Ɔtamfoɔ kyerɛ kwan a (When the enemy shows the way): Akan (Twi) Poem by Ọbádélé Kambon, PhD-gctid27285

[Ɔbenfo Ọbádélé]

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!

[DarkMosaic]

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

[Ɔbenfo Ọbádélé]

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

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, PhD

Email: info@abibitumikasa.com

Mob: +233 (0)249195150

Tel: +233 (0)240872928

Skype: +1 919 926 7097 obadele.kambon

Abibifahodie Family of Websites:*

www.obadelekambon.com | www.abibitumikasa.com | www.abibifahodie.com*| www.sankofajourney.com | www.letsbuyblack.com [NEW!!!] | www.asaseheals.com | www.kamaukambon.org | www.amakambon.com | www.bennucenter.com | www.nubusinesssolutions.com |www.onipa.com | www.lastblackman.com
** *** *

[DarkMosaic]

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.

Sent from my SM-N900 using Abibitumi Kasa mobile app

[Ɔbenfo Ọbádélé]

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, PhD

Email: info@abibitumikasa.com

Mob: +233 (0)249195150

Tel: +233 (0)240872928

Skype: +1 919 926 7097 obadele.kambon

Abibifahodie Family of Websites:*

www.obadelekambon.com | www.abibitumikasa.com | www.abibifahodie.com*| www.sankofajourney.com | www.letsbuyblack.com [NEW!!!] | www.asaseheals.com | www.kamaukambon.org | www.amakambon.com | www.bennucenter.com | www.nubusinesssolutions.com |www.onipa.com | www.lastblackman.com
** *** *