The Kingdom of the Ganda people is the largest of the traditional kingdoms making up Uganda, comprising all of Uganda’s central region, bordering Lake Victoria, and including the capital Kampala.
Nanayanja,
beat the drum, let it speak out…
In Praise of Sorghum
A Rukiga farmers’ song in praise of sorghum, one of their staple crops, from the Bakiga “people of the mountains”, who straddle the border between northern Ruanda and southern Uganda.
Sorghum, sorghum, O sorghum,
sorghum and Kiga are one…
The Horn of My Love
An Acoli girl’s love song from northern Uganda, collected and translated by the famous Ugandan poet Okot p’Bitek, author of Song of Lawino. It would be sung during the ortak or courtship dance.
Where has my love blown his horn?
The tune of his horn is well known…
Hunters Prayer
An Acoli prayer from Uganda. We hear the words of a hunter perparing for the hunt and praying that his spear will be adequate.
The spear with the hard point,
Let it split the granite rock…
His Eyes Died Long Ago
An Acoli poem from Uganda, describing the process of cataracts gradually clouding the eyes of a teacher, eventually resulting in blindness.
His eyes died long ago,
You can see clouds in them…
The Homestead of Death’s Mother
An Acoli death-defying dirge from Uganda, sung by relatives of the deceased as they arrive for the Guru Lyel ceremony. See also the poems Close to Her Husband and If Death were not there.
Fire rages at Latima, oh,
Fire rages in the valley of River Cumu…
