Monday, April 9, 2012

A Yoruba Poem- Ise Logun Ise (Work is the antidote for poverty)


  • A Yoruba Poem

    Ise Logun ise

    Ise Logun ise [Work is the antidote for poverty]
    ... Mura si se re, ore mi [Work hard and work smart, my friend]
    Ise la fi ndeni giga [Hard and smart work brings success]
    Bi a ko ba reni fehin ti [When there is no one to rely on]
    Bi ole la ri [Its like we are lazy]
    Bi a ko ba reni gbekele, [When there is no one to trust]
    A te ra mo se ni. [We focus more on our work]
    Iya re le lowo lowoh [Your mother might be rich]
    Baba re le lesin lekan [Your father might own a thousand and one horses]
    Ti o ba gbojule won [If you rely on them]
    O te tan ni mo so fun o [In truth, you might be on sinking ground]

    Apa lara igupa ni ye kan [families are like the arm, while extended family are like the elbow]
    B'aiye ba fe o loni [If you are loved by the world today]
    Ti o ba lowo lowo, won a tun fe o lola [If you are still rich, they will love you tomorrow as well]
    Abi ko wa nipo atata [If you have an esteemed position]
    Aiye a ye o si terin terin [You will be honored with "fake"laughter]
    Je ki o deni ti ra ngo [If you unfortunately loose your money or position]
    Ko ri bi won ti nyin mu si o [They'll turn their back on you]

    Iya mbe fomo ti ko gbon [There is suffering for the foolish child]
    Ekun mbe fomo ti nsare kiri [and there is sorrow for the child that have no plan or vision]
    Mafowuro sere ore mi [Don't waste your formative years, my friend]
    Mura sise ojo nlo. [work hard and plan well now, because time waits for no one]

    - Author Unknown

25 comments:

Olufemi said...

Thanks for making this available, was just hungry for it, and felt may be able to find it online. O kare lae

Unknown said...

I just ran into this. Thank you so much! Omo Yoruba atata!

Unknown said...

I've been hungry for this poem for long. I just ran into it here. Thanks so much for translating it also, you've done a good job. Omo yoruba to see gbekele.

Unknown said...

This is amazing! I was asked to write this poem and I guess I just wrote nonsense. This article came to my rescue. Thanks so much for even even translating it. God bless you.

omolayo ajewole said...

thank you so much for posting this poem and the english translation. i learnt it very many years ago and i have been looking for where and how to get it. thamk you. o kare omoluwabi. omolayo ajewole

Olarewaju Olufemi said...

You are more than wonderful. God will continue to increase your wisdom. Omo oko ni o.

Anonymous said...

Very nice one

Unknown said...

wow you ve done a qreat job.....

Unknown said...

Author : J.F Odunjo

Unknown said...

Few and important lines are missing. I think J F Odunjo's version goes like
Ise ni ogun `se
Mura si ise ore mi
Ise ni afi ndeni giga
Bi ako ba reni fehinti
Bi ole la a ri
Bi a ko ba reni gbekele
A tera mose eni
Iya re le lowo lowo
Baba re si le leshin le kan
Bi o ba gboju le won
O te tan ni mo so fun o
Ohun ti a ko ba jiya fun
Se kii le tojo
Ohun ti a ba fara sise fun
Ni npe lowo eni
Apa lara
Igunpa ni iye kan
Bi aiye ba nfe o loni
Ti o balowo lowo
Won a ma fe o lola
Jeki o wa ni ipo atata
Aiye a ma ye o si terin-terin
Jeki o deni rago
Ko o ri bi aiye ti nyinmu si o
Eko si tun soni doga
Mura ki o ko dara-dara
Iya nbo fomo ti ko gbon
Ekun mbe fomo ti o nsa kiri
Ma fowuro sere ore mi
Mura si ise ojo nlo.

Anonymous said...

Soji, you improved on the first recitation. I think you missed some lines too.

Ise l'ogun ise
Mura s'ise ore mi
Ise la fi n'deni giga
Bi a ko ba reni feyin ti
Bi ole la'nri
Bi a ko ba reni gbekele
A tera mo'se eni
Iya re le lowo lowo
Baba re le lesin lekan
Bi o ba gbo'ju lewon
O te tan ni mo so fun o
Ohun ti a ko ba ji'ya fun
Se kii le pe lowo
Ohun ti a ba fara sise fun
Nii pe lowo eni
Apa lara
Egunpa niyekan
B'aye ba n'fe o loni
Bi o ba lowo lowo
Aye a ma fe o lola
Tabi ki o wa ni'po atata
Aye a ma ye o si terinterin
Je k'o de'ni tin rago
Aye a ma yinmu si o
Eko si'nso ni d'oga
Mura ki o ko dara dara
Bi o si r'opo eniyan
Ti won f'eko s'erin rinrin
Dakun ma f'ara we won
Iya n'bo fun'omo ti ko gbon
Ekun n'be fun'omo to nsa kiri
Ma f'owuro sere ore mi
Mura si'se ojo'nlo

Ibroh said...

Eyin omo Yoruba rere... i am happy to find this poem online, especially with the english translation. i was in the toilet when it came to my mind after almost a decade and a half. I am faraway from home now and it one of those things that connects me to my mum. She taught me many of such 'Akosori'. Back then and even now she believed my brain is quite magnetic. The last version by anonymous fits perfectly to her version. I am grateful to the three of you.
Now i will translate it to German for my Girlfriend who is quite diligent in her Yoruba studies.

#missing my mum in Germany.

Unknown said...

Author is known - J. F Odunjo (Alawiya)

Anonymous said...

Thanks all

Anonymous said...

thanks for been at my rescue e

Unknown said...

Really impressed me like sumtin uncomparable, yoruba is our language, we must not 4get it, tankz to all

Unknown said...

Really impressed me like sumtin uncomparable, yoruba is our language, we must not 4get it, tankz to all

Mofolusade said...

Remembered this poem this morning and decided to Google it and voila! Here it is. Thanks for sharing and translating too. Welldone

Unknown said...

So glad to see this poem here...Thanks alot

Unknown said...

Yes. This is more like the original Odun j's version of this classic poem that had helped shape a lot of our lives. Thanks for keeping it alive

Unknown said...

Yes. This is more like the original Odun j's version of this classic poem that had helped shape a lot of our lives. Thanks for keeping it alive

Unknown said...

Thanks for making this available online... Oranmileti ile iwe alakonere mi... I love Yoruba poems.. God bless

Solafavour said...

God bless you. We need to popularise this poem again in our schools. It will help restore lost values.

Unknown said...

God bless you all. Lets rehearse it in the ears of our children and encourage them to learn and do the instructions of this ever green poem.

Unknown said...

The author is not anonymous, the author is J.F Odunjo, the author of the popular Alawiye Textbook.