Oyeku Meji
Orunmila says he will father something big;
I say that Ifa will father something big,
and Ifa fathered Farm.
Orunmila says he will father something big;
I say that Ifa will father something big,
and Ifa fathered Market.
Orunmila says he will father something big;
I say that Ifa will father something big,
and Ifa fathered War.
Orunmila says he will father something big;
I say that Ifa will father something big,
and Ifa fathered Road.
Orunmila says he will father something big;
I say that Ifa will father something big,
and Ifa fathered House,
the last one Ifa fathered was House.
After having done all this, Orunmila departed
for the house of Olokun, to read Ifa there,
where he remained for a full sixteen years.
On his return voyage home, the first son he visited
was War, who received his father with food and drink.
Thereupon Orunmila wished to relieve his bowels,
but War said that no one could relieve his bowels
in the house of War.
The second son Orunmila visited was Market,
who received his father with food and drink.
Thereupon Orunmila wished to relieve his bowels,
but Market said that no one could relieve his bowels
in the house of Market.
The third son Orunmila visited was Farm,
who received his father with food and drink.
Thereupon Orunmila wished to relieve his bowels,
but Farm said that no one could relieve his bowels
in the house of Farm.
The fourth son Orunmila visited was Road,
who received his father with food and drink.
Thereupon Orunmila wished to relieve his bowels,
but Road said that no one could relieve his bowels
in the house of Road.
The last son Orunmila visited
was his youngest child House who,
as soon as he saw his father, slaughtered
a goat, cooked large heaps of food, mashed
delicious yams, and invited his friends, all
to entertain his returning father.
When Orunmila had eaten and drunk to satisfaction,
he wished to relieve his bowels, and House opened
a room and said: "My house is yours.
My father may relieve his bowels
anywhere he wants in this room."
After Orunmila had relieved his bowels
he closed the door of the room behind him.
Not very much later Ifa again
wished to relieve his bowels, and House opened
another room which Orunmila, after
having relieved his bowels, also closed again.
Thereupon Orunmila told House to open
and clean the first room, and when House went in
he found the room full of money.
Thereupon House opened the second room,
finding it packed with valuable beads.
Then Orunmila spoke that henceforward all profits
made by Farm, Road, Market and War,
would be to the benefit of House.
Ifa says a visitor will come to see us;
we should take care of this visitor well,
so his goodness and favor will not pass us by,
for this visitor brings us abundance.
Oh yes, listen well, don't go on
before having offered a sum or object
to be determined; in order not to
call evil upon our own heads we will,
having arrived here, only go on
after having made a fine offering.
To whom shall we sacrifice, and what?
Figure it out, and while you're figuring,
take care not to forget the Iyami.
We will sacrifice against the breaking
of taboos, we will ask what to whom,
and we will not proceed until we have sacrificed,
silly! Once having sacrificed, even then
the meaning of what follows will not
be immediately clear. But that doesn't matter:
it will come. Death by contamination is
what threatens us, the spoiling of things,
the breaking of taboos... those are the things
that are threatening us. We must avoid
doing the wrong thing, either voluntary or
involuntary, knowing or unknowing, for neither
is an excuse: we must avoid doing the wrong thing,
we must avoid breaking a taboo.
So: did we make an offering now?
Good! Then we may proceed but, by the way,
do you see why Ifa is saying all these things?
Probably not, so let me tell you.
"Let us now contemplate the case of
Eri the oilnut tree, Eri is breaking, yes,
Eri bears, yes, Eri wakes up early and blooms"
was cast for Orunmila himself, on the day
that he would marry Rebellous Sleep.
Eri breaks, yes, Eri bears, yes,
in the morning I will marry, yes,
Head, also named Ori, carries the good fortune
of the child, carries the heavy abundance of the child, yes.
"Let us now consider the case of Short Stick, shaken
in order to chase dew away, two feet
battle on a narrow path" cast for
"Marry me or bury me on the day that my cloths are ready"
when returning from heaven to the earth, quietly, sneakily.
Now sit down calmly, red cloth Calico,
all you have to do is sacrifice, and
they will not take you away.
Calico fled to see what she could find.
Palm offers everything you need, Calico.
Softly she makes the desired sacrifice.
Now will the red cloths of the dead not follow them
to heaven; sacrificing for a long life,
that is exactly what the Awo does.
Be careful, don't touch, sacrifice
for immunity, that's what the awo does.
"Let us now consider the case of Clod,
mind your words, you cannot take them back,
clods break on the ground, and the cabin
on the farm keeps watch but never catches
a thief, that is the name we give to the spotted hyena"
cast for Alapa, the survivor, child of
"He who greets the awo". The person
who doesn't recognize these scarred walls,
these pock-marked faces, will never walk
in a bent way, owner of a murderous title
is Alapa, our shroud-clad visitor.
Who will grow old enough to walk in a bent way?
Strong words are out of place here, coward!
Let us now take into consideration
the case of Antilope, also called
"Who has no Beauty has no Value".
She used the tools of the blacksmith
as an amulet against the hunter.
Child of the hammer, that is what we call
the anvil, as a jewel around her neck,
gradually wore down until needle-thin,
and the needle wore down until nothing...
Well then: that's what we call old!
Brave be our song!
Offer for a long life, that's what
the awo does, offering to survive.
Eri breaks, Eri bears, Eri's crown has leaves.
In the morning I will get married, oh!
Good old potency, oh yes!
Child of Orunmila, Ifa said
that he would support me.
"Let us now consider the Red Color of Copper,
which makes it look like fire" cast for
"It's dawning, another aspect of darkness
from heaven will shine on the world,
like the king of lightning. The banana tree
comes into the world with already implicit children:
it is from heaven that I have carried
my calabash of good fortune.
Ori carries the sweet ripening of the child.
"Let us pay attention to Foam on Palmwine,
that stops at the neck" cast Ifa
for Elder who was endlessly fiddling,
fidgeting, madness, madness,
Babaluaye in the feverish head;
"Swarming insects to the rim"
was cast for Elder whose feet brought him
round and round, against the clock;
"Blunt head, turn" cast for Elder whose
back of the head was so thin that it made
his backview clouded, agitation, agitation, yes
Black death rubs itself with black paste,
red death rubs itself with osun powder;
if you don't know how to rub yourself correctly,
you are exposed to the sun going down.
They said: "Kill the Cripple and turn him
into a rope to tie the Hunchback, oh yes".
Son of Coward, who overheard these instructions,
felt his heart beat, beatebeatebeat.
"Oldest, pretending to be a man of courage,
may not stutter like a coward, no no no no,
elder Coward must not take big steps, no no no,
the drink of the Oldest Spirit makes
the instrument of Oro silent, our king does not
order a woman to undress herself just
to turn his back on her and send her away,
words... words..." was the one who cast for
Black He-goat, husband of Goat,
"Incoherent babble" cast for Ram,
husband of Bleating Sheep.
"Words like these make him obliged"
cast Ifa for Big Rooster, husband of Fat Chicken,
"Words... words..." cast for
Sturdy Owner of a straight back.
They said to him: "Kill the Cripple,
bind Hunchback with that rope,
kill Hunchback, and make cripling medicine!"
Listening, Cowards Son heard his own heart beat,
beatebeatebeat, Brave Eldest
should not speak weak words,
and cowardly tongues should not exaggerate.
"Medicine of the Spirit has put a spell on me,
the king who ordered me to undress
in the market place, shall not reject my beauty"
cast for My Extraordinary Mother, on the day
that she entered the world with many children.
Ifa said: "Where have we come to?"
"This place is called Oro", I replied,
"well-known on account of its clothing".
The people shouted: "Hail to the king!"
"Tell me, what are they doing there?"
"They give the child a name
in his fathers house," some said.
"Well then, I greet the owner of the child
in that household, praise to him whose equals
are numerous as birds, and now
I'll be on my way tho where I need to go".
That child reached a respectable age,
antilope who lives very long
made an amulet of Hammers child,
that became thin, thin,
thinner than a needle.
Ifa said: "Hmmm, we seem to have arrived
again in Oro, where the people are
determined to greet their Chief".
I said: "What's the lot of you doing?"
"Somebody marries in his fathers house".
"I greet you, owner of the women in this compound,
and the bride, whose beauty is beyond words,
how untouched she is! Now
it is time for me to go".
When she became pregnant, her child
grew up to be a man, beauty
creates courage, oh yes.
Again we arrived in Oro,
Ringer, slave of the night,
is the painters bird: drip drip.
Fleeing death, Wagtail went to the house
of contamination, then came back with
"You shouldn't have rubbed yourself with red";
Ringer escaped to "The boiling mixture grabbed me",
and from there to the place of the owner of horses,
where there's nothing to worry about, no-no, yes-yes.
If you greet me coolly, don't expect
enthousiasm; if you greet me indifferently,
I will react casually; if I greet you
with feeling, you should react in kind;
I shall say: "Hello Baba, oh yes,
greetings, honored elder citizen",
do you understand?
The said that equal parties should
be put against each other in battle.
This we did. None could beat the other.
Father-unexpectedly-choose-birth
begat the father of Kill-him-bury-him;
I-wish-I-knew-the-reason is the order
that killed unexpectedly...
I shall kill him and cut him in pieces,
that's what I shall do, and I
will show it to my friend!
"Ifa makes everything alright" cast for
the Alake in the land of the Egba;
"He who mashed the yams while he
was hindered by long gowns, in accordance
with the wish of his wife, saved his city"
cast for the people of Ijesha.
Only one woman makes her husbands happiness.
Once there are two, evil is the name
we give to their conspiracies; once
there are three, peace in the house
is disturbed because the new one gets blamed;
once there are four, there is sweetness...
but for whom? Try figure that out.
If my mother hadn't given me to you,
I wouldn't be in this situation now;
once there are five, one word is sufficient
to send you packing; once
there are six, the one who stands at her
market stall near the border of the city, cudgel
in hand: "It depends on the first customer
how sales will go today"; once
there are seven, they call each other witches,
because seven is the number of Our Mothers.
Twenty virgins, however unlikely, forty head scarfs:
an insecure person shall not call
my father by name.
Father of crackling fire is different, father
with beating wings of the kite is different,
father of rain drumming down on the roof
is different, beating the bata drum on its way
to the mushy swamp to convince
the aimless spirit. Grab the child,
there is something we need, whips
to beat the skins of our batas. Look,
he wears no pants, no underpants,
naked as the day he was born,
softly, softly, outside,
his bare self, exposed
to all kinds of weather,
dancing the dance
of the returning dead.
Between ceiling and roof
it was Attic who eavesdropped,
heard everything,
house in the borough of Igbore
in Abeokuta.
Medicine up there,
hanging from the rafters,
perversely elevated,
made Attic collapse and die:
too much of a good thing
was too much of a good thing.
The result of this was them talking
about wooden Staff split and reunited,
the kind that children use as a doll.
This one will consult Ifa
on account of those we love.
Well doctor, let it not
anymore tear the life of our loved one,
let our loved one not be taken from us,
Orunmila, let our loved one
not be broken.
Heaven forbid,
cinders and rattles.
You who knows how to fight,
empty walls,
rotted rafters,
thank you very much,
Master Killer,
greetings,
Masked Burglar,
thank you,
greetings,
Warrior,
softly softly, oh yes,
this is the story of Oyeku Oyeku.
Greetings to the slim chance of survival,
greetings! Ifa says
this person and his town will both spoil if,
when coming home, no sacrifice is made.
I say that Ifa will father something big,
and Ifa fathered Farm.
Orunmila says he will father something big;
I say that Ifa will father something big,
and Ifa fathered Market.
Orunmila says he will father something big;
I say that Ifa will father something big,
and Ifa fathered War.
Orunmila says he will father something big;
I say that Ifa will father something big,
and Ifa fathered Road.
Orunmila says he will father something big;
I say that Ifa will father something big,
and Ifa fathered House,
the last one Ifa fathered was House.
After having done all this, Orunmila departed
for the house of Olokun, to read Ifa there,
where he remained for a full sixteen years.
On his return voyage home, the first son he visited
was War, who received his father with food and drink.
Thereupon Orunmila wished to relieve his bowels,
but War said that no one could relieve his bowels
in the house of War.
The second son Orunmila visited was Market,
who received his father with food and drink.
Thereupon Orunmila wished to relieve his bowels,
but Market said that no one could relieve his bowels
in the house of Market.
The third son Orunmila visited was Farm,
who received his father with food and drink.
Thereupon Orunmila wished to relieve his bowels,
but Farm said that no one could relieve his bowels
in the house of Farm.
The fourth son Orunmila visited was Road,
who received his father with food and drink.
Thereupon Orunmila wished to relieve his bowels,
but Road said that no one could relieve his bowels
in the house of Road.
The last son Orunmila visited
was his youngest child House who,
as soon as he saw his father, slaughtered
a goat, cooked large heaps of food, mashed
delicious yams, and invited his friends, all
to entertain his returning father.
When Orunmila had eaten and drunk to satisfaction,
he wished to relieve his bowels, and House opened
a room and said: "My house is yours.
My father may relieve his bowels
anywhere he wants in this room."
After Orunmila had relieved his bowels
he closed the door of the room behind him.
Not very much later Ifa again
wished to relieve his bowels, and House opened
another room which Orunmila, after
having relieved his bowels, also closed again.
Thereupon Orunmila told House to open
and clean the first room, and when House went in
he found the room full of money.
Thereupon House opened the second room,
finding it packed with valuable beads.
Then Orunmila spoke that henceforward all profits
made by Farm, Road, Market and War,
would be to the benefit of House.
Ifa says a visitor will come to see us;
we should take care of this visitor well,
so his goodness and favor will not pass us by,
for this visitor brings us abundance.
Oh yes, listen well, don't go on
before having offered a sum or object
to be determined; in order not to
call evil upon our own heads we will,
having arrived here, only go on
after having made a fine offering.
To whom shall we sacrifice, and what?
Figure it out, and while you're figuring,
take care not to forget the Iyami.
We will sacrifice against the breaking
of taboos, we will ask what to whom,
and we will not proceed until we have sacrificed,
silly! Once having sacrificed, even then
the meaning of what follows will not
be immediately clear. But that doesn't matter:
it will come. Death by contamination is
what threatens us, the spoiling of things,
the breaking of taboos... those are the things
that are threatening us. We must avoid
doing the wrong thing, either voluntary or
involuntary, knowing or unknowing, for neither
is an excuse: we must avoid doing the wrong thing,
we must avoid breaking a taboo.
So: did we make an offering now?
Good! Then we may proceed but, by the way,
do you see why Ifa is saying all these things?
Probably not, so let me tell you.
"Let us now contemplate the case of
Eri the oilnut tree, Eri is breaking, yes,
Eri bears, yes, Eri wakes up early and blooms"
was cast for Orunmila himself, on the day
that he would marry Rebellous Sleep.
Eri breaks, yes, Eri bears, yes,
in the morning I will marry, yes,
Head, also named Ori, carries the good fortune
of the child, carries the heavy abundance of the child, yes.
"Let us now consider the case of Short Stick, shaken
in order to chase dew away, two feet
battle on a narrow path" cast for
"Marry me or bury me on the day that my cloths are ready"
when returning from heaven to the earth, quietly, sneakily.
Now sit down calmly, red cloth Calico,
all you have to do is sacrifice, and
they will not take you away.
Calico fled to see what she could find.
Palm offers everything you need, Calico.
Softly she makes the desired sacrifice.
Now will the red cloths of the dead not follow them
to heaven; sacrificing for a long life,
that is exactly what the Awo does.
Be careful, don't touch, sacrifice
for immunity, that's what the awo does.
"Let us now consider the case of Clod,
mind your words, you cannot take them back,
clods break on the ground, and the cabin
on the farm keeps watch but never catches
a thief, that is the name we give to the spotted hyena"
cast for Alapa, the survivor, child of
"He who greets the awo". The person
who doesn't recognize these scarred walls,
these pock-marked faces, will never walk
in a bent way, owner of a murderous title
is Alapa, our shroud-clad visitor.
Who will grow old enough to walk in a bent way?
Strong words are out of place here, coward!
Let us now take into consideration
the case of Antilope, also called
"Who has no Beauty has no Value".
She used the tools of the blacksmith
as an amulet against the hunter.
Child of the hammer, that is what we call
the anvil, as a jewel around her neck,
gradually wore down until needle-thin,
and the needle wore down until nothing...
Well then: that's what we call old!
Brave be our song!
Offer for a long life, that's what
the awo does, offering to survive.
Eri breaks, Eri bears, Eri's crown has leaves.
In the morning I will get married, oh!
Good old potency, oh yes!
Child of Orunmila, Ifa said
that he would support me.
"Let us now consider the Red Color of Copper,
which makes it look like fire" cast for
"It's dawning, another aspect of darkness
from heaven will shine on the world,
like the king of lightning. The banana tree
comes into the world with already implicit children:
it is from heaven that I have carried
my calabash of good fortune.
Ori carries the sweet ripening of the child.
"Let us pay attention to Foam on Palmwine,
that stops at the neck" cast Ifa
for Elder who was endlessly fiddling,
fidgeting, madness, madness,
Babaluaye in the feverish head;
"Swarming insects to the rim"
was cast for Elder whose feet brought him
round and round, against the clock;
"Blunt head, turn" cast for Elder whose
back of the head was so thin that it made
his backview clouded, agitation, agitation, yes
Black death rubs itself with black paste,
red death rubs itself with osun powder;
if you don't know how to rub yourself correctly,
you are exposed to the sun going down.
They said: "Kill the Cripple and turn him
into a rope to tie the Hunchback, oh yes".
Son of Coward, who overheard these instructions,
felt his heart beat, beatebeatebeat.
"Oldest, pretending to be a man of courage,
may not stutter like a coward, no no no no,
elder Coward must not take big steps, no no no,
the drink of the Oldest Spirit makes
the instrument of Oro silent, our king does not
order a woman to undress herself just
to turn his back on her and send her away,
words... words..." was the one who cast for
Black He-goat, husband of Goat,
"Incoherent babble" cast for Ram,
husband of Bleating Sheep.
"Words like these make him obliged"
cast Ifa for Big Rooster, husband of Fat Chicken,
"Words... words..." cast for
Sturdy Owner of a straight back.
They said to him: "Kill the Cripple,
bind Hunchback with that rope,
kill Hunchback, and make cripling medicine!"
Listening, Cowards Son heard his own heart beat,
beatebeatebeat, Brave Eldest
should not speak weak words,
and cowardly tongues should not exaggerate.
"Medicine of the Spirit has put a spell on me,
the king who ordered me to undress
in the market place, shall not reject my beauty"
cast for My Extraordinary Mother, on the day
that she entered the world with many children.
Ifa said: "Where have we come to?"
"This place is called Oro", I replied,
"well-known on account of its clothing".
The people shouted: "Hail to the king!"
"Tell me, what are they doing there?"
"They give the child a name
in his fathers house," some said.
"Well then, I greet the owner of the child
in that household, praise to him whose equals
are numerous as birds, and now
I'll be on my way tho where I need to go".
That child reached a respectable age,
antilope who lives very long
made an amulet of Hammers child,
that became thin, thin,
thinner than a needle.
Ifa said: "Hmmm, we seem to have arrived
again in Oro, where the people are
determined to greet their Chief".
I said: "What's the lot of you doing?"
"Somebody marries in his fathers house".
"I greet you, owner of the women in this compound,
and the bride, whose beauty is beyond words,
how untouched she is! Now
it is time for me to go".
When she became pregnant, her child
grew up to be a man, beauty
creates courage, oh yes.
Again we arrived in Oro,
Ringer, slave of the night,
is the painters bird: drip drip.
Fleeing death, Wagtail went to the house
of contamination, then came back with
"You shouldn't have rubbed yourself with red";
Ringer escaped to "The boiling mixture grabbed me",
and from there to the place of the owner of horses,
where there's nothing to worry about, no-no, yes-yes.
If you greet me coolly, don't expect
enthousiasm; if you greet me indifferently,
I will react casually; if I greet you
with feeling, you should react in kind;
I shall say: "Hello Baba, oh yes,
greetings, honored elder citizen",
do you understand?
The said that equal parties should
be put against each other in battle.
This we did. None could beat the other.
Father-unexpectedly-choose-birth
begat the father of Kill-him-bury-him;
I-wish-I-knew-the-reason is the order
that killed unexpectedly...
I shall kill him and cut him in pieces,
that's what I shall do, and I
will show it to my friend!
"Ifa makes everything alright" cast for
the Alake in the land of the Egba;
"He who mashed the yams while he
was hindered by long gowns, in accordance
with the wish of his wife, saved his city"
cast for the people of Ijesha.
Only one woman makes her husbands happiness.
Once there are two, evil is the name
we give to their conspiracies; once
there are three, peace in the house
is disturbed because the new one gets blamed;
once there are four, there is sweetness...
but for whom? Try figure that out.
If my mother hadn't given me to you,
I wouldn't be in this situation now;
once there are five, one word is sufficient
to send you packing; once
there are six, the one who stands at her
market stall near the border of the city, cudgel
in hand: "It depends on the first customer
how sales will go today"; once
there are seven, they call each other witches,
because seven is the number of Our Mothers.
Twenty virgins, however unlikely, forty head scarfs:
an insecure person shall not call
my father by name.
Father of crackling fire is different, father
with beating wings of the kite is different,
father of rain drumming down on the roof
is different, beating the bata drum on its way
to the mushy swamp to convince
the aimless spirit. Grab the child,
there is something we need, whips
to beat the skins of our batas. Look,
he wears no pants, no underpants,
naked as the day he was born,
softly, softly, outside,
his bare self, exposed
to all kinds of weather,
dancing the dance
of the returning dead.
Between ceiling and roof
it was Attic who eavesdropped,
heard everything,
house in the borough of Igbore
in Abeokuta.
Medicine up there,
hanging from the rafters,
perversely elevated,
made Attic collapse and die:
too much of a good thing
was too much of a good thing.
The result of this was them talking
about wooden Staff split and reunited,
the kind that children use as a doll.
This one will consult Ifa
on account of those we love.
Well doctor, let it not
anymore tear the life of our loved one,
let our loved one not be taken from us,
Orunmila, let our loved one
not be broken.
Heaven forbid,
cinders and rattles.
You who knows how to fight,
empty walls,
rotted rafters,
thank you very much,
Master Killer,
greetings,
Masked Burglar,
thank you,
greetings,
Warrior,
softly softly, oh yes,
this is the story of Oyeku Oyeku.
Greetings to the slim chance of survival,
greetings! Ifa says
this person and his town will both spoil if,
when coming home, no sacrifice is made.
