ẸGBÀÁ ṢÁ L’OWÓ ỌKỌ (YORUBA) – A Yoruba Cultural Ditty

Egbaa sa l’owo oko, pere!

Oke m’efa ma ni t’ale.

Egbaa sa l’owo oko, pere!

Oke m’efa ma ni t’ale.

Oko r’aso, o nje teru,

Ale r’aso, o nje sanyan,

Ijo t’iyawo ba wo sanyan s’orun,

Oko la o ma ki ku inawo e o,

Oko sa l’olori aya,

Ase’da’nu sa ni t’ale je o.

(ENGLISH TRANSLATION BY DELE AJAJA)

The husband’s obligation is two thousand cowries, only!

The concubine’s liability is 120,000 cowries.

The husband’s obligation is two thousand cowries, only!

The concubine’s liability is 120,000 cowries.

The husband purchases a dime-a-dozen clothe (for the wife,)

The concubine buys the pricey velvet (for the woman,)

The day the wife wears the pricey velvet,

The husband would be hailed (inadvertently) as the caring one,

The husband is the head of the household,

The concubine is the loser in the endgame.

The husband is the head of the household,

The concubine is the loser in the endgame.