– Witticism at its Best
“Won ni ki n’ma su s’epo, mo su s’epo, won o ba mi wi rara. Won ni ki n’ma to s’ala, mo to s’ala, won o ba mi wi rara. Won ni ki n’ma fi iko-oode nu’di, mo fi nu’di, won o ba mi wi rara. Akeke lo ni ki won ma t’ori mi ke, aja lo ni ki won ma t’ori mi ja.…
(ENGLISH TRANSLATION BY DELE AJAJA)
“I was instructed not to defecate on palm-oil; I defecated on palm-oil, but I wasn’t chastised. I was forewarned not to urinate on the immaculate vestment; I urinated on the immaculate vestment, but I wasn’t reprimanded. I was counseled not to wipe fecal matter with parrot’s tail-plumes; I wiped waste matter with parrot’s tail-plumes, but I wasn’t reproved. (Words get lost in translation in the remaining part – it involves playing with words – ripostes.) The ‘axe’ forbids them from crying over me; the ceiling precludes them from rebelling over me…”
IMAGE: Yoruba entertainers.
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