DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49272#0110
94
HARVARD AFRICAN STUDIES
about fifteen years old at the time of the conquest of Harar). Loransiyos, as a proof of his
assertion, cites the following song. Ras Gobana at the beginning of his career had led an
expedition against the Karrayu and the ‘Afar (Danakil) of Adah Makonnen, at this time
ligaba, was one of the officers of this expedition. According to Loransiyos, the date of this
affair was about eight years before the conquest of Harar, that is in 1878-79. Makonnen
fought very valiantly and afterwards demanded of Menilek a new feudal title. But Ras
Dargie blocked his promotion. This was the chief motive of the rivalry between Dargie
and Makonnen, and alluding to this opposition of Dargie, a minstrel of Makonnen’s court
sang:
Gobanni wd malatera
gogatti bate harreda
kd gar a wd malatera
Dargien lima waggin dula
5 Minilik ya"lma wdyessa
hibbilik mall balhessa
ungulolien tuma nugi
mosollolie dirsi guli
dule gurbdnkie wayqssd
10 kdn duri soba balhessa
dulile Awdsin gattdte
gula mana kiessa ole
gurdn gimald gag "gure
gula mana kiessa cisa
15 Cisi gula mdndkieti
bdli bdi mdndkieti
Gobanni ddna ta ’era
Ddrgiem"molokkusi'e ta ’era
Makonnd yd Guddisdko
20 gudddddu yd Guddisdko
simen kan kiessdn fakkdtte
ligaba galci abbdtti
fuddukd rasa gudddda
uffadduka qamisikie
25 dkka Dan "ilmd gudddfa
Gobie sitti cittera
ode sitti firrikiefd
Makonnen rasa ta ’era
mdl godu gdrsa "ggd bulci
30 tiksisu holotdsa
hd igdruka Saldhe
kdn cdlcisa no hundde
gqde Ddno Milufd
motummdn kdn bodandti
35 Dargie bu ’i gamogi
galaliessa Makufude
galaldko Maku fude
yd sibilld haddisida
maqdnsa wdgigrdda
40 adiemdka dkka"lldtti
kdna Makonnentu base
busi Dargie gadi bdsa
tisisd sirrie"sa goftd
motummdnu kannisdti
45 sdni duftu Guddisdti
yd homi sofuma soft
ndmn"akkd Wdqa didte
yd sori bouma bdi
gafarsd hoqd fundna
50 nienco karrdsa daccdsa
galdiessis garbu $gdfa
motin motummd kandti
yd Maku caluma call
Miniliki ddlci kiessa
55 Miniliki hori kiessa
Garbi Sangd "bbd Turdfa
Onco Dasd "Imd Dagiefa
baldmbardsi Faysdfa
namMdkka Fayb Surufd
60 kd ’a gala mdndkiena
motummdn kan ndmd tokkdti
sa ’on kormdMqabnere
gdfd hord fokkifture
namni qamisi ^nqamnere
65 sdni rdsisi "mbdne
Hal "dkka "sen fokkiftue
HARVARD AFRICAN STUDIES
about fifteen years old at the time of the conquest of Harar). Loransiyos, as a proof of his
assertion, cites the following song. Ras Gobana at the beginning of his career had led an
expedition against the Karrayu and the ‘Afar (Danakil) of Adah Makonnen, at this time
ligaba, was one of the officers of this expedition. According to Loransiyos, the date of this
affair was about eight years before the conquest of Harar, that is in 1878-79. Makonnen
fought very valiantly and afterwards demanded of Menilek a new feudal title. But Ras
Dargie blocked his promotion. This was the chief motive of the rivalry between Dargie
and Makonnen, and alluding to this opposition of Dargie, a minstrel of Makonnen’s court
sang:
Gobanni wd malatera
gogatti bate harreda
kd gar a wd malatera
Dargien lima waggin dula
5 Minilik ya"lma wdyessa
hibbilik mall balhessa
ungulolien tuma nugi
mosollolie dirsi guli
dule gurbdnkie wayqssd
10 kdn duri soba balhessa
dulile Awdsin gattdte
gula mana kiessa ole
gurdn gimald gag "gure
gula mana kiessa cisa
15 Cisi gula mdndkieti
bdli bdi mdndkieti
Gobanni ddna ta ’era
Ddrgiem"molokkusi'e ta ’era
Makonnd yd Guddisdko
20 gudddddu yd Guddisdko
simen kan kiessdn fakkdtte
ligaba galci abbdtti
fuddukd rasa gudddda
uffadduka qamisikie
25 dkka Dan "ilmd gudddfa
Gobie sitti cittera
ode sitti firrikiefd
Makonnen rasa ta ’era
mdl godu gdrsa "ggd bulci
30 tiksisu holotdsa
hd igdruka Saldhe
kdn cdlcisa no hundde
gqde Ddno Milufd
motummdn kdn bodandti
35 Dargie bu ’i gamogi
galaliessa Makufude
galaldko Maku fude
yd sibilld haddisida
maqdnsa wdgigrdda
40 adiemdka dkka"lldtti
kdna Makonnentu base
busi Dargie gadi bdsa
tisisd sirrie"sa goftd
motummdnu kannisdti
45 sdni duftu Guddisdti
yd homi sofuma soft
ndmn"akkd Wdqa didte
yd sori bouma bdi
gafarsd hoqd fundna
50 nienco karrdsa daccdsa
galdiessis garbu $gdfa
motin motummd kandti
yd Maku caluma call
Miniliki ddlci kiessa
55 Miniliki hori kiessa
Garbi Sangd "bbd Turdfa
Onco Dasd "Imd Dagiefa
baldmbardsi Faysdfa
namMdkka Fayb Surufd
60 kd ’a gala mdndkiena
motummdn kan ndmd tokkdti
sa ’on kormdMqabnere
gdfd hord fokkifture
namni qamisi ^nqamnere
65 sdni rdsisi "mbdne
Hal "dkka "sen fokkiftue