DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49272#0103
THE FOLK-LITERATURE OF THE GALLA 87
1 Dabalo, 0 Dabalo (son) of Daymo. 2 The sycamore has been thrown down by the
storm. 3 The thunderbolt has fallen by day. 4 Your uncle has reached his (last) day.
5 The serpent has eaten the powder. 6 The exterminator (son of) Dabalo. 7 Waccu has
added an adult elephant (to his former spoils). 8 Moroda has stopped his fingers. 9 Amante
has stopped his back. 10 The Tuqa taste and watch. 11 Moroda has gone off (like) the
wind. 12 Danno has flown to the Gibie. 13 Gobana has returned to Shoa. 14 The extermi-
nator (son) of Dabalo! 15 If Gobana has had news of it, 16 I have ascended to my castle.
17 Also the Arabs have been defeated, 18 and the elephant has become merchandise fit
for a huckster. 19 “ The time has arrived! ” they say. 20 What time have they said? 21
The slave rides the mule; 22 the smith wears the toga! 23 0 Gobana, 0 Gobana (son) of
Dancf, 24 the smith rides the horse! 25 Ride a pitchfork indeed! 26 The exterminator
Dabalo! 27 Even if it is my death, 28 praise be to God! 29 Descend to the river, 0 Abba
Sombo. 30 Abba Sombo Sarda 31 has worn the magic shirt. 32 The sorcerer Abba Mando
is born. 33 I have passed by the way which you have told me. 34 May all the shegoats
in the region perish! 35 Let only the shegoats of Sambe Soddu remain! 36 May all the
sorcerers in this region perish! 37 May Abba Diso remain!
Notes. Waccu is called by the name of his father, Dabalo. The verses 1-7 enumerate
the events of the day which should have been unlucky for Dabalo. The verses 8-13 allude
to the sorrow of Dabalo’s enemies when they heard of his victory: Moroda first has been
struck by wonder, then has fled (v. 8, v. 11), Amante has stayed (v. 9); Danno and Go-
bana have escaped; the Tuqa did not believe the news. The verses 19-20 allude to the
prophecies which have been denied by events. The verses 21-25 insult Gobana by calling
him “smith,” because he used guns for the first time in these regions. Verses 26-37 again
mention the false sorcerers. Abba Sombo (v. 29-30) and Abba Mando (v. 32) were two
sorcerers who had predicted Dabalo’s death; Abba Diso (v. 37) another sorcerer, had
given to Dabalo the counsel to depart. Sambe Soddu (v. 35) was a rich owner of cattle in
Lieqa Sibu. The verses 34-35 make the usual sound parallelism with the verses 36-37.
Dabadaba (v. 6, 14, 26), the title which the singer gives to Waccu Dabalo is the Galla rela-
tive form of the Amharic root dabaddaba, “ to hit,” “ to massacre.” Verse 29 alludes to
the Galla belief that the genii live in the rivers. This belief is widespread among all the
Hamitic peoples of the Ethiopic plateau. (See Appendix and song 117; I).1
51
After defeating the Dervishes, Ras Gobana returned to his residence at Hindibba Gaccf
and remained there for a year. Then he had a struggle with the sorcerer, Abba Cafflb (see
songs 27-29), ordered that Abba Caffib be arrested, and sentenced him to death. Abba
Caffib said to Gobana, “ I shall die today, but within three days, Moroda Bakarib will also
1 As to similar ideas among the Agau, see Carlo Conti-Rossini, ‘ Note sugli Agau,’ (Giornale della Societa Asia-
tica Italiana, vol. 18, Firenze, 1905, p. 113—118).
1 Dabalo, 0 Dabalo (son) of Daymo. 2 The sycamore has been thrown down by the
storm. 3 The thunderbolt has fallen by day. 4 Your uncle has reached his (last) day.
5 The serpent has eaten the powder. 6 The exterminator (son of) Dabalo. 7 Waccu has
added an adult elephant (to his former spoils). 8 Moroda has stopped his fingers. 9 Amante
has stopped his back. 10 The Tuqa taste and watch. 11 Moroda has gone off (like) the
wind. 12 Danno has flown to the Gibie. 13 Gobana has returned to Shoa. 14 The extermi-
nator (son) of Dabalo! 15 If Gobana has had news of it, 16 I have ascended to my castle.
17 Also the Arabs have been defeated, 18 and the elephant has become merchandise fit
for a huckster. 19 “ The time has arrived! ” they say. 20 What time have they said? 21
The slave rides the mule; 22 the smith wears the toga! 23 0 Gobana, 0 Gobana (son) of
Dancf, 24 the smith rides the horse! 25 Ride a pitchfork indeed! 26 The exterminator
Dabalo! 27 Even if it is my death, 28 praise be to God! 29 Descend to the river, 0 Abba
Sombo. 30 Abba Sombo Sarda 31 has worn the magic shirt. 32 The sorcerer Abba Mando
is born. 33 I have passed by the way which you have told me. 34 May all the shegoats
in the region perish! 35 Let only the shegoats of Sambe Soddu remain! 36 May all the
sorcerers in this region perish! 37 May Abba Diso remain!
Notes. Waccu is called by the name of his father, Dabalo. The verses 1-7 enumerate
the events of the day which should have been unlucky for Dabalo. The verses 8-13 allude
to the sorrow of Dabalo’s enemies when they heard of his victory: Moroda first has been
struck by wonder, then has fled (v. 8, v. 11), Amante has stayed (v. 9); Danno and Go-
bana have escaped; the Tuqa did not believe the news. The verses 19-20 allude to the
prophecies which have been denied by events. The verses 21-25 insult Gobana by calling
him “smith,” because he used guns for the first time in these regions. Verses 26-37 again
mention the false sorcerers. Abba Sombo (v. 29-30) and Abba Mando (v. 32) were two
sorcerers who had predicted Dabalo’s death; Abba Diso (v. 37) another sorcerer, had
given to Dabalo the counsel to depart. Sambe Soddu (v. 35) was a rich owner of cattle in
Lieqa Sibu. The verses 34-35 make the usual sound parallelism with the verses 36-37.
Dabadaba (v. 6, 14, 26), the title which the singer gives to Waccu Dabalo is the Galla rela-
tive form of the Amharic root dabaddaba, “ to hit,” “ to massacre.” Verse 29 alludes to
the Galla belief that the genii live in the rivers. This belief is widespread among all the
Hamitic peoples of the Ethiopic plateau. (See Appendix and song 117; I).1
51
After defeating the Dervishes, Ras Gobana returned to his residence at Hindibba Gaccf
and remained there for a year. Then he had a struggle with the sorcerer, Abba Cafflb (see
songs 27-29), ordered that Abba Caffib be arrested, and sentenced him to death. Abba
Caffib said to Gobana, “ I shall die today, but within three days, Moroda Bakarib will also
1 As to similar ideas among the Agau, see Carlo Conti-Rossini, ‘ Note sugli Agau,’ (Giornale della Societa Asia-
tica Italiana, vol. 18, Firenze, 1905, p. 113—118).