A Dinka song from southern Sudan, commenting in satirical fashion on the vanity and greed of the gentleman in question.
I saw a gentleman the other day:
He had coils on his lower arm…
Hunters Prayers
A prayer of the San bushmen, calling to the Moon to assist the hunter the following day. In the prayer the hunter describes how he will steal the yolk of an ostrich’s egg while the ostrich is actually sitting on the nest.
Ho moon lying there,
Let me early tomorrow see an ostrich…
Is the Chief greater than the Hunter?
An Akan song from Ghana, sung by professional hunters. The song’s argument is that hunters, with all their skills and bravery, are greater than chiefs, who depend on hunters for their luxuries.
Is the chief greater than the hunter?
Arrogance! Hunter? Arrogance!…
Crocodile
A Sotho poem from Lesotho, in praise of the crocodile.
The crocodile is the invoker of the rain waters,
The black one of the pool…
The Yerima Mohammadu
An extract from a Kanuri Praise-Poem from the ancient Bornu kingdom of northern Nigeria. The Yerima was an official responsible for the defence and general administration of the northern part of the Bornu kingdom and was invariably the grandson of a Sultan.
The Yerima is like a prancing horse whose legs are not hobbled,
Like a camel which wanders where it will without a halter…
Salute to the Olu Oje Onpetu Lineage
An extract from a Yorùbá praise-poem from Nigeria. According to legend, Olu Oje was one of the first kings of the ancient Yorùbá city of Ilé-Ifẹ̀.
Offspring of Layimese who was invited to assume a chieftaincy title,
Because of a chieftaincy title he went to Oje…
