DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49272#0050
34
HARVARD AFRICAN STUDIES
Isldm huddu diqdttu
ise wdggin daballame ''nbalh'esu
nus qabdnna maid
nu imbunu baddd
gdra bddda Lieqd
Ligditti ergattind.
15 yo dibben nu dibbe
5 yogga isin butdni
gdfa isin duftdni
saddn naggadota
isin wamaddittu
arfdn oromdta
gdra bddda Sibu
Sonetti ergattind
yd guldnta Sibu
Sone mudi ribu.
20 buta bddda Qumbd
10 nuyu wamaddinna
wot agarrd baddd
yo dibben nu dibbe
busa qitte mukd
isin induftdni
nuyu asin ggna
24 bdddarrdtti Qumbd
1 The back-rinsing Mussulmen! 2 I will not fight (literally, ruin), joining myself with
them. 3 We also have taken counsel. 4 We will go out to the plateau. 5 When you go thither,
6 when you come thither, 7 call you 8 the other three Mussulmen! 9 We will call
10 the four pagans. 11 We will meet each other on the plateau. 12 If we should be dis-
tressed (literally, if the distress should distress us), 13 towards the plateau of Lieqa, 14 we
should send (messages) to Ligdf. 15 If we should be distressed, 16 to the plateau of Sibu,
17 we should send (messages) to Sone. 18 0 obstacle of Sibu, 19 Sone, whose waist is
a rope, 20 go out to the plateau of Qumba! 21 Pay (the ritual offering) to the qithe tree.
22 You will come there. 23 Then we will await you there 24 on the plateau of Qumba.
Notes. The first two verses (1-2) allude to Tufa Roba, who returning to his country,
will no longer fight on the side of the Mussulmen. “ Back-rinsing ” (v. 1) is the usual
nickname for the Mohammedans in the Galla tongue as in Amharic (Amharic, qit tat
tdbi). The name alludes clearly to the Islamic ritual ablutions. As to other pleasantries
on Islamic ceremonies and beliefs, see songs 21, 23, 142. In verse 14, Ligdf Bakane (see
song 20) and Sone Miggu (see songs 4-6) were two auxiliaries of the pagan league. Qittfe
mukd (v. 21), says Loransiyos, is one of the trees most venerated by the Galla. It is known
that the Galla and the Kushitic populations in general venerate certain trees, symbols of
supernatural beings or habitations of the lesser spirits. Qumba (v. 24) is a plateau in the
Lieqa territory near the dominion of Tucco Danno.
19
In the battle at Qumba, the army of the Mohammedans was defeated; the pagans
pursued them as far as the frontier of Guma. Abba Qubir, seeing the threatening progress
of his enemies, requested his allies to observe more strictly the terms of the league. Lfmmu
sent a new army, which joined itself to the Guma forces and assailed the pagans at Gibdo,
in the territory of the Gabba Obo tribe, on the hilly banks of the Diddiessa. There also
the pagans won a victory. The Moslem armies retreated separately. The Guma army was
HARVARD AFRICAN STUDIES
Isldm huddu diqdttu
ise wdggin daballame ''nbalh'esu
nus qabdnna maid
nu imbunu baddd
gdra bddda Lieqd
Ligditti ergattind.
15 yo dibben nu dibbe
5 yogga isin butdni
gdfa isin duftdni
saddn naggadota
isin wamaddittu
arfdn oromdta
gdra bddda Sibu
Sonetti ergattind
yd guldnta Sibu
Sone mudi ribu.
20 buta bddda Qumbd
10 nuyu wamaddinna
wot agarrd baddd
yo dibben nu dibbe
busa qitte mukd
isin induftdni
nuyu asin ggna
24 bdddarrdtti Qumbd
1 The back-rinsing Mussulmen! 2 I will not fight (literally, ruin), joining myself with
them. 3 We also have taken counsel. 4 We will go out to the plateau. 5 When you go thither,
6 when you come thither, 7 call you 8 the other three Mussulmen! 9 We will call
10 the four pagans. 11 We will meet each other on the plateau. 12 If we should be dis-
tressed (literally, if the distress should distress us), 13 towards the plateau of Lieqa, 14 we
should send (messages) to Ligdf. 15 If we should be distressed, 16 to the plateau of Sibu,
17 we should send (messages) to Sone. 18 0 obstacle of Sibu, 19 Sone, whose waist is
a rope, 20 go out to the plateau of Qumba! 21 Pay (the ritual offering) to the qithe tree.
22 You will come there. 23 Then we will await you there 24 on the plateau of Qumba.
Notes. The first two verses (1-2) allude to Tufa Roba, who returning to his country,
will no longer fight on the side of the Mussulmen. “ Back-rinsing ” (v. 1) is the usual
nickname for the Mohammedans in the Galla tongue as in Amharic (Amharic, qit tat
tdbi). The name alludes clearly to the Islamic ritual ablutions. As to other pleasantries
on Islamic ceremonies and beliefs, see songs 21, 23, 142. In verse 14, Ligdf Bakane (see
song 20) and Sone Miggu (see songs 4-6) were two auxiliaries of the pagan league. Qittfe
mukd (v. 21), says Loransiyos, is one of the trees most venerated by the Galla. It is known
that the Galla and the Kushitic populations in general venerate certain trees, symbols of
supernatural beings or habitations of the lesser spirits. Qumba (v. 24) is a plateau in the
Lieqa territory near the dominion of Tucco Danno.
19
In the battle at Qumba, the army of the Mohammedans was defeated; the pagans
pursued them as far as the frontier of Guma. Abba Qubir, seeing the threatening progress
of his enemies, requested his allies to observe more strictly the terms of the league. Lfmmu
sent a new army, which joined itself to the Guma forces and assailed the pagans at Gibdo,
in the territory of the Gabba Obo tribe, on the hilly banks of the Diddiessa. There also
the pagans won a victory. The Moslem armies retreated separately. The Guma army was