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
