DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49272#0064
48
HARVARD AFRICAN STUDIES
1 This (man) is here, my Gublrib, 2 Firrisa (nephew) of Abba Gubir, 3 race of Mussul-
men, my Gublrib. 4 Tomorrow I will send him a message, my Gublrib. 5 Come into our
house, my Gublrib! 6 In the land where Firrisa has dwelt, my Gublrib, 7 the vulture has
swelled, my Gublrib, 8 the hyena has fallen sick (by eating corpses). 9 You, son of Mardm,
O Gubir what is there? 10 How many men have you caused to weep; 0 Gubir, why?
11 But for you, my Gublrie, 12 the vulture would have died, my Gublrib; 13 the hyena
would have lived by fasting, my Gublrib. 14 0 son of Abba Gubir, my Gublrib, 15 Firrisa,
he has come, my (Jubirie, 16 the brave, whose teeth are white jet, my Gublrib! 17 Where
are you going, 0 horseman, my Gubine ? 18 Firrisa is back, my Gublrib. 19 Do not descend
from the horse and fight on foot, my Gublrib! 20 The sickle has weeded for me, my Gu-
blrib. 21 The leopard has veiled his head, my Gublrie. 22 The lion has veiled himself two-
fold, my Gublrie. 23 This (man) will descend to Gangi, my Gublrie. 24 He has come thence
in haste, 0 my Gublrie. 25 And Firrisa will come, my Gublrie. 26 The Amara are black
ants; 0 Gubir, why? 27 And you are white; O Gubir, why? 28 Fighting, one does not
grow fat, 0 my Gublrib. 29 Those who guard them (the Amara prisoners) do not sleep;
O Gubir, why? 30 The wealth of Guma has wept; 0 Gubir, why? 31 He will get blood-
vengeance against his brother-in-law, 0 my Gublrib, 32 because he is born from a brave
stock; 0 Gubir, what is there? 33 You have no relation, 0 my Gublrib. 34 0 slave of
Adam, O my Gublrib. 35 The Adamites are like Dullu, 0 my Gublrib. 36 “ Do not cut!
Do not take prisoners! ” 0 Gubir, why? 37 The sickle has weeded for me, 0 my Gublrie.
38 A belly of Gomma has given birth to him, 0 my Gublrib. 39 0 warrior of the holy war,
why do you not pray? 0 my Gublrib! 40 There are no zawaya, 0 my Gublrib. 41 Toward
the sky of Kaffa, 0 my Gublrie, 42 thunder is born, 0 my Gublrib. 43 Gufa Rufo, the
horseman; 0 my Gublrie. 44 Even the whole market would have come, 0 my Gublrib.
45 0 enclosure of Guma! O my Gublrib! 46 0 throne of the abba dulal 0 my Gublrib!
47 Before you, it had been knocked down, O my Gublrib. 48 Let him light a torch, O my
Gublrie, 49 and seek in the interior; 0 Gubir, why? 50 Gather the honey of Guma. 51 O
Ebicca Ruya! 52 “ The mulatto shall not reign! ” 53 The belly which has brought you
forth, 54 how much gold has it brought forth ? 55 Who is the mother who has given birth
to you? 56 If I had seen her with my eyes, 57 I would have kissed her navel. 58 Even if
you should die tomorrow, 59 you have (already) got blood-vengeance for your father,
60 you have (already) got blood-vengeance for your relatives. 61 How many drums
have you pulled down? 62 You have forced (the enemies) to abandon the war-drums.
63 Where has he dwelt? 64 O Tasamma Nadb, 65 where have you flown? 66 If you have
returned to Shoa, 67 what have you told to the emperor? 68 You (0 Firrisa) have forced
(the enemy) to abandon the war-drums. 69 But for Tucco, 70 not one war-drum would
have been kept (by the Amara). 71 Firrisa has won! 72 What will you do now, O Siddf?
73 The troopers of the Siddf plain, 74 they are fifteen; 75 they are all warriors of the holy
war. 76 Since he is come from the sky, 77 he is not a man. 78 Why have the Libqa put
HARVARD AFRICAN STUDIES
1 This (man) is here, my Gublrib, 2 Firrisa (nephew) of Abba Gubir, 3 race of Mussul-
men, my Gublrib. 4 Tomorrow I will send him a message, my Gublrib. 5 Come into our
house, my Gublrib! 6 In the land where Firrisa has dwelt, my Gublrib, 7 the vulture has
swelled, my Gublrib, 8 the hyena has fallen sick (by eating corpses). 9 You, son of Mardm,
O Gubir what is there? 10 How many men have you caused to weep; 0 Gubir, why?
11 But for you, my Gublrie, 12 the vulture would have died, my Gublrib; 13 the hyena
would have lived by fasting, my Gublrib. 14 0 son of Abba Gubir, my Gublrib, 15 Firrisa,
he has come, my (Jubirie, 16 the brave, whose teeth are white jet, my Gublrib! 17 Where
are you going, 0 horseman, my Gubine ? 18 Firrisa is back, my Gublrib. 19 Do not descend
from the horse and fight on foot, my Gublrib! 20 The sickle has weeded for me, my Gu-
blrib. 21 The leopard has veiled his head, my Gublrie. 22 The lion has veiled himself two-
fold, my Gublrie. 23 This (man) will descend to Gangi, my Gublrie. 24 He has come thence
in haste, 0 my Gublrie. 25 And Firrisa will come, my Gublrie. 26 The Amara are black
ants; 0 Gubir, why? 27 And you are white; O Gubir, why? 28 Fighting, one does not
grow fat, 0 my Gublrib. 29 Those who guard them (the Amara prisoners) do not sleep;
O Gubir, why? 30 The wealth of Guma has wept; 0 Gubir, why? 31 He will get blood-
vengeance against his brother-in-law, 0 my Gublrib, 32 because he is born from a brave
stock; 0 Gubir, what is there? 33 You have no relation, 0 my Gublrib. 34 0 slave of
Adam, O my Gublrib. 35 The Adamites are like Dullu, 0 my Gublrib. 36 “ Do not cut!
Do not take prisoners! ” 0 Gubir, why? 37 The sickle has weeded for me, 0 my Gublrie.
38 A belly of Gomma has given birth to him, 0 my Gublrib. 39 0 warrior of the holy war,
why do you not pray? 0 my Gublrib! 40 There are no zawaya, 0 my Gublrib. 41 Toward
the sky of Kaffa, 0 my Gublrie, 42 thunder is born, 0 my Gublrib. 43 Gufa Rufo, the
horseman; 0 my Gublrie. 44 Even the whole market would have come, 0 my Gublrib.
45 0 enclosure of Guma! O my Gublrib! 46 0 throne of the abba dulal 0 my Gublrib!
47 Before you, it had been knocked down, O my Gublrib. 48 Let him light a torch, O my
Gublrie, 49 and seek in the interior; 0 Gubir, why? 50 Gather the honey of Guma. 51 O
Ebicca Ruya! 52 “ The mulatto shall not reign! ” 53 The belly which has brought you
forth, 54 how much gold has it brought forth ? 55 Who is the mother who has given birth
to you? 56 If I had seen her with my eyes, 57 I would have kissed her navel. 58 Even if
you should die tomorrow, 59 you have (already) got blood-vengeance for your father,
60 you have (already) got blood-vengeance for your relatives. 61 How many drums
have you pulled down? 62 You have forced (the enemies) to abandon the war-drums.
63 Where has he dwelt? 64 O Tasamma Nadb, 65 where have you flown? 66 If you have
returned to Shoa, 67 what have you told to the emperor? 68 You (0 Firrisa) have forced
(the enemy) to abandon the war-drums. 69 But for Tucco, 70 not one war-drum would
have been kept (by the Amara). 71 Firrisa has won! 72 What will you do now, O Siddf?
73 The troopers of the Siddf plain, 74 they are fifteen; 75 they are all warriors of the holy
war. 76 Since he is come from the sky, 77 he is not a man. 78 Why have the Libqa put