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Traditional Love Songs Traditional Love Songs 27 Aandonga (Angola and South Africa) Love Praise My dark-brown girl is like a cow, My light-yellow girl is like Nimuene, As beautiful as Schikuni or Ombago,* As pretty as a delicately cut thong, As hides round the loins of a royal servant. When I wait for her, I can eat nothing, When I expect her, I cannot sleep, Sleep and food matter not to me then. Her fingernails are white as if they were washed, Her fingers, as if she had just touched fat. She is as bright as the ombimbo-root, Ombimbo, dug up by the Bushmen, Ombimbo, grown in the sandy desert of Amambo, Picked up at the root of the omusati-tree. My girl is like a copper ring in looks, My girl is serious, she does not laugh for nothing, She does not laugh when we are with people, She laughs only when we are alone together. Each time I look into her face It is as if the sun rose newly. When I have to leave her It is as if night came over me. When she goes for water, help her, When she treads grain, tread for her too, When she goes to sow, sow for her too, When she walks about, carry her! O my Nehoja, you are my adornment! All the young men offer you their beads. My treasure is the most beautiful among all strings of beads, She is like a delicately cut thong. Her mother bore her for me. Since she was born, she has belonged only to me. Traditional Love Songs 28 I love her dearly even when I am asleep, But when I am awake, a thousand times more. * Nimuene, Schikuni, and Ombago are names of cows. Traditional Love Songs 29 Song of a Bridegroom in Praise of His Bride Jinkono’s Namujezi, Nascheja’s grandchild, Mpingana,* a tree on the plain, A palm-tree in the possession of Schinkonjo, Nepaka’s son, Belonged to our people of heroes. . . . Namujezi, you flower from Jinkono’s garden, You plant too high to be reached! Her noble figure is something to marvel at, Her beauty turns the heads of the Aalombe, The people of Jikokola are ravished too. They run in their eagerness to give Namujezi gifts. Namujezi’s beauty is indescribable. Jinkono’s flower shines like a star. I saw her from far away, before she came to us. Namujezi, your eyes—how fresh-new they are! And your teeth—as if you had gotten them only yesterday! And your eyes—like those of a hornless cow! Namujezi, open your eyes, clear as water; Your teeth—just laugh, laugh out, So that we may see them all and marvel at them. We will let our game sleep Until the morning star appears. I will not leave the playground so long as Namujezi is there. Where she is, the moon becomes the sun, Night becomes bright day. We are favorites of glorious night, We are court servants of the moon. Where you, Star-Namujezi, shine, I will follow you, no matter where you go. Well I know the signs of your passing. Anyone knows Namujezi, even among many women. She shines like the spring sun rising. You say: “No one can eat beauty.” Yet I feed on Namujezi’s. * Mpingana is another name of Namujezi’s. Traditional Love Songs 30 Acoli (Uganda) Lightning, Strike My Husband Lightning, strike my husband, Strike my husband, Leave my lover; Ee, leave my lover. Snake, bite my husband, Bite my husband, Leave my lover; Ee, leave my lover. See him walking, How beautifully he walks; See him dancing, How beautifully he dances; See him smiling, How beautifully he smiles; Listen to the tune of his horn, How beautifully it sounds; Listen to him speaking, How beautifully he speaks; See him performing the mock fight, How beautifully he does it; The sight of my lover Is most pleasing. Lightning, strike my husband, Strike my husband, Leave my lover; Ee, leave my lover. Translated from the Acoli by Okot p’Bitek Traditional Love Songs 31 Where Has My Love Blown His Horn? Where has my love blown his horn? The tune of his horn is well known. Young men of my clan, Have you heard the horn of my love? The long distance has ruined me, oh! The distance between me and my companion. Youths of my clan, Have you heard the horn of my love...

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