We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the son of the esteemed Yorùbá poet, Lanrewaju Adepọju (1940 — 2023), for providing both the transcription and translation into English of a poem from Chief Adepọju’s collection (see also Ìlú le! and I Dreamt of Riches).
Adepọju, who identified himself as an akéwì (a poet within the ewì tradition of modern Yorùbá poetry), was honored with the title ọjọgbọn elewì (“professor” or “the wisest” among ewì poets). (1)
An akéwì is a poet who mirrors the society, using events around him to create imagery for entertainment, information, education and admonition as well as counselling as the case may be. That is an akéwì. He must not fold his arms and sit down complacently when things are not normal in the society.
Lanrewaju Adepọju interviewed by Oyeniyi Okunoye
Popular Poetry, Politics and the Violated Populace
Cambridge University Press
“Ibi A Baye De L’ewu” (translated here as “World in Dangerous Times”) is crafted in the manner of a “fire and brimstone” sermon, employing vivid imagery of judgment and eternal damnation to call for repentance. Adepọju scrutinizes his society, denouncing the hypocrisy and vice he perceives around him. (2)
In translating his father’s ewì verses into English, Olayiwola Adepọju adopts a rhyming couplet format, a structure absent in the original poem. Yet, through this adaptation, Olayiwola captures the fervor of the original, conveying the force of Lanrewaju’s admonitions with remarkable intensity.
World In Dangerous Times
It’s foretold, when the world’s end draws near,
Younglings of three shan’t flee the lash in fear,
Child shan’t heed mother’s voice,
The opulent, obstinate they shall be,
Prophesied thus, though warned of deceit,
Mankind shall resist.
Upon my deep pondering, suspicion took hold,
Holy scriptures’ words, like curses strike and unfold,
Mankind, not blinded, yet in bad acts stumbles astray,
Loud warnings echo, yet stone-deaf ears sway,
Cursed acts performed, yet prayers they seek.
Admonition they loath, only praise they crave,
God they blaspheme, an offence grave,
The Devil, now they hail as saviour.
Mankind disdains Jesus,
Muhammad belied by the ignoramus,
Their messages, they dismiss as falsehood,
Spitting on Al-Qu’ran, the Bible they withstood.
Masquerade’s dance, throng will trace,
Swindler’s decorated lies, in multitude, they’ll embrace.
Even as masquerade strikes with a cane, they’ll still follow,
Where’er he heads, they’ll follow,
As the swindler wards them off, they’ll still crane.
Jesus, who wields no cane in hand,
They unfollow and withstand,
Muhammad, also devoid of such,
Mankind’s support, he lacks as much.
Let windstorm rage, so you may unravel forest’s heart,
Let timber fall, then you may unveil snake’s borrow so covert,
Let Muslims chant “One God” in mosques with zeal,
Alas! Mockery, Mankind’s scornful lips will reveal,
To witness lips with mocking flare,
Let Christians sing “Hallelujah” in church’s air.
A cleric seeking disgrace, let him preach aloud,
Before a home with ears, yet deaf to sound,
In the backyard of one, cultural values bereft,
A comrade to the devil yet.
Wife no longer heeds husband’s calls,
His honour fades within the home’s walls,
Attire, never donned by anyone afore,
Now adorns mankind’s neck, a shift in lore.
Hey!
World’s end draws near, let’s tread wide awake,
The world is in dangerous times, humanity at stake,
Lost on the journey, unable to find the way.
Present folk have relished the morning prime,
Indeed, they’ve lived afternoon to its fullest chime,
Evening life, all creation lives at this time.
Goat feasts on my cassava, I cry aloud to dispel,
Ewe grazes on my yam flour, ‘kahi’ I cry to repel,
Hen pecks at my beans, a shoo I send,
Mankind oppresses, my verses to them I lend.
The goat, my cry it heard, yet deaf remained,
The ewe, despite my ‘khai’, on fours sustained,
Heard my call, yet the ewe held its ground.
The hen that I shooed and shooed,
An unyielding heart makes it unmoved,
Countless men, for whom poems of counsel I’ve spun,
Ears atop their heads, yet deaf ears they turn.
Should my warnings meet ears of stone,
If after my repeated caution, they ignore the tone,
If ‘khai’ to the goat brings no reprieve,
A rod’s birching, it shall receive,
The ewe shunning ‘khai’, a stone will defeat,
A bunch of brooms will birch the hen,
Which heard shoo, yet did not flee and ken,
God will decree divine justice for all malefactors then.
He who shuns counsel in this worldly sphere,
Shall surely bear affliction in afterlife, a fate severe,
In this world, hardened hearts may reign,
Ego finds no place in grave’s domain.
Here is the poem in the original Yorùbá.
Ibi A Baye De L’ewu
Wọ́n ti sọ pé b’áyé bá fẹ́ parẹ́,
Ọmọ ọdún méta ò ní máa sá fún ọrẹ́ mọ́n,
Ọmọ ò sì ní máà gbọ́ t’ìyá mọ́n,
T’olówó t’ọlọ́rọ̀ ní o sì y’olóríkunkun,
Wọ́n ní táa bá kìlọ̀ èké títí,
Aráyé ò níí gbà.
Mo wáá ronú títítí ara n fu mí,
Àwọn ọ̀rọ̀ tí n bẹ n’ínú ìwé mímọ́n ti n jà bí èpè,
Ọmọ ẹ̀dá f’àì fọ́ lójú, wọ́n n kọ’sẹ̀ nínú ìwà íbí,
Aráyé n gb’áriwo wọ́n di l’étí gbọin,
Ọmọ ẹ̀dá hùwà èpè tán, wọ́n n retí àdúrà.
Ìbáwí ò wù wọ́n mọ́n, ó tẹ́ wọn l’ọ́rùn ká yìn wọ́n lásán,
Aráyé ti f’ẹnu sháátá Olúwa Ọba,
Èṣù Ọ̀dàrà ló kù tí wọn n pè l’ólùgbàlà.
Ọmọ ènìyàn tí fí Jéésù jẹ̀wọ̀ jẹ̀wọ̀,
Àwọn aláìmọ̀nkan ti mú Mùhámmádù l’ónírọ́,
Wọ́n n’írọ́ ni gbogbo iṣẹ́ táa rán wọn,
Wọ́n ti f’Alukùráánì síntọ́, wọ́n fi Bíbéélì dá hẹ̀.
B’éégún bá n jó aráyé ó maa tèlé egúngún,
B’óní jìbìtì bá n pọ́n ‘rọ́ l’éwé, pitimu l’èèrò ọ́ pọ̀.
B’éégún bá n nà wọ́n l’ọ́rẹ́, ọmọ aráyé ó sì maa tẹ̀lé egúngún,
Wọn a máa b’égúngún re ‘bi egúngún bá ti n lọ,
B’óní jìbìtì bá n lé wọn s’ẹ́yìn wọn a sì maa nàgà.
Jéésù tí ò nà wọ́n lọ́rẹ́,
Wọn kìí tẹ̀le lọ,
Ànábì tí ò nà wọ́n lọ́rẹ́,
N l’ọmọ aráyé ò gbárùkù tì.
Ẹ jẹ́ k’áfẹ́fẹ́ o fẹ́, kẹ́ẹ mọ̀n b’ígbó ti rí n’ínú,
Ẹ jẹ́ k’áràbà ó wó, kẹ́ẹ r’ísà ejò,
Ẹ jẹ́ kí Mùsùlùmí ó kọrin LáìLáà ní mọ́ṣọ́lááṣí,
Kẹ́ẹ wá wo yẹ̀yẹ́ l’étè ọmọ adáríhurun,
Bẹ́ẹ bá fẹ́ r’étè ìyọ́ṣùùtì,
Kẹ́ẹ jẹ́ k’áwọn ìgbàgbọ́ o k’álelúyà ní ṣọ́ọ́ṣì wò.
Àlùfáà tó bá fẹ́ tẹ́, ẹ jẹ́ kó ṣe wáàsí l’ójú òde gbangba,
N’íwájú ilé ẹni tó l’étí lórí, t’étíi wọn ti di,
L’ẹ́yìnkùlé ẹni tí ò mọyì àṣà,
Tó ti d’ọ̀rẹ́ èṣù.
Ìyàwó ò gbọ́ t’ọkọ n’ílé mọ́n,
Baálé ilé ti tẹ́ n’ílé,
Ẹ̀wù t’ẹ́nìkankan ò wọ̀ rí ti d’ọ́rùn ọmọ enìyàn.
Héè!
Àtúbọ̀tán ayé ò jìnà mọ́n, ẹ jẹ́ ká máa rìn nínú ìfura,
Ibi a b’áyé dé ti l’éwu,
Ẹ̀dá ti r’ìrìn àjò dé ‘bi tí ò gbé mọ̀nà.
Èèyàn ìwòyí ti jayé òwúrọ̀ tán,
Kódà, wọ́n ti jayé ọ̀sán bùṣe,
Ìgbésí ayé ìrọ̀lẹ́ ni gbogbo ẹ̀dá wà.
Ewúrẹ́ n jẹ mí ní láfún, mo kígbe m’éwúrẹ́,
Àgùtàn n jẹ mí l’élùbọ́ mo ké káì m’ágùtàn,
Ádìẹ́ ògògó n jẹ mí l’érèé mo se súù s’ádìẹ,
Ọmọ ẹ̀dá n jayé ìbàjẹ́, mo k’éwì f’éèyàn.
Ewúrẹ́ gbọ́ ‘gbe tí mo ké, ọmọ ewúrẹ́ kọtí ikún,
Mo ké káì m’ágùtàn títí o f’ẹsẹ̀ mẹ́rẹ̀ẹ̀rin dúró tandi,
Àgùtàn n gb’áriwo kò dáhùn.
Adìẹ́ ògògó tí mo ṣe súù súù sí,
Orí kunkun ò jẹ́ k’ádìẹ ó sálọ,
Ọ̀pọ̀ ẹ̀dá tí mo ti k’éwì ìmọ̀ràn fún láyé,
Wọ́n l’étí lórí wọn ò gbọ́ràn.
Sùgbọ́n, bí mo bá wí wí wí, tí gbogbo wọ́n bá kọtí ikún tán,
Bí mo bá kìlọ̀ kìlọ̀, bó bá ṣe pé kò lábọ̀,
B’éwúrẹ́ ò bá gba káì, yóó sì gba ‘gi,
B’ágùtàn ò bá gba káì, yóó gb’òkò.
Òṣùṣù ọ́wọ̀ ní ó kìlọ̀ f’ẹ́yẹ tó gbọ́ súù tí ò họ,
Èdùmàrè ní ó ṣ‘òfín ìwà fún gbogbo oníbàjẹ́ eyàn.
Ẹni tí ò bá gbà ‘mọ̀ràn l’áyé,
Yóó kúkú gba fìtínà alákeji,
L’áyé la ti n’ípá oríkunkun,
Làlàkokofẹ̀fẹ̀ ẹ̀dá ti tán ní sàréè.
by Lanrewaju Adepọju,
transcribed and translated in English by Olayiwola Adepoju.
Footnotes
- See “Yoruba Ethnogenesis and the Trajectory of Islam” from Christianity, Islam, and Orisa-Religion: Three Traditions in Comparison and Interaction, by J. D. Y. Peel. 2016, pp.167.
- Born to a Muslim family in Ibadan, Adepọju explored various religious traditions throughout his life. He initially embraced Christianity and engaged with traditional Yorùbá religious practices in his youth before ultimately returning to Islam, founding the Wahhabi-inspired sect, the Universal Muslim Brotherhood (Jam’iyyatil-Ukwatil-Islamitil Aalamiyah) in the 1980’s. His early poetry, such as the 1972 collection Ìrònú Akéwì, incorporated elements of Yorùbá metaphysics and adapted traditional oral poetic forms like Ifá, raŕà, and Ṣango praise chants. However, following his turn to Islamic fundamentalism in the 1980s, his poetry began to reflect Salafist teachings. See The Transition from Yorùbá Metaphysics to Islamic Aesthetics in Ọláńrewájú Adépọ̀jù’s Poetry by Stephen Toyin Ogundipe.
