DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49272#0117
THE FOLK-LITERATURE OF THE GALLA
101
perhaps an ironical allusion to the popular comparison between the Mussulmen and the
monkeys, “ both crying at special hours of the day,” a mockery of the Moslem prayers,
(see song 142, v. 51-55, notes).
66
Loransiyos knows the following version of song 65;
utu harkisa giru
hudduddn cufd bane
waddello basd base
busz~ettin qulld'nkdtu
5 kamietti basd bafte
kdn guild gagne simte
1 Although he has hands, 2 he has opened the door with his back. 3 The bachelor has
been shameful! 4 An ugly girl does not rise naked. 5 Has the beautiful girl been shame-
ful 6 who has shown herself naked to the valiant?
motin mukd wd sadi
gofa firn bulfatu
woda gilli dabatu
tokko mukd yaiti
5 isen bird carancaretti mukd
qotton ma tap ingone
67
motin lima wd sadi
tokko gdgna dalatd
tokko gdmnd dalatd
10 tokko drgd dalatd
isen bird carancaretti lugnd
golf an md tap ingone
1 The kings of the trees are three: 2 on account of the gofa, the family sits up; 3 the
sycamore is planted by the gilld; 4 the other is the tree of the meeting. 5 Except these,
the other useless trees, 6 why are they not cut down by the axe ? 7 The kings of the chil-
dren are three: 8 one is born valiant; 9 one is born wise; 10 one is born generous. 11 Ex-
cept these, the other useless cowards, 12 why are they not cut down by the fever?
Notes. Gofa (v. 2) is the celastrus edulis (Arabic, qdt, Amharic, cat). Its roots, which
are chewed by the Galla Mussulmen, have excitant powers, thus they “ cause to sit up.”
The gilld (v. 3) are those who have made the pilgrimage to the Abba Mudd and have been
anointed by him with butter.1 On returning, they plant a sycamore, the sacred tree of the
Galla tribes. (See Prose, text 4, notes.) The meeting or the parliament of the Galla tribes
assembles usually on a plain in the shade of a tree, often a sycamore; the tree is called
“ muka yaiti” “ the tree of the meeting ” (v. 4).
gucci adu gallatte
ndqam finalkd dippadd
irrd gate "bbd fardd
gunfurd minge "mbutu
5 fild galillefinmaru
afdn dung6 hirydda
bagd^g^fte golzeda
1 Cf. Guidi, ‘
68
wamicca kudafuri
hinoleni torbani
10 as td ’i gar a mirgd
gierdrsd dadi kzesa
gannato mord kzesa
ani kanumd yada
lubbuko mail yddd
e piccoli testi Amarici,’ op. cit.
101
perhaps an ironical allusion to the popular comparison between the Mussulmen and the
monkeys, “ both crying at special hours of the day,” a mockery of the Moslem prayers,
(see song 142, v. 51-55, notes).
66
Loransiyos knows the following version of song 65;
utu harkisa giru
hudduddn cufd bane
waddello basd base
busz~ettin qulld'nkdtu
5 kamietti basd bafte
kdn guild gagne simte
1 Although he has hands, 2 he has opened the door with his back. 3 The bachelor has
been shameful! 4 An ugly girl does not rise naked. 5 Has the beautiful girl been shame-
ful 6 who has shown herself naked to the valiant?
motin mukd wd sadi
gofa firn bulfatu
woda gilli dabatu
tokko mukd yaiti
5 isen bird carancaretti mukd
qotton ma tap ingone
67
motin lima wd sadi
tokko gdgna dalatd
tokko gdmnd dalatd
10 tokko drgd dalatd
isen bird carancaretti lugnd
golf an md tap ingone
1 The kings of the trees are three: 2 on account of the gofa, the family sits up; 3 the
sycamore is planted by the gilld; 4 the other is the tree of the meeting. 5 Except these,
the other useless trees, 6 why are they not cut down by the axe ? 7 The kings of the chil-
dren are three: 8 one is born valiant; 9 one is born wise; 10 one is born generous. 11 Ex-
cept these, the other useless cowards, 12 why are they not cut down by the fever?
Notes. Gofa (v. 2) is the celastrus edulis (Arabic, qdt, Amharic, cat). Its roots, which
are chewed by the Galla Mussulmen, have excitant powers, thus they “ cause to sit up.”
The gilld (v. 3) are those who have made the pilgrimage to the Abba Mudd and have been
anointed by him with butter.1 On returning, they plant a sycamore, the sacred tree of the
Galla tribes. (See Prose, text 4, notes.) The meeting or the parliament of the Galla tribes
assembles usually on a plain in the shade of a tree, often a sycamore; the tree is called
“ muka yaiti” “ the tree of the meeting ” (v. 4).
gucci adu gallatte
ndqam finalkd dippadd
irrd gate "bbd fardd
gunfurd minge "mbutu
5 fild galillefinmaru
afdn dung6 hirydda
bagd^g^fte golzeda
1 Cf. Guidi, ‘
68
wamicca kudafuri
hinoleni torbani
10 as td ’i gar a mirgd
gierdrsd dadi kzesa
gannato mord kzesa
ani kanumd yada
lubbuko mail yddd
e piccoli testi Amarici,’ op. cit.