Oral Poetry from Africa
Five Igbo satires from eastern Nigeria. These songs are of the type performed at the funerals of prominent people by groups of singers known as Abigbo singers. The satirical sections form only a part of the performances on these occasions, but the Abigbo singers are renowned for their eloquence and outspokenness.
A message should be taken to the Council men at Aboh,
Should the ruling of this world be with guns?
A good-humoured Igbo song from eastern Nigeria, the singer chiding an individual about the duties of hospitality towards a guest.
Woman, though you cook without ending
And leave your pot on the fire till evening,
A Yorùbá poem from Nigeria. Although the subject matter is serious the tone is light-hearted as the poet uses humour to explore the issue of social obligations in a time of hardship.
The owner of yam peels his yam in the house:
A neighbour knocks at the door.
A Hausa poem from northern Nigeria. This is an Islamic poem, composed in writing but intended for public performance. The prospect of the day of resurrection is a warning to all who do evil.
Know you that tyranny will be darkness on the Day of Resurrection,
It is the word of the Messenger of God, Muhammed…
The Fulani creation myth from northern Nigeria. Doondari is the creator. The five elements in the first half of the poem (stone, iron, fire, water and air) are carefully balanced against the five stages of man’s suffering and triumph in the second half.
At the beginning there was a huge drop of milk.
Then Doondari came and he created the stone
This is one of the 16 most important poems of Ifá, the divination system of the Yorùbá. In this long and fascinating poem we meet many of the principal Yorùbá Òrìṣà (gods) and each is characteristically described. But the central argument is that each man’s fate is ultimately decided by his own character.
Orunmila said that one always bends down when entering the doorway.
Ifa asked the question,
‘Who among you Gods could follow your devotee
to a distant journey over the seas?’..
