The Enemy: An Akan (Twi) Poem in Translation
ƆTAMFOƆ KYERƐ KWAN A...
Ɔtamfoɔ kyerε aseε a,
Ɔnim ne botaeε
Ɔtamfoɔ nam kwan so a,
Ɔnim baabi a ɔbεduru
Ɔtamfoɔ kyerε kwan a,
Ɔnim baabi a wobεduru
Ɔnim deε wobεhunu
Sε woakɔfa kwanhunu!
Enti onua bɔ wo ho ban,
Na da wo ho so,
Ɛnyε obiara a ɔsere kyerε wo
Na ɔyε w’adamfoɔ
Ɛnyε obiara a ɔsɔre kyea wo
Na ɔyε wo dɔfoɔ
Enti onua bɔ wo ho ban,
Na da wo ho so,
Ɔtamfoɔ ma wo biribi a,
Ɔnim deε ɔbɛnya
Ɔtamfoɔ gya wo biribi a,
Ɔnim deε ɔbεfa,
Ɔnim deε ɔbεpa,
Ɔnim deε εbεba!
Enti onua bɔ wo ho ban,
Na da wo ho so,
Ɛnyε obiara a ɔsere kyerε wo
Na ɔyε w’adamfoɔ
Ɛnyε obiara a ɔsɔre kyea wo
Na ɔyε wo dɔfoɔ
Enti onua bɔ wo ho ban,
Na da wo ho soɔ,
Wo yiedie na ɔtamfoɔ nnwene ho da,
Mogya nso mpa ohuruiɛ tiri mu da,
Enti onua bɔ wo ho ban,
Na da wo ho so,
Ɛnyε obiara a ɔsere kyerε wo
Na ɔyε w’adamfoɔ
Ɛnyε obiara a ɔsɔre kyea wo
Na ɔyε wo dɔfoɔ
Enti onua bɔ wo ho ban,
Na da wo ho so,
Onyankopasakyie mmɔ anworamman kwa
Obi pε wo akum wo a, wo nso, wompere nkwa?
Ɛnyε obiara a ɔma wo biribi
Na ɔyε wo domfoɔ
Aboa ɔwɔ nyε w'adamfoɔ,
Ɔyε wo tamfoɔ!
Enti onua bɔ wo ho ban,
Na da wo ho so
Onua bɔ wo ho ban,
Na da wo ho so!
**********************************************************
When the Enemy Shows the Way...
When the enemy explains,
he knows his objectives,
When the enemy walks on a path
he knows where he is going
When the enemy shows you the way,
he knows where you'll be going
he knows what you will see,
he knows you've taken a worthless path!
So kinfolk protect yourself,
And also be prepared
Cause it's not everyone that smiles at you
That is your friend
It's not everyone who gets up to greet you
That's your lover
So kinfolk protect yourself,
And also be prepared
When the enemy gives you something,
she knows what she will obtain
When the enemy leaves something for you,
she knows what she will get,
she knows which she will pick
she knows what will come about
Considerations of your welfare, never enter into the head of the enemy
And blood is never absent from the head of the tsetse fly (a blood sucking fly...like a big mosquito)
So kinfolk protect yourself,
And also be prepared
Cause it's not everyone that smiles at you
That is your friend
It's not everyone who gets up to greet you
That's your lover
So kinfolk protect yourself,
And also be prepared
So kinfolk protect yourself,
And also be prepared
Cause it's not everyone that smiles at you
That is your friend
It's not everyone who gets up to greet you
That's your lover
So kinfolk protect yourself,
And also be prepared
The vulture doesn't go roaming about for nothing
If someone wants to kill you, shouldn't you strive for your life?
It's not everyone that gives you a gift
That is your benefactor
The snake is no friend of yours,
He is your enemy!
So kinfolk protect yourself,
And also be prepared
Kinfolk protect yourself,
And also be prepared!
A poet too! I should've guessed. And you have the translation in twi! Makes it more heavy and profound.
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DarkMosaic;185572 wrote: A poet too! I should've guessed. And you have the translation in twi! Makes it more heavy and profound.
Sent from my SM-N900 using Abibitumi Kasa mobile app (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=88213)
Meda ase. I actually wrote it in Twi originally and then translated it into english. That's why the Twi version flows better. I'm glad you got something from it. I have a few more on the site that I should probably publish formally at some point in the future.
"Kmtyw *champions must break the chain that links Kmtyw ideas to *eureurasiaan *ones and listen to the voice of the ancestors without eureurasiaan * interpreters."
-Jacob Carruthers, "Mdw Ntr"
Ma ku Mbôngi, ka matômbulawanga za ko.
"The *community's political institution does not borrow foreign dialects *to *discuss its' political matters or to educate its' members"
- Kikongo proverb
Ọbádélé Kambon (http://obadelekambon.com), PhD
Email: info@abibitumikasa.com (mailto:info@abibitumikasa.com)
Mob: +233 (0)249195150
Tel: +233 (0)240872928
Skype: +1 919 926 7097 obadele.kambon
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The Kikongo proverb really makes a lot of sense. You should post more poems and other literary forms if there are. Looking forward to it.
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I'll send you the link to a few more that are here. And yes, that's one of my favorite proverbs all time and it really encapsulates our trajectory at Abibitumi Kasa.
"Kmtyw *champions must break the chain that links Kmtyw ideas to *eureurasiaan *ones and listen to the voice of the ancestors without eureurasiaan * interpreters."
-Jacob Carruthers, "Mdw Ntr"
Ma ku Mbôngi, ka matômbulawanga za ko.
"The *community's political institution does not borrow foreign dialects *to *discuss its' political matters or to educate its' members"
- Kikongo proverb
Ọbádélé Kambon (http://obadelekambon.com), PhD
Email: info@abibitumikasa.com (mailto:info@abibitumikasa.com)
Mob: +233 (0)249195150
Tel: +233 (0)240872928
Skype: +1 919 926 7097 obadele.kambon
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