ORIKI OYO AND TRANSLATION

Oyo is a town in Oyo State Nigeria and here is our Eulogy, Yes I said "our" because I'm from there too , I am a proud Oyo Man , Happy Reading

“…Oyo omo Alaafin
Ojo pa sekere mode omo atiba
O b’olowo wipe k’o gb’owo
O si n ba iwofa wipe k’o ju eru sile
Ase k’o le baa di’ja
Ko le baa di aapon
K’omo oba le ri je nibe
Oyo l’o gbin agbado oran
S’ehinkule elehinkule
Elehinkule ko gbodo yaa je
Beeni ko si gbodo tu u danu
Omo iku ti’ku ko le pa
Omo arun t’arun ko le gbe de
Omo ofo, t’ofo ko le se….”

Translation:

Oyo, descendant of the Alaafin
Rain must not beat the sekere
Child of Atiba
You urge the creditor to demand his pay
Yet you also urge the hireling debtor to repudiate his debt
So that conflict may ensue
For the benefit of the prince/princess
Oyo plants the ‘corn of trouble’
In another man’s backyard
That one must not harvest it
Neither must he weed it off
Child of death who cannot die
Child of pestilence who cannot be tied down by sickness
Child of calamity whom calamity cannot afflict….!

(Note: sekere is a musical instrument made with beads or cowries strung around a large gourd)

Hmmmmm….some cognomen indeed.

May God bless Oyo Town!
May God bless Oyo State!
May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria!