Some Yoruba Poetry (Ewi) and Praise Songs (Oriki)

[Ebeezy]

Yoruba Naming Ceremony
Ewi Poem by Abiodun Adepoju

listen to this ewi here

OLOMO LO LAIYE
EDUMARE WA FUN WA LOMO AMUSEYE
OMO TII TOJU ARA
TII TOJU ILE
TII TOJU BABA
FUN WA LOMO ATATA
TII MUNU IYA DUN.

OMO TITUN TO WAS SILE AIYE
OBI AORE ATOJULOMO
EMA JU ALEJO OMO TITUN
OROGBO LO NI KOO GBO SAIY
KOO GBO PELU DERA.

OMO OWO KII KU LOJU OWO
BEE NI OMO ESE KII KU LOJU ESE
OMO WA O NII KU
TIYIN NAA O NI DAGBEGBIN BI ISU

ODOODUN LA NROROGBO
ODOODUN LA NRAWUSA
ODOODUN LA NROMO OBI LORI ATE
LODUNLODUN NI LOLORUN O FOMO RERE
KE BGOBO EN TO NWOMO.

BIBI LA BIMO TUNTUN
EDUMARE JOMO TUNTUN O DAGBA
LOUN NAA O SI DOLOMO TUNTUN
KULUKULUKULU OMO WEERE
LODEDE GBOGBO WA.

ABOYUN MU KO BI TIBI TIRE
A KII GBEBI EWURE
AKII BGEBI AGUTAN
LOJO IKUNLE ABOYUN
KA FBOHUN IYA
KA GBOHUN OMO TITUN

WEREWERE LEWE NBO LARA IGI
GBEBE NII RO KOKO LAGBALA
A TABOYUN A TI KOKO
YIO ROYIN LORUN
GBEDEMUKE
GBEDEMUKE

OMIDAN TO NWOKO
KOLUW O FUNWON LOKO RERE
APON TIO LAYA
GBAIYA RERE KO WON LONA
AIYA ELESO
OGEDE KII GBODO DO YAGAN

JE KIWON O FOWO BOSUN
KIWONSI FI PAMO LARA
A TOMIDAN A TAPON
WA DAWON LOHUN LASIKO

AGBE NII GBERE PADE OLOKUN
ALUKO NI GBERE PADE OLUSA
KOLUWA O GBOMO RERE
PADE AWA
EYIN AWA EYIN

BINA BA KU A FEERU BOJU
BOGEDE BA KU A FOMO RE ROPO
OLOYE KU FOLOYE SILE LO
OJI TAA BA PAJU DE
OMO RERE NI KO JOGUN WA

ABO MI REE
EMA PE O GBABO MI
ABIODUN A JI KUGBA ORIN
ERUWA NILE ILE BABA MI
ERUWA DJOKO AGBE DUDU
ORI OKELE
AKUKO GAGARA KII KO L’ERUWA
AGBE NII DAJOWON
EMI ABIODUN ADEPOJE LUNFOHUN BI AGBA.


Translation
To have a child, is to have joy in life.
God give us a child that we can be proud of.
A child who takes care of the family,
that takes care of the home,
that takes care of the father.
Give us a precious child,
that makes the mother happy.

The baby is newly arrived.
Parents, friends and acquaintances, you are all
commended for the baby;
May the baby have a long life.
A long life in comfort.

The child will not die while in the hands.
The child will not die while across the lap.
Our baby shall not die.
Yours shall not be buried like a yam.

Bitter Cola appears every year.
Yearly does Awusa herb appear
Colanuts surface every year.
May God give good children yearly.
To all those who want children.

Indeed, a new baby is born.
May God bless him with old age so that he may reproduce.
Lots of children, intelligent from their infancy, shall be in our home.

May the pregnant mother deliver safely
Goats never go through midwifery.
Sheep never go through midwifery.
On the pregnant woman’s delivery day,

We shall hear the mother’s voice;
we shall hear the baby’s voice.

A ripe leaf drops easily.
The cocoa in the courtyard is always green.
For the pregnant mother and the child about to be born,
it will be easy; gently, gently.

To the unmarried women, may God give them good husbands.
As to the unmarried men, may they have good wives;
Good childbearing wives.
May you not be barren.
To the would be mothers,
May you succeed in having children.
The unmarried woman and the unmarried man,
may your requests be granted.

Good things shall be ours.
We shall attain goodies.
God shall present us with good children.
To us, to you, to all of us together.

When one dies, a survivor is to replace him.
Substitution is essential.
A dead leader leaves a living leader behind.
On the day that we die,
may we leave a precious child to inherit our wealth.

Here, I pause; this is my pause.
I , Abiodun, from a young age, sings two hundred songs.
Eruwa is my home town; my father’s town.
Eruwa Ojoko, with a black parrot, on Okele hill.
It is not a cock that crows at Eruwa,
it is a parrot that makes the town’s announcements.
It is Abiodun Adepoju that talks like the elders.

[Sophia]

nice

[Efizzybaby]

can we get to listen to it?

[Ebeezy]

audio link added

[Ebeezy]

Ewi lati gba eniyan niyanju - Poetic word of advice
Courtesy of Mr. Folarin Ganiyu

Nibi ka ta gele aşa - where we tie the traditional headtie

Ka gba tiro ferefe - and traditional eyeliner (tiro)

lo difa f'omidan to'n wa ọkọ - and consult Ifa about the young lady seeking a husband

oge fila n rele oge gele - dons cap and heads home, ties headtie

a kii f'arewa p'ale ka ni yi - we dont call a beautiful woman a prostitute and be dignified

otito inu pelu iwa irele - honesty and humility

ni mu takọ tabo gbayi loju ara wọn - is what makes male and female recieve honor in their family's eyes

Işoro oni ayọ lọla ni - problem today, will be joy tomorrow

Ẹ patan mọ o, - Put the story telling aside

Ijii oran nja - the storm of trouble is fighting

[Ebeezy]

Odò kan, odò kàn – A river, a river,
Tí n be láàrin ìgbé – That is located amidst the forest,
Ará iwájú kò gbodò débe – The senior citizens must not get there,
Èrò èyìn kò gbodò débè – The junior citizens must not get there,
Èmi Àdùké débè mo bù bójú – I Àdùké got there and I fetched to wash my face,
Ojú mi wá dojú oge – My face has become that of a bride,
Ìbàdí mi di ìbàdí ìlèkè – My waist has become a waist with beads,
Ìlèkè tí e bá kà tí ò pé – If you count the bead and it is incomplete,
Elégbé mi, e tú mi láso lo - My comrades, strip off my dress from me,

Source

[Ebeezy]

E gbóhùn enu mi egbémode – Listen to my voice, fellow hunters,
Mò n regbó òdájú o! – I am going to a fearful forest,
Eni tó níyàá kó padà léyìn mi – The person who still has mother should not followme,
Eni tó ní baba ni kó kálo – The person who has father is to follow me,
Èmi nìkan nígbó onígbó – I was alone in a bizarre forest,
Èmi nìkan níjù olòtè – I was alone in a dodgy thick forest,
Èmi nìkan níbi efòn gbé n jà takotabo – I was alone where male and female buffalo were fighting.

source

[~Abeke~]

nice.. luv it

[dols]

i love ewi's,

[LMJ]

Ewis are great. The one I always remember is Ise ni oogun ise. Lemme see if I can recount sef

Işẹ loogun íşẹ
Múra síşẹ ọrẹ mi
Işẹ la fì n dẹni giga
Bi a ko ba reni fehinti
Bi ole laa ri
Bi a ko ba reni gbekele
A tera mose eni
Baba re lee lowo Lowo
Iya re lee lesin leekan
Bi o ba gboju le won
O te tan ni mo so fun o
Ma fowuro sere oree mi
Mura sise ojo nlo

[Motunrayo]

I love ewi's. Thanks Luv Nyce