ỌLỌ́RUN MỌ́ PADÀ L’ÉYÌN MI (YORÙBÁ) – A philosophical rendition by the late CHIEF ELEMURE OGUNYEMI, the legendary Ekiti (a subgroup in Yorubaland) traditional music-maker.
(Opening – spiritual adulation)
Olorun ogo, mo pada l’eyin mi,
Olorun, oba ogo, mo pada l’eyin mi o,
Oniyan ku’o ba ti ro ti, e mo i ra’re,
F’ere s’use mi, l’Odumore,
Mo yin o o-o-o-o-o o – egbe ko’ko.
REFRAIN: Olorun ogo, mo pada l’eyin mi-i-i-i,
ELEMURE: In-a-gbe-e-e-e.
REFRAIN: Olorun ogo, mo pada l’eyin mi o,
Oniyan ku’o ba ti ro ti, e mo i ra’re,
F’ere s’use mi l’Odumore,
Mo yin o o-o-o ye-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e.
Ee-ye-o, oro’yee-o, mo tun de ke’le’le,
Me-i de kan-mo mo we-mi ni,
‘Gunye mo-ye; ore ni mo se ni,
Use ori ran ni, e me ju’ko o,
Mo gb’use eleda mi de o-o-o.
I-y’ugba mo ko-i-s’ire ubile; kan-in rin mi,
Ugba mo ko-i-s’ire ubile no-in rin mi,
Ke’re ke’re mo s’ire ubile, mo ko’le,
Ke’re ke’re mo gun moto li’be, on-i-larun,
Ke’re ke’re mo gb’ure ubile re’lu oba,
Ke’re ke’re ma-a gun Mesi-oloja,
L’Ado Ewi o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o.
In-a-gbe-e-e-e.
REFRAIN: Olorun ogo, mo pada l’eyin mi-i-i-i-i-i-i,
ELEMURE: In-a-gbe-e-e-e.
REFRAIN: Olorun ogo, mo pada l’eyin mi,
Oniyan ku’o ba ti ro ti, e mo i ra’re,
F’ere s’use mi l’Odumore,
Mo yin o o-o-o e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e.
ELEMURE: O se o-o, omo yeye ti mo ni o (just a filler.)
Ori oni; eda oni, oun li m’use asela oni o-o-o,
Ira ka jo m’ese l’oyi-uro kutu, uwaju na-ba-mi,
(Continued………………………………………………)
(ENGLISH TRANSLATION BY DELE AJAJA)
God of glory, do not depart from me,
God, king of glory, do not depart from me,
The one you stand with, never suffers,
Bless my work, Almighty,
I praise you – sing with me.
REFRAIN: God of glory, do not depart from me.
ELEMURE: Sing with me.
REFRAIN: God of glory, do not depart from me,
The one you stand with, never suffers,
Bless my work, Almighty,
I praise you———————————.
Oh yeah! I have come, my enhanced self,
I don’t arrive without people knowing it,
‘Gunye, title-befitted; I’m a blessing to people,
One cannot reject what destiny orders him,
I’ve come with what providence orders me.
Look at when I started traditional music; they laughed at me,
When I started traditional music, they laughed at me,
Little by little, I engaged in traditional music and built a house,
Little by little, I owned a car with it; and they were stunned,
Little by little, I took traditional music abroad,
Little by little, I will drive a Mercedes-Benz,
Here in Ado, the Ewi municipality.
Sing with me.
REFRAIN: God of glory, do not depart from me.
ELEMURE: Sing with me.
REFRAIN: God of glory, do not depart from me,
The one you stand with, never suffers,
Bless my work, Almighty,
I praise you———————————.
ELEMURE: Thank you, my maternal sibling (just a filler.)
One’s head; one’s creator, knows the vocation that would prosper one,
The folks I started with earlier, met me on top, (Continued……………………………………………
IMAGE: The late Chief Elemure Ogunyemi – a trailblazing Ekiti Traditional Music maker
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