DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49272#0123
THE FOLK-LITERATURE OF THE GALLA
107
utum an sangd ta ’e
sangasd dida ta ’e
didasd bifd ta ’e
naggadiim nd bitatti
5 bitatte nd qalatti
gogdkoti difatti
gabdtti nd bafatti
III. LOVE SONGS
78
bosetti nd dofsisd
kamzetti nd bitatti
10 zeko ndtti dakdtti
wdritti marmdn buld
waretti marmdn old
namni du ’add geda
anammo gdlald fitera
1 If I might be an ox, 2 an ox, a beautiful ox, 3 beautiful but stubborn; 4 the merchant
would buy me, 5 would buy and slaughter me, 6 would spread my skin, 7 would bring
me to the market. 8 The coarse woman would bargain for me; 9 the beautiful girl would
buy me. 10 She would crush perfumes for me; 111 would spend the night rolled up (around
her); 12 I would spend the afternoon rolled up (around her). 13 Her husband would say,
“It is a dead (skin)! ” 14 But I would have my love!
Notes. The singer longs to become a cloak of skin to be worn by his sweetheart.
79
Saldlze Goband "nmou Dargz'e male
gdlaltitze fdrda "mbittu gangze male
yo kutate bzen yd Berri
1 In Salalib, Gobana does not rule, but Dargib. 2 I do not buy your love with a horse,
but with a mule! 3 If you have decided, come on, 0 Bern!
Notes. In the Galla lands, mules are valued more than horses (v. 2). Verse 1 makes the
parallelism with the second verse.
80
tote tote maloi as kdt yd soba litd
surrubd bird bora gdnoi toldmmo gubbb si fidd riga
1 Yes, very well! very well! 2 Your tresses are (like) the tail of the Emperor’s sorrel
horse. 3 Come here, 0 liar! 4 I will give you in return a tooth-brush!
Notes. The tooth-brush (Galla, rigd', Arabic, miswaN) may be given to a girl only by
her brother or fiance.
81
Sula Suld Gild obolzesse Bora mannagasd gadi Cangarze Sogillze
sabbdta nd qrgi nan gabzessa gard an ko gard rdfe kze gard mogirre
1 0 Sula (daughter) of Sule (daughter) of Gilo, whose brother is Sora, 2 send to me
your girdle; I will bind with it my sides (lit. my belly). 3 The residency here below belongs
to Cangarib Sogillib. 4 My heart is troubled. And your heart? I do not know!
107
utum an sangd ta ’e
sangasd dida ta ’e
didasd bifd ta ’e
naggadiim nd bitatti
5 bitatte nd qalatti
gogdkoti difatti
gabdtti nd bafatti
III. LOVE SONGS
78
bosetti nd dofsisd
kamzetti nd bitatti
10 zeko ndtti dakdtti
wdritti marmdn buld
waretti marmdn old
namni du ’add geda
anammo gdlald fitera
1 If I might be an ox, 2 an ox, a beautiful ox, 3 beautiful but stubborn; 4 the merchant
would buy me, 5 would buy and slaughter me, 6 would spread my skin, 7 would bring
me to the market. 8 The coarse woman would bargain for me; 9 the beautiful girl would
buy me. 10 She would crush perfumes for me; 111 would spend the night rolled up (around
her); 12 I would spend the afternoon rolled up (around her). 13 Her husband would say,
“It is a dead (skin)! ” 14 But I would have my love!
Notes. The singer longs to become a cloak of skin to be worn by his sweetheart.
79
Saldlze Goband "nmou Dargz'e male
gdlaltitze fdrda "mbittu gangze male
yo kutate bzen yd Berri
1 In Salalib, Gobana does not rule, but Dargib. 2 I do not buy your love with a horse,
but with a mule! 3 If you have decided, come on, 0 Bern!
Notes. In the Galla lands, mules are valued more than horses (v. 2). Verse 1 makes the
parallelism with the second verse.
80
tote tote maloi as kdt yd soba litd
surrubd bird bora gdnoi toldmmo gubbb si fidd riga
1 Yes, very well! very well! 2 Your tresses are (like) the tail of the Emperor’s sorrel
horse. 3 Come here, 0 liar! 4 I will give you in return a tooth-brush!
Notes. The tooth-brush (Galla, rigd', Arabic, miswaN) may be given to a girl only by
her brother or fiance.
81
Sula Suld Gild obolzesse Bora mannagasd gadi Cangarze Sogillze
sabbdta nd qrgi nan gabzessa gard an ko gard rdfe kze gard mogirre
1 0 Sula (daughter) of Sule (daughter) of Gilo, whose brother is Sora, 2 send to me
your girdle; I will bind with it my sides (lit. my belly). 3 The residency here below belongs
to Cangarib Sogillib. 4 My heart is troubled. And your heart? I do not know!