Ulamnyi

Ulamnyi

A g’nedo enwe

The monkey is being hunted

M’enwe g'nedo

The monkey is hiding

A g’nacho umoro

The umoro is being chased

M’umoro egwuru onu gba'ala

The umoro is running and digging the burrow

Ochu nta  chutar' enyimenyi anyi

The hunter meets our elephant

gbara oso je k’te umunna ya

And goes back to tell his village 

Ulamnyi

ukwu anunebe akarima eshushua

The anu nebe is bigger than the forest

alu n’n'n  ekeme’g kpa ma alu nel'ye

No bird nests on her heights

ukwu anunebe ad’g ebo nime eshushua

The anu nebe is one in the forest

irurue gbara oso no’okpr’ ye

No grass grows under her shade

oshishi ye ejig’ ishi ulo nehu

No one builds his homestead with her wood

uroko anyi sueger’ ele oshishi lile

But our Iroko towers over the treetops

tobe ishi ke ugo b’r nelel’ ye

tobe ekparikpa ke’esha b'r

The eagle nests at the top, the weaver birds nest in the branches

uroko anyi wor' nja chere anwu

Our Iroko shields the ground from the angry sun

k’me irure ne ekarika ke'he suede

So the grass and the nettle brush can flourish

an’g acho ukwu nk'ya  acho n'ishi ulo

The wood of our Iroko holds up every roof 

Ulamnyi

mma n’eri umuya

The deity that eats her children

an’g enwe onye na awa oshi

Soon runs out of worshippers

onu ya be otobo ngwere n’eh'h

Her shrine is abandoned to termites and lizards

mma kpor’ umuya eg'

The deity that starves her children 

g’eshi we ahu ebianyi

Soon runs out of sacrifice

o’ji eri obara eh'h

Her shrine will be wetted with the blood of insects

mma anyi na’avuba umu

But our deity multiplies our children 

ochi g’nada n'onu ya

Our shrine is full of laughter

o’g neri ebule gbara agba

It overflows with the blood of fattened rams

Ulamnyi

ag’di ukwu g’d’gbo g’nada n’enyas

The footsteps of the giant echo in the night

od’ke oj' etikpo ite ofe agbayar’ n'enyekwu

May be he will break the soup pot abandoned in fright

ude omabe enyas’ evr’ enyas

The roar of the giant echoes in the night

od’ke oj' anar’ onyikonkwu agbu

May be he will pluck the tapper from the palm tree

ekpri omabe enyas evr uya bata otobo

The appetite of the giant brings famine to the village square 

akatakpa anyi n'eje n'el ekwa m’otikpog’ 

But our giant treads on eggs and does not break them

ude mmawnuanyi n’ayoshita udara k’umutakri’ hota

Our giant's breath shakes the udara tree so the children can pick 

nnukwu mmanwuanyi d’anyi etegwu n'otobo

Our giant leads the ancestral dance in the village square

Ulamnyi

onye ahuleg okpere mmnyi war’

if you have not seen the path of a river

gar’Itchi j’ahuma ngwo

go to itchi and see the valley that is there

uzo onyeukwu gar’ b'okpere war’ ngwo

the path of a great man is like that

nd’ogba okerekwu  j’ahu mmnyi n'ekwo

some generations will see the river

ne ngwo n’etiti ugwu

roaring between the hills

nd’ogba ngwere j’ahu mmnyi 

Some generations will see the river

n’ashua eyoro mkp'me eka

whispering gently to the pebbles 

nd’ogba ebshi j'ahu ngwo mmnyi yar'

Some generations will see the path left behind by the river

bia sor’anyi ruo n’ishi mmnyi anyi

Come with us to the source of our river

bia sor' uzo otiyiri n’ime eshushua

and follow the path it has cut in the forest

bia soro uzo ogbawair’ ne ngwo n’etiti ugwu

the way it has made between the hills

anyi gaji afta m’onyene a jule

now we can come out and no one will ask 

ob’ ndole b'dnwa.

where are these ones from.

Ulamnyi