A Yorùbá Ìjálá (hunter’s poem) from Nigeria (see also Hunters’ Salutes). The poem describes vividly the buffalo’s attributes of speed and terrifying strength.
Buffalo, we salute you:
Butterfly of the savannah…
The Path and the River
An Ashanti poem from Ghana, an extract from a drum poem in praise of the river God Tano, addressed as “Kokon Tano” and “Birefia Tano” (see also Drum Address To The Earth Spirit).
The path has crossed the river,
The river has crossed the path…
The Honeybird
A poem of the Hurutshe people from South Africa. The honey-bird (also called the honeyguide or the hunter’s friend), will lead a hunter to a bee hive so that when he has taken the honey-combs the bird can eat the grubs.
Bird of the thorn apple trees,
Bird with more kind-heartedness than a chief…
Morning Prayers of the Elders
Two separate prayers of the Nandi people, who live in the highlands at the edge of the Great Rift Valley in Kenya. These are songs that would be recited at dawn to Asista, the Sun god, along with offerings of beer and milk.
Asista, give us health!
Asista, give us raided cattle!..
Tiger
This poem from the Ifá oracle illustrates how, through a superb description of the tiger’s hide and claws, tiger was granted honour by consulting Ifá and making sacrifice.
Ifa divination was performed for Tiger,
The one with the lovely and shining skin…
I Saw a Gentleman the Other Day
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…