Oral Poetry from Africa
A very old Ngoni poem from Malawi. This was a poem traditionally performed at weddings, but became popularly sung at other occasions such as church meetings. The refrain, ‘the earth does not get fat’, refers to the earth constantly consuming the dead.
The earth does not get fat.
It makes an end of those who wear the head plumes
An Acoli poem from Uganda, taunting the person foolish enough to try to block the speakers path. The poem was collected and translated by the famous Ugandan poet Okot p’Bitek.
Coward, crawl back into your mother’s womb!
We are sons of the brave
A song of a Shona clan from Zimbabwe, boasting of the invincibility of their ancestors as a warning to other rival clans. The ‘Sons of Chihuri’ say that their enemy has taken on more than he bargained for.
We, the grandsons of Makomo,
are not treated like that!
No one in this country plays with us…
A Kipsigi war song from Kenya. Though the song describes the army and its exploits, the purpose of the raid is to capture cattle, this time from the Masai (see also the Cattle Raid). The names in the song are of people and places.
Child’s mother oo wo ho
Child’s mother oo wo ho
A Chaha song from the Gurage people of Ethiopia. The song recommends hard work and cooperation as a cure for poverty, and explains how vanity and recklessness are its causes.
One expels and drives away poverty
By holding the gaza-wood of the plough,
A Yorùbá poem from Nigeria, and among the noblest of all Ìjálá (hunters’ chants). Many different versions of this chant have been published, but all reveal the same admiration and wonder at this animal’s qualities.
Elephant, opulent creature, elephant,
huge as a hill even when kneeling:
Elephant, robed in honour,
a demon, flapping fans of war:
