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Oral Poetry from Africa

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Filed Under: Pleasure Poems

Riddles — A Black Woman

Riddles are games with language, with the sounds and meanings of words. Riddling looks simple and it is done for enjoyment. Click on “Show answer” to reveal the solution to this riddle.

Debbo baleejo metta-hakkiiloojo.
A black woman with a nasty temper.

Show answer…

Shirngatawu
(An ant)


from Oral Poetry from Africa (1984),
Compiled by Jack Mapanje and Landeg White
Longman

Filed Under: Pleasure Poems Tagged With: Fulani, Riddles

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This site opens a window on something that will be new to most people, namely, the vast amount of superb poetry hidden away in the 3000 different languages spoken in Africa … More

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