DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49272#0106
90
HARVARD AFRICAN STUDIES
1 Plough and let me plough, 0 child! 2 Come on! go before us, 3 as Gobana, son of
Dancf, 4 as Fitawrari Taklie, 5 as Garado Waldib, 6 as Dallansa, son of Nadb! 7 Retreat
is fit for servant maids! 8 Let the coat of silk go before! 9 0 Dargie, descend to the valley!
10 If he fears to fight you, 11 the warrior of Nur Husseyn, he will die. 12 “ I am the son
of Nur Husseyn,” 13 the child of the Arussi has said. 14 The herdsman leads down the
cows. 15 The horses of Dargie are breezes. 16 The horses of Alelu are storm. 17 We are
three, but we do not fear you! 18 The proud son of Lokko Gueco! 19 This proud emperor
20 remains in Shoa, 21 and pushes Dargie to the Arussi! 22 Dargib, we do not estimate you
highly! 23 May God preserve for us Gobana! 24 The storm, Gobana, son of Dancf! 25
Gobana, rain of September! 26 He does not fear and will not leave off (coming); 27 he will
not leave off (coming) in behalf of the Oromo! 28 He wastes on the ascent and descent!
29 (Their) love is like a voluble boy! 30 Why do you trust (them), 0 lord? 31 They remain
in Shoa, 32 and push Dargie to the Arussi. 33 He has already deserted, he will desert his
wife, 34 he has deserted the das at the river. 35 Within a short time, he will desert you, 0
Tasamma! 36 The day of Friday is serious. 37 The brigand Gulliela (native) of Cabo!
38 “ Do not question about your relatives! ” 39 When you have returned to Shoa, 40
“ Where is my son? ” 41 if you, O old man, question, 42 “ He is dead by the (hand of the)
Arussi this year! ” (This is the answer!) 43 Dargie has issued (lit. cut) a proclamation.
44 Menilek has sanctioned a law (lit. has struck a stroke). 45 “ Do not speak, O son of
Agemi! 46 Let the door speak! ” you have said. 47 O mother who has given birth to the
Arussi, 48 how many girls have you afterwards brought forth? 49 O Arussi, you live now,
50 and justly have taken Nur with you. 51 You have wasted the drums of Dargie. 52 The
Shoans have all perished. 53 O wonder of Dargie, the great! 54 Friday the Amara have
descended for the invasion. 55 The Arussi do not fear death. 56 Why do you ruin yourself,
O my son? 57 Do not go out, O son of Salalie! 58 Pass to the strangers of the other bank,
59 to the land of Abba (jifar, the great! 60 Enter Gfmma on the other bank! 61 The mother
has lost her only son. 62 The bride has spent the night alone. 63 The king has grieved
because of it. 64 O Arussi, descend to the attack; 65 your fortune has come; is it not
true? 66 We will see each other again, we will see each other again, 67 when autumn shall
be ended. 68 The king has proclaimed (lit. struck) a law. 69 The Galla issue (lit. hit) a
proclamation. 70 Gobana will eat his fingers in Faile! 71 Walie in Yeggu will eat his fingers!
72 Mika ’el in Wallo will eat his fingers, 73 when this autumn shall be ended!
Notes. The song begins by railing at Dargie, who, contrary to the other Abyssinian
chiefs quoted in verses 3-6, used to follow his army in the last ranks, rather than fight in
the first line (v. 1-9). The coat of silk (called in verse 8 by the Amharic word, gimged) is the
sign of the rank of rds (see song 56, v. 24, 65). Fitawrari Taklib (v. 4) was afterwards ap-
pointed Ugabd', he died at Amba Alagi, fighting against the Italians.
Then the singer speaks of the Arussi, led by Nur Husseyn, who has said, “ May we
die if we fear Dargie!” (v. 10-14). Among the Arussi there were the soldiers of Al^lu, an
HARVARD AFRICAN STUDIES
1 Plough and let me plough, 0 child! 2 Come on! go before us, 3 as Gobana, son of
Dancf, 4 as Fitawrari Taklie, 5 as Garado Waldib, 6 as Dallansa, son of Nadb! 7 Retreat
is fit for servant maids! 8 Let the coat of silk go before! 9 0 Dargie, descend to the valley!
10 If he fears to fight you, 11 the warrior of Nur Husseyn, he will die. 12 “ I am the son
of Nur Husseyn,” 13 the child of the Arussi has said. 14 The herdsman leads down the
cows. 15 The horses of Dargie are breezes. 16 The horses of Alelu are storm. 17 We are
three, but we do not fear you! 18 The proud son of Lokko Gueco! 19 This proud emperor
20 remains in Shoa, 21 and pushes Dargie to the Arussi! 22 Dargib, we do not estimate you
highly! 23 May God preserve for us Gobana! 24 The storm, Gobana, son of Dancf! 25
Gobana, rain of September! 26 He does not fear and will not leave off (coming); 27 he will
not leave off (coming) in behalf of the Oromo! 28 He wastes on the ascent and descent!
29 (Their) love is like a voluble boy! 30 Why do you trust (them), 0 lord? 31 They remain
in Shoa, 32 and push Dargie to the Arussi. 33 He has already deserted, he will desert his
wife, 34 he has deserted the das at the river. 35 Within a short time, he will desert you, 0
Tasamma! 36 The day of Friday is serious. 37 The brigand Gulliela (native) of Cabo!
38 “ Do not question about your relatives! ” 39 When you have returned to Shoa, 40
“ Where is my son? ” 41 if you, O old man, question, 42 “ He is dead by the (hand of the)
Arussi this year! ” (This is the answer!) 43 Dargie has issued (lit. cut) a proclamation.
44 Menilek has sanctioned a law (lit. has struck a stroke). 45 “ Do not speak, O son of
Agemi! 46 Let the door speak! ” you have said. 47 O mother who has given birth to the
Arussi, 48 how many girls have you afterwards brought forth? 49 O Arussi, you live now,
50 and justly have taken Nur with you. 51 You have wasted the drums of Dargie. 52 The
Shoans have all perished. 53 O wonder of Dargie, the great! 54 Friday the Amara have
descended for the invasion. 55 The Arussi do not fear death. 56 Why do you ruin yourself,
O my son? 57 Do not go out, O son of Salalie! 58 Pass to the strangers of the other bank,
59 to the land of Abba (jifar, the great! 60 Enter Gfmma on the other bank! 61 The mother
has lost her only son. 62 The bride has spent the night alone. 63 The king has grieved
because of it. 64 O Arussi, descend to the attack; 65 your fortune has come; is it not
true? 66 We will see each other again, we will see each other again, 67 when autumn shall
be ended. 68 The king has proclaimed (lit. struck) a law. 69 The Galla issue (lit. hit) a
proclamation. 70 Gobana will eat his fingers in Faile! 71 Walie in Yeggu will eat his fingers!
72 Mika ’el in Wallo will eat his fingers, 73 when this autumn shall be ended!
Notes. The song begins by railing at Dargie, who, contrary to the other Abyssinian
chiefs quoted in verses 3-6, used to follow his army in the last ranks, rather than fight in
the first line (v. 1-9). The coat of silk (called in verse 8 by the Amharic word, gimged) is the
sign of the rank of rds (see song 56, v. 24, 65). Fitawrari Taklib (v. 4) was afterwards ap-
pointed Ugabd', he died at Amba Alagi, fighting against the Italians.
Then the singer speaks of the Arussi, led by Nur Husseyn, who has said, “ May we
die if we fear Dargie!” (v. 10-14). Among the Arussi there were the soldiers of Al^lu, an