DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49272#0162
146
HARVARD AFRICAN STUDIES
little flower! 22 The birds make their circle; blossom, 0 little flower! 23 The flowers of
the Cross; blossom, 0 little flower! 24 The boys make their circle; blossom, 0 little flower!
25 Come, blossom! 0 little flower, blossom!
Notes. Verses 2-3 and 13-15 jestingly say that the song has made the gnats which were
clinging to the ceiling fall, because it has so stirred the air of the hut. In verses 6-12 the
boys say that all are celebrating a festival for the Cross, making the bonfires, referred to
above; also the warriors like Ligdi, son of Bakarie, and his brother Rorrisa; also the noble
boranticca (see song 141, notes); also the head of the tribe, who sings and by making the
gnats fall feeds the hens.
SONGS OF THE CARAVANS
145-146
When the caravans of the merchants left the regions of the Gibie and by way of the
Gudru and of the Goggam went to the Red Sea, the caravaners used to sing songs in
praise of commerce along the way. Here are two of them:
sid bond yo kutto kdsdn male
sid gannd yo doqiAe ditdn male
magaldn oddn male
dimtu boqordn male
5 dzegni namdUlakkisu
dzega maggannd korma
luqqzettu ndmd Uta
lummze ndmd gallisd
mofd ndmatNuwisd
10 do fa ndmd tasisd
g^cca gdratNambisa
ndmd dzera gababsd
gababd baddu basd
hdtti dzese "ngallattu
15 abbdn umNllellisu
1 In summer they even make the dust rise; 2 in winter they even trample the mud!
3 If they talk with the dark maiden, 4 and smile upon the red maiden, 5 poverty will
never leave them. 6 Poverty is a terrible disease; 7 it penetrates the sides, 8 it bends the
vertebrae, 9 it dresses one in rags, 10 it makes people stupid; 11 it makes every desire
remain in the breast; 12 those who are long, it shortens; 13 those that are short it destroys
wholly. 14 Not even the mother that has borne (the poor man) loves him any longer!
15 Not even the father who has begotten him any longer esteems him!
Notes. The maggannd of verse 6 is the Amharic maggannd.1 Maggannd korma means
literally “ the male of the disease,” “ a terrible disease.”
sia ~rfasd yo awarrd saqdn male
sia gannd yo dbqze ditdn male
attamin dzega bau
dmma dzegni hamada
5 ndmd dzera gababsd
gababd baddu basd
ta’ umsd dombz godd
uffand mofd godd
wdmicca bode godd
10 niti ndmd dzegadd
wdmicca male dagte
as ta ’i male galte
galte dirsdse^nkorte
dkka wan dirsd dane
1 Guidi, Vocabolario amarico, op. cit., maggannd.
HARVARD AFRICAN STUDIES
little flower! 22 The birds make their circle; blossom, 0 little flower! 23 The flowers of
the Cross; blossom, 0 little flower! 24 The boys make their circle; blossom, 0 little flower!
25 Come, blossom! 0 little flower, blossom!
Notes. Verses 2-3 and 13-15 jestingly say that the song has made the gnats which were
clinging to the ceiling fall, because it has so stirred the air of the hut. In verses 6-12 the
boys say that all are celebrating a festival for the Cross, making the bonfires, referred to
above; also the warriors like Ligdi, son of Bakarie, and his brother Rorrisa; also the noble
boranticca (see song 141, notes); also the head of the tribe, who sings and by making the
gnats fall feeds the hens.
SONGS OF THE CARAVANS
145-146
When the caravans of the merchants left the regions of the Gibie and by way of the
Gudru and of the Goggam went to the Red Sea, the caravaners used to sing songs in
praise of commerce along the way. Here are two of them:
sid bond yo kutto kdsdn male
sid gannd yo doqiAe ditdn male
magaldn oddn male
dimtu boqordn male
5 dzegni namdUlakkisu
dzega maggannd korma
luqqzettu ndmd Uta
lummze ndmd gallisd
mofd ndmatNuwisd
10 do fa ndmd tasisd
g^cca gdratNambisa
ndmd dzera gababsd
gababd baddu basd
hdtti dzese "ngallattu
15 abbdn umNllellisu
1 In summer they even make the dust rise; 2 in winter they even trample the mud!
3 If they talk with the dark maiden, 4 and smile upon the red maiden, 5 poverty will
never leave them. 6 Poverty is a terrible disease; 7 it penetrates the sides, 8 it bends the
vertebrae, 9 it dresses one in rags, 10 it makes people stupid; 11 it makes every desire
remain in the breast; 12 those who are long, it shortens; 13 those that are short it destroys
wholly. 14 Not even the mother that has borne (the poor man) loves him any longer!
15 Not even the father who has begotten him any longer esteems him!
Notes. The maggannd of verse 6 is the Amharic maggannd.1 Maggannd korma means
literally “ the male of the disease,” “ a terrible disease.”
sia ~rfasd yo awarrd saqdn male
sia gannd yo dbqze ditdn male
attamin dzega bau
dmma dzegni hamada
5 ndmd dzera gababsd
gababd baddu basd
ta’ umsd dombz godd
uffand mofd godd
wdmicca bode godd
10 niti ndmd dzegadd
wdmicca male dagte
as ta ’i male galte
galte dirsdse^nkorte
dkka wan dirsd dane
1 Guidi, Vocabolario amarico, op. cit., maggannd.