DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49272#0291
THE WAYAO OF NYASALAND
275
the other women joining in the refrain. A number of these songs are here given but each
nakanga has her own favorites which she sings. They are only sung at Litiwo.
Alitete, lisinjeni: alitete lisinjeni; Chorus Mbiranjirani.
Now you are clucking before laying an egg. Be content then, you must not be running about
any more: (Chorus) Call her back for me.
Ku-tetera,11 to cluck as a hen ” comes from ie/ te! the sound of the hen. Another song is:
Atetereje atolo te. Chorus Atetereje.
You must cluck, cluck, cluck, little mouse.
A set of songs sung by Kuliati are as follows:
1. Mtwe ngulwala, kumalembe; mao!
I have a headache, surely; oh dear me!
2. Jogolo, jogolo, chemwali, kuutuka mwanyama!
Startled (like a rabbit), little girl running like a wild animal.
3. Asungula’wa walapire ulamba!
The rabbit they praise for its cleverness!
Kumkamula ngolokototo kumlemba ilemba!
He caught (the name of a little bird) and cut his hair in the ilemba fashion!
4. TJneji ndiri jua mtima; ndigonile, Chenjerero apite!
I have a good heart; I am contented, Chenjerero has gone!
Ajigere makwatagao, mao! achamao!
He has taken away all his dancing things, dear me! oh dear me!
5. Wakwambaga’wala, leere! nowe atulanjire twalole!
Those who are speaking (an exclamation) show us that we may see!
Mlasi ugwile mbungo, tetemera, chikata, ngolekwe, wajoje; ngolengolekwe wajoje!
The bamboo has fallen with the wind, they shivered with fear (an alluvial plain), (a thing
which is stuck) (well-dressed).
In native songs, full poetical license is indulged in and it is often difficult to give exact
translations of them. The first has reference to the woman making a fuss because she feels
ill with her pregnancy; this she is not supposed to do. Number 2 refers to the fact that
she has a new experience which may cause her to be startled, but she need not fear. In
number 3, ngolokototo is a bird which has a mark running back on either side of the mid-
line of the crown of its head, resembling a method of hair dressing wherein two bands are
shaved from front to back parallel to the mid-line. Chenjerero (number 4) is the name of
a man but this reference is apparently now without point. Number 5 is sung by the nakanga
when she hears murmurs of others in the crowd starting to sing other songs; she intimates,
“ Here are we singing, let us hear you others who wanted to sing; you are probably afraid
now.” In the latter part of this song, words are made use of which have a slang meaning
known only to women. Chikata is a woman’s slang word for the female pudenda; ngoleko,
275
the other women joining in the refrain. A number of these songs are here given but each
nakanga has her own favorites which she sings. They are only sung at Litiwo.
Alitete, lisinjeni: alitete lisinjeni; Chorus Mbiranjirani.
Now you are clucking before laying an egg. Be content then, you must not be running about
any more: (Chorus) Call her back for me.
Ku-tetera,11 to cluck as a hen ” comes from ie/ te! the sound of the hen. Another song is:
Atetereje atolo te. Chorus Atetereje.
You must cluck, cluck, cluck, little mouse.
A set of songs sung by Kuliati are as follows:
1. Mtwe ngulwala, kumalembe; mao!
I have a headache, surely; oh dear me!
2. Jogolo, jogolo, chemwali, kuutuka mwanyama!
Startled (like a rabbit), little girl running like a wild animal.
3. Asungula’wa walapire ulamba!
The rabbit they praise for its cleverness!
Kumkamula ngolokototo kumlemba ilemba!
He caught (the name of a little bird) and cut his hair in the ilemba fashion!
4. TJneji ndiri jua mtima; ndigonile, Chenjerero apite!
I have a good heart; I am contented, Chenjerero has gone!
Ajigere makwatagao, mao! achamao!
He has taken away all his dancing things, dear me! oh dear me!
5. Wakwambaga’wala, leere! nowe atulanjire twalole!
Those who are speaking (an exclamation) show us that we may see!
Mlasi ugwile mbungo, tetemera, chikata, ngolekwe, wajoje; ngolengolekwe wajoje!
The bamboo has fallen with the wind, they shivered with fear (an alluvial plain), (a thing
which is stuck) (well-dressed).
In native songs, full poetical license is indulged in and it is often difficult to give exact
translations of them. The first has reference to the woman making a fuss because she feels
ill with her pregnancy; this she is not supposed to do. Number 2 refers to the fact that
she has a new experience which may cause her to be startled, but she need not fear. In
number 3, ngolokototo is a bird which has a mark running back on either side of the mid-
line of the crown of its head, resembling a method of hair dressing wherein two bands are
shaved from front to back parallel to the mid-line. Chenjerero (number 4) is the name of
a man but this reference is apparently now without point. Number 5 is sung by the nakanga
when she hears murmurs of others in the crowd starting to sing other songs; she intimates,
“ Here are we singing, let us hear you others who wanted to sing; you are probably afraid
now.” In the latter part of this song, words are made use of which have a slang meaning
known only to women. Chikata is a woman’s slang word for the female pudenda; ngoleko,