi."

🔊 And he put out his lamp.

Naye akazima taa yake.

🔊 "That man," the little prince said to himself, as he continued farther on his journey, "that man would be scorned by all the others: by the king, by the conceited man, by the tippler, by the businessman. Nevertheless, he is the only one who does not seem to me ridiculous. Perhaps that is because he is thinking of something else besides himself."

"Huyo mtu," mfalme mdogo alijiona mwenyewe, alipokuwa akiendelea na safari yake, "huyo mtu angechukuliwa kwa dharau na wote wengine: na mfalme, na mwenye kiburi, na mlevi, na mjasiriamali. Hata hivyo, ndiye pekee ambaye haoni kwangu kuwa mjinga. Labda hiyo ni kwa sababu anafikiria kitu kingine zaidi ya nafsi yake."

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scorned /skɔːrnd/

v. Kudharauliwa, kudhihakiwa, kutozingatiwa kwa dharau.

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ridiculous /rɪˈdɪkjələs/

adj. Kichekesho, kisicho na maana, cha kudhihaki.

🔊 He sighed regretfully, and said to himself again:

Aliugua moyo kwa majuto, na akajiona mwenyewe tena:

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regretfully /rɪˈɡretfəli/

adv. Kwa majuto, kwa huzuni kutokana na jambo lililotokea.

🔊 "That man is the only one of them all whom I could have made my friend. But his planet is indeed too small. There is no room on it for two people..."

"Huyo mtu ndiye pekee miongoni mwao wote ambaye ningeweza kumfanya rafiki yangu. Lakini sayari yake ni ndogo sana kweli. Hakuna nafasi juu yake kwa watu wawili..."

Chapter XIV (Sura ya Kumi na Nne)