DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49272#0042
26
HARVARD AFRICAN STUDIES
Note. After this song, similar in its fashion to the songs of the buttd (see song 142), he
brandished his spear, and hurling it at an artisan on the roof, killed him.
14
Tufa Roba (song 12) afterwards was won over by the promises of Abba dubir and
deserting Hanna’s army, passed to the enemy’s camp. But the other chiefs of the Gabba
tribes persevered with Hanna in fighting against the invaders of their country. The land
of Gabba is very rich in coffee, and allusion to this is made by the singer of the following
strophe:
Gabbdin bunni ~ndibu gdri ardrri nndibu
gabbatd fulli ''ndibu ardrsi, yd "bbd bdrd!
Gdro arennNndibu
1 Gabba is not lacking in coffee. 2 A fat man does not lack la bonne chere. 3 In Garo
there is no lack of beards. 4 A good man does not lack contentment. 5 Hear us favor-
ably, 0 Abba Bora!
Notes. The song is addressed to Fatansa Hu (whose war-name was Abba Bora, i.e.
“ Lord of the light-bay ”), king of the Gabba Hu. Gard (v. 3) is a little Sidama state
to the southeast of (jrimma. It was conquered by Abba Gommol, king of Gfmma.1 The
slaves of Garo carried off to (jfmma, surprised the Galla because of their long, rough beards.
Therefore, they became proverbial in these Galla countries.
15
On account of the difficult country, the struggle became ever more intense, but the
Moslem allies of Abba (jubir did not send their armies against the Gabba. At this time,
the king of Guma suffered another loss. Tufa Roba after a short stay in Guma (he was
there appointed by the king governor, Abba Qoro, of a district near the frontier of the
Lihqa tribes) became hateful to some dignitaries of the royal court and especially to the
king’s brother, Abba Digga. This was increased by the rumor that Tufa secretly loved
G^nne Qanatu, Abba Digga’s wife. Tufa resolved to return to Hanna; and after an agree-
ment with Tucco Danno, the well-known chief of Libqa Horda, prepared to fly to the
Libqa country. Here is his song of farewell to Guma:
dbo gofte Surdma Idfd sirre tirfida
lafa gabbdte doma hdra dire birgida
hdra qamdlie tola $g '"an gdlld lienddda
Idfd disa ganaml galdn biy ''ofin told
5 hdra dibsa gabbare 10 bie nan gala biyakd
1 Jules Borelli, fithiopie mSridionale, Paris, 1890, p. 433.
HARVARD AFRICAN STUDIES
Note. After this song, similar in its fashion to the songs of the buttd (see song 142), he
brandished his spear, and hurling it at an artisan on the roof, killed him.
14
Tufa Roba (song 12) afterwards was won over by the promises of Abba dubir and
deserting Hanna’s army, passed to the enemy’s camp. But the other chiefs of the Gabba
tribes persevered with Hanna in fighting against the invaders of their country. The land
of Gabba is very rich in coffee, and allusion to this is made by the singer of the following
strophe:
Gabbdin bunni ~ndibu gdri ardrri nndibu
gabbatd fulli ''ndibu ardrsi, yd "bbd bdrd!
Gdro arennNndibu
1 Gabba is not lacking in coffee. 2 A fat man does not lack la bonne chere. 3 In Garo
there is no lack of beards. 4 A good man does not lack contentment. 5 Hear us favor-
ably, 0 Abba Bora!
Notes. The song is addressed to Fatansa Hu (whose war-name was Abba Bora, i.e.
“ Lord of the light-bay ”), king of the Gabba Hu. Gard (v. 3) is a little Sidama state
to the southeast of (jrimma. It was conquered by Abba Gommol, king of Gfmma.1 The
slaves of Garo carried off to (jfmma, surprised the Galla because of their long, rough beards.
Therefore, they became proverbial in these Galla countries.
15
On account of the difficult country, the struggle became ever more intense, but the
Moslem allies of Abba (jubir did not send their armies against the Gabba. At this time,
the king of Guma suffered another loss. Tufa Roba after a short stay in Guma (he was
there appointed by the king governor, Abba Qoro, of a district near the frontier of the
Lihqa tribes) became hateful to some dignitaries of the royal court and especially to the
king’s brother, Abba Digga. This was increased by the rumor that Tufa secretly loved
G^nne Qanatu, Abba Digga’s wife. Tufa resolved to return to Hanna; and after an agree-
ment with Tucco Danno, the well-known chief of Libqa Horda, prepared to fly to the
Libqa country. Here is his song of farewell to Guma:
dbo gofte Surdma Idfd sirre tirfida
lafa gabbdte doma hdra dire birgida
hdra qamdlie tola $g '"an gdlld lienddda
Idfd disa ganaml galdn biy ''ofin told
5 hdra dibsa gabbare 10 bie nan gala biyakd
1 Jules Borelli, fithiopie mSridionale, Paris, 1890, p. 433.