DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49272#0097
THE FOLK-LITERATURE OF THE GALLA
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(with presents) for you, 0 my lady! 53 Even this great man will be frightened! 54 Then
there is something even for you! 55 In the village of Calf, son of Waqie, 56 even that great
man fled! 57 0 aggdfdri, O son of Manne! 58 Once it was said that you were not afraid.
59 Why do you bring now the basin of eg eta to Gobana? 60 Because Tasamma is angry!
61 His mind is like the mind of a poor little woman! 62 You (O Tasamnffi) abandon even
your brother, 63 who is black as the moon of September. 64 And Garado Waldie also has
been taken prisoner, 65 (Garado) who resembles the red star of Venus. 66 Descend from
your compound (0 Tasamma)! 67 We will not be absent; it is decided! 68 Descend to the
plain at Dimtu! 69 Order the servant maids to the water! 70 We will leave off in order to
plough during the spring. 71 The country during the dry season is the object of a holy oath.
72 As Moroda, son of Bakarib, 73 we do not fear any man. It has been sworn with a holy
oath!
Notes. Uncut nails are, among the Galla, a sign of the low castes (v. 1). The verses
7-10 allude to Gobana, superb, but also easily frightened, as the male monkey, chief of the
herd. Makan (v. 10) is a place near Hindieba Gacci in Libqa. The verses 21-33 praise
Garbf Gilo, the chief of Lieqa Billd. Arari (v. 28) is the Amharic word ardr, “cartouch;”
mdrdsa (v. 32) is the Amharic word mdrdsa, “ ploughshare.” In verse 34, the singer again
addresses Tasamma. Kate (v. 35) is the name of a kind of clothes worn by the Sidama
slave maids. The verses 37-38 mean: “We have already defeated you at Gura Doba
near the Wama; we will now again defeat your army.” The verses 39-49 sing about two
warriors of the cavalry corps called Irra Butu (Loransiyos translates this name with the
Amharic word, yam-iddarrabu, i.e. “ those who double ”); the soldiers of this corps were
natives of Darita. They were Mussulmen; therefore the singer scoffs, as usual, at the
Moslem fast (v. 43). “ Skin of a calf, fit for a cup ” (v. 41) means “ white skin ” because
white cups are most appreciated by the Galla. As to verse 48, see song 43. Verse 49 al-
ludes to the Galla custom of cutting the genitals of their enemies. Notice the Amharic
word immdbiet (v. 52), “lady” used here instead of the Galla word gifti. Verses 53-56
threaten “the great man,” i.e. Gobana with a defeat more crushing than that of his officer,
Tasamma. The verses 57-59 allude to the submission of Banti Manne, chief of the Sulu
Galla to Ras Gobana (see song 44, v. 28-29). The egeta (v. 59) is a plant from which the
Galla make basins to wash their hands. It was the duty of the valets to hold the basin while
the lord washed. The verses 62-63 allude to the rash flight of Dasta Nadd who was
brown in color like a negro. As to the moon of September, see song 45, v. 5. The verses
64-65 sing about Fitawrari Garado Waldie, famous on account of his light skin color. He
was taken prisoner during a combat near the Gud4r, but he escaped. The verses 65-68
defy Tasamma to descend from the mountain and to engage in battle at Hora Dimtu, a
salt spring near the Wama. The verses 69-73 add to the challenge the holy oath not to
plough the country before victory. Koldsu (v. 71) is a kind of ground, which is ploughed
more than three times during the dry season; then one leaves off for ten days without
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(with presents) for you, 0 my lady! 53 Even this great man will be frightened! 54 Then
there is something even for you! 55 In the village of Calf, son of Waqie, 56 even that great
man fled! 57 0 aggdfdri, O son of Manne! 58 Once it was said that you were not afraid.
59 Why do you bring now the basin of eg eta to Gobana? 60 Because Tasamma is angry!
61 His mind is like the mind of a poor little woman! 62 You (O Tasamnffi) abandon even
your brother, 63 who is black as the moon of September. 64 And Garado Waldie also has
been taken prisoner, 65 (Garado) who resembles the red star of Venus. 66 Descend from
your compound (0 Tasamma)! 67 We will not be absent; it is decided! 68 Descend to the
plain at Dimtu! 69 Order the servant maids to the water! 70 We will leave off in order to
plough during the spring. 71 The country during the dry season is the object of a holy oath.
72 As Moroda, son of Bakarib, 73 we do not fear any man. It has been sworn with a holy
oath!
Notes. Uncut nails are, among the Galla, a sign of the low castes (v. 1). The verses
7-10 allude to Gobana, superb, but also easily frightened, as the male monkey, chief of the
herd. Makan (v. 10) is a place near Hindieba Gacci in Libqa. The verses 21-33 praise
Garbf Gilo, the chief of Lieqa Billd. Arari (v. 28) is the Amharic word ardr, “cartouch;”
mdrdsa (v. 32) is the Amharic word mdrdsa, “ ploughshare.” In verse 34, the singer again
addresses Tasamma. Kate (v. 35) is the name of a kind of clothes worn by the Sidama
slave maids. The verses 37-38 mean: “We have already defeated you at Gura Doba
near the Wama; we will now again defeat your army.” The verses 39-49 sing about two
warriors of the cavalry corps called Irra Butu (Loransiyos translates this name with the
Amharic word, yam-iddarrabu, i.e. “ those who double ”); the soldiers of this corps were
natives of Darita. They were Mussulmen; therefore the singer scoffs, as usual, at the
Moslem fast (v. 43). “ Skin of a calf, fit for a cup ” (v. 41) means “ white skin ” because
white cups are most appreciated by the Galla. As to verse 48, see song 43. Verse 49 al-
ludes to the Galla custom of cutting the genitals of their enemies. Notice the Amharic
word immdbiet (v. 52), “lady” used here instead of the Galla word gifti. Verses 53-56
threaten “the great man,” i.e. Gobana with a defeat more crushing than that of his officer,
Tasamma. The verses 57-59 allude to the submission of Banti Manne, chief of the Sulu
Galla to Ras Gobana (see song 44, v. 28-29). The egeta (v. 59) is a plant from which the
Galla make basins to wash their hands. It was the duty of the valets to hold the basin while
the lord washed. The verses 62-63 allude to the rash flight of Dasta Nadd who was
brown in color like a negro. As to the moon of September, see song 45, v. 5. The verses
64-65 sing about Fitawrari Garado Waldie, famous on account of his light skin color. He
was taken prisoner during a combat near the Gud4r, but he escaped. The verses 65-68
defy Tasamma to descend from the mountain and to engage in battle at Hora Dimtu, a
salt spring near the Wama. The verses 69-73 add to the challenge the holy oath not to
plough the country before victory. Koldsu (v. 71) is a kind of ground, which is ploughed
more than three times during the dry season; then one leaves off for ten days without