A Drummer's Testament

Audio files for Chapter 1-22:  How Children Are Trained in Drumming and Singing

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Dakoli N-Nyɛ Bia

Dakoli N-Nyɛ Bia representative song text:

• Dakoli n-nyɛ bia; ka paɣalana n-nyɛ kpɛma.
• A bachelor is a child; a married person is senior.
• [paɣalana: a person who holds a wife]

• Ŋum mal' lana ŋun' di, Mbayee Namlana; ŋun ka lana ŋun' di di, mbayee Namlana.
• The person who has someone to hold him will eat, My God; a person who has no one to look after him will not eat.  My God!
• [Mbaye: an exclamation; Namlana:  Owner of chieftaincy (God)]

• Dakoli n-nyɛ bia, mbayee, namlana.  [as above]
• Paɣalana n-nyɛ kpɛma, mbayee, namlana. [as above]
• Ŋum' mal' lana, ŋun' di, mbayee, namlana. [as above]

• Ŋun ka lana, ŋun' ʒiya, mbayee, namlana.
• The person who has no owner (should) sit down.  My God!

• Ŋum' mal' lana, ŋun' di, mbayee, namlana. [as above]

• Ŋun kɔŋ, ŋun' ʒiya, mbayee, namlana.
• The one who has not, he (should) sit down, mbayee, namlana.

• Ŋun yɛ' ni Naawuni pa Naa, mbayee, namlana,
• The one who says God is not Chief, My God,

• ŋun' lihim' o tooni, ka lih' o nyaaŋa, ka baŋ ni Wuni saɣi Naa, namlana.
• he should look at his front and look at his back, and know God is Chief.
• [front: ancestors; back: descendants]

• Ŋun yɛ' ni Naawuni pa Naa, mbayee, namlana [as above]

• O zaŋ m' bim' muni, ka baŋ di puuni yɛlli, namlana
• He should take a round thing and know what is inside it.  My God.

• Ŋun yɛ' ni Naawuni pa Naa, mbayee, Namlana [as above]
• The one who says that God is not Chief,

• O zaŋm' shigbaŋ baŋ di tooni, ka baŋ di nyaaŋa,
• Ka baŋ ni Wuni saɣi Naa, Naadirgu.
• He should take a honeycomb and know its front and its back.
• And know that God is God, eater of (the One who has) Chieftaincy

• Ŋun yɛ' ni Naawuni pa Naa, mbayee, Namlana [as above]
• The one who says that God is not God,

• O zaŋm' tan' yini m-baŋ di nimbiɛri.
• He should take a piece of cloth and know its wrong side (bad eyes).

• Ka pa Naawuni, ka ŋuni?
• And not God, and Who?

• Ŋun' nyɛ ŋun zaŋ tinshee nabia n-zaŋ lɛbi tinshee dabli
• Ŋun' nyɛ ŋun zaŋ tinshee dabli n-zaŋ lɛbi tinshee nabia
• He is the one who takes one town's prince and makes him another town's slave.
• He is the one who takes one town's slave and makes him another town's prince.

• Ŋun' nyɛ ŋun zaŋ paɣba piilana n-zaŋ lɛbi dakoli.
• N-zaŋ dakoli zaŋ lɛbi paɣba piilana.
• He is the one who takes someone with ten wives and makes him a bachelor,
• And takes a bachelor and makes him a man with ten wives.

• N-zaŋ yil' titalilana zaŋ lɛb' yil' bililana,
• N-zaŋ yil' bililana zaŋ lɛb' yil' titalilana.
• And takes a large-house owner and makes him a small-house owner
• And takes a small-house owner and makes him a large-house owner

• Ŋun' nyɛ ŋun nam saɣimlan' bia,
• k'o ti lan doli n-vɛhir' o tab' ŋmana.
• He is the one who makes a food-owners' child
• and he then lets him eat left-over food from his fellow man's dishes (calabash).

• Ka pa Naawuni, ka ŋuni? [as above]
• And not God, and Who?

• Ŋun' nyɛ ŋun nam bundan' bia n-zaŋ o zaŋ lɛb' faralana,
• N-zaŋ faralan' bii zaŋ lɛb' bundana.
• The one who creates a rich man's child and takes him to make a poor man.
• And takes a poor man's child and makes him a rich man.

• Ka pa Naawuni, ka ŋuni? [as above]
• And not God, and Who?

• Lumbil' zaŋ lundoli niŋ o nuu ni, he ŋmɛri ka kumdi Naawuni, namlana.
• A small drummer takes his drumstick in his hand, and beats and cries God, the Chief of chiefs

• Kakpari bii zaŋ sɔglaa niŋ o nuu ni, o kɔri ka kumdi Naawuni, namlana.
• A farmer's child takes a hoe in his hand, he farms and cries God, the Chief of chiefs

• Wɔrbar' bii zaŋ galgbaŋ' niŋ o nuu ni, o bari ka kumdi Naawuni, namlana.
• A horse rider's child takes reins in his hand, he rides and cries God, the Chief of chiefs

• Tɔhi-Naa bii zaŋ tɔbu liŋgbun kpɛ mɔɣu sunsuuni, o tɔri ka kumdi Naawuni, namlana.
• The chief hunter's child takes a bow and enters the bush, he shoots and cries God, the Chief of chiefs.

• Afabil' zaŋ kariŋ gbaŋ niŋ o nuu ni, o karindi ka kumdi Naawuni namlana.
• A small maalam takes paper in his hand, he reads and cries God, the Chief of chiefs.

• Gummir' bii zaŋ gummuu niŋ o nuu ni, o miri ka kumdi Naawuni, namlana.
• A cotton-spinner's child takes a spindle in his hand, he spins and cries God, the Chief of chiefs

• Sokamo kumsi bi lɔɣi Naawuni kpiɔŋlana.
• Everyone's crying does not leave out (miss) God, the One with strength.

• Ka Ŋuni?
• And Who

• Shiri la Namlana!
• Truly, it is God! (the Owner of Chieftaincy)

• N Duuma Naawuni tumd' o kpiɔŋ tuma.
• My Lord God does his work of strength.

• Ŋun' nyɛ ŋun nam zoli, zoli yaa ka dubu m-biɛri ginda.
• He is the one who creates a mountain that cannot be climbed or passed.

• Ŋun' nyɛ ŋun nam sala n-nam' o zuɣu n-tabl' o nina.
• He is the one who makes a person and makes his head and his eyes.

• Ŋun' nyɛ ŋun nam sala n-nam' o nuhi n-tabl' o baɣri.
• He is the one who makes man and makes his hands and his arms.

• Ka pa Naawuni, ka ŋuni? [as above]
• And not God, and Who?

• Shiri la Namlana!  [as above]
• Truly, it is God!