“Ọgbọ́n ju agbára”: Ìjàpá mú Erin/Àjànàkú wọ ìlú – “Wisdom is greater than strength”: The Tortoise brought an Elephant to Town

Ni ìlú Ayégbẹgẹ́, ìyàn mú gidigidi, eleyi mu Ọba ìlú bẹ̀rẹ̀ si sá pamọ́ fún àwọn ará ìlú nitori kò mọ ohun ti ohun lè ṣe.  Òjò kò rọ̀ fún ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ ọdún, oorun gbóná janjan, nitorina, kò si ohun ọ̀gbìn ti ó lè hù.  Ìrònú àti jẹ àti mun bá gbogbo ará ìlú – Ọba, Olóyè, Ọmọdé àti àgbà.

Yorùbá ni “Àgbà kii wà lọ́jà ki orí ọmọ tuntun wọ”, nitori èyí, Ọba sáré pe gbogbo àgbà ìlú àti “Àwòrò-Ifá” lati ṣe iwadi ohun ti ìlú lè ṣe ki òjò lè rọ̀.  Àwòrò-Ifá dá Ifá, ó ṣe àlàyé ẹbọ ti Ifá ni ki ìlú rú.  Ifá ni “ki ìlú mu Erin lati fi rúbọ ni gbàgede ọjà”.

Gẹ́gẹ́bi Ọba-orin Sunny Ade ti kọ́ “Ìtàkùn ti ó ni ki erin ma wọ odò, t’ohun t’erin lo nlọ”.  Ògb́ojú Ọdẹ ló npa Erin ṣùgbọ́n Olórí-Ọdẹ ti Ọba yan iṣẹ́ ẹ mi mú Erin wọ ìlú fún, sọ pé ko ṣẽ ṣe nitori “Ọdẹ aperin ni àwọn, ki ṣe Ọdẹ a mu erin”.  Ọba paṣẹ fún Akéde ki ó polongo fún gbogbo ara ilu pe “Ọba yio da ẹnikẹni ti  ó bá lè mú Erin wọ ìlú fun ìrúbọ yi lọ́lá”.  Ọ̀pọ̀ gbìyànjú, pàtàki nitori ìlérí ti Ọba ṣe fún ẹni ti ó bá lè mu Erin wọ̀lú, wọn sọ ẹmi nu nínú igbó, ọ̀pọ̀ fi ara pa lai ri Erin mú.

Laipẹ, Ìjàpá lọ bà Ọba àti Olóyè pé “ohun yio mú Erin wálé fún ẹbo rírú yi”.  Olú-Ọdẹ rẹrin nigbati o ri Ìjàpá, ó wá pa òwe pé “À nsọ̀rọ̀ ẹran ti ó ni ìwo, ìgbín yọjú”.  Olú-Ọdẹ fi ojú di Àjàpá, ṣùgbọ́n Ìjàpá kò wo bẹ̀, ó fi ọgbọn ṣe àlàyé fún Ọba.  Ọbá gbà lati fún Ìjàpá láyè lati gbìyànjú.

Ìjàpá lọ si inú igbó lati ṣe akiyesi Erin lati mọ ohun ti ó fẹ́ràn ti ohun fi lè mu.  Ìjàpá ṣe akiyesi pé Erin fẹ́ràn oúnjẹ dídùn àti ẹ̀tàn.  Nigbati Ìjàpá padá, o ṣe “Àkàrà-olóyin” dání, o ju fún Erin ki ó tó bẹ̀rẹ̀ si sọ ohun ti ó báwá pé “àwọn ará ìlú fẹ ki Erin wá jẹ Ọba ìlú wọn nitori Ọba wọn ti wọ Àjà”.  Àjàpá pọ́n Erin lé, inú ẹ̀ dùn, ohun naa rò wi pé, pẹ̀lú ọ̀la ohun nínú igbó o yẹ ki ohun le jẹ ọba.  Pẹ̀lú ìrànlọ́wọ́ Ọba àti ará ìlú, wọn ṣe gbogbo ohun ti Ìjàpá ni ki wọ́n ṣe.    Ìjàpá àti ará ìlú mu Erin wọ ìlú pẹ̀lú ọpọlọpọ àkàrà-olóyin, ìlù, ijó àti orin yi:

Erin ká relé kó wá jọba)
Erin yẹ́yẹ́ ò, erin yẹ̀yẹ̀   ) lẹ meji
Ìwò yí ọ̀la rẹ̃,
Erin yẹ́yẹ́ ò, erin yẹ̀yẹ̀,
Agbada á má ṣe wéré,
Erin yẹ́yẹ́ ò, erin yẹ̀yẹ̀
Ààrò á máa ṣe wàrà,
Erin yẹ́yẹ́ ò, erin yẹ̀yẹ̀
Erin ká relé kó wá jọba)
Erin yẹ́yẹ́ ò, erin yẹ̀yẹ̀    ) lẹ meji

You can also download a recital by right clicking this link: Erin ká relé kó wá jọba

Inú Erin dùn lati tẹ̀ lé ará ìlú, lai mọ̀ pé jàpá ti gba wọn ni ìmọ̀ràn lati gbẹ́ kòtò nlá ti wọ́n da aṣọ bò bi ìtẹ Ọba.  Erin ti wọ ìlú tán, ó rí àga Ọba níwájú, Ìjàpá àti ará ìlú yi orin padà ni gẹ́rẹ́ ti ó fẹ́ lọ gun àga Ọba:

A o merin jọba
Ẹ̀wẹ̀kún, ẹwẹlẹ ……

You can also download a recital by right clicking this link: A o merin jọba

Àjàpá àti ará ìlú yà kúrò níwájú Erin, ó yan lọ si orí ẹní lati lọ gun-àga Ọba, ó já sí kòtò nlá lai dé orí ìtẹ́.  Inú kòtò yi ni Àwòrò-Ifá ti fi Erin rúbọ.  Lẹhin ẹbọ, òjò rọ, ìlú bẹ̀rẹ̀ si tura, Ọbá dá Àjàpá lọ́lá, àwọn ará ìlú bẹ̀rẹ̀ sí bu iyì fún Àjàpá.

Ẹ̀kọ́ ìtàn yi ni pé: “ọgbọ́n ju agbára”; ká ṣọ́ra fún ẹ̀mí ìgbéraga; ki a má fi ojú di ẹnikẹni; ki á fi ara balẹ̀ ṣe iwadi nigbati ìṣòro bá dé; ká ṣọra fún àjẹkì; ká ṣọra fún ẹ̀tàn àti bẹ ẹ bẹ ẹ lọ.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

There was great famine in “Ayegbege Town”, to the extent that the King began to hide from his people.  There was no rain for many years, hence the sun became too hot hence no crop could grow under such intense heat.  The thought of what to eat or drink came over all the people including the King, Chiefs, the children and the elders.

Yoruba proverb said “The elder cannot watch idly in the market while the new borne baby’s head is crooked”, hence, the King summoned the Elders and the Ifa Chief Priest to investigate from Ifa on what to do to bring down the rain.  Ifa Chief Priest made enquiry from Ifa and told the people that “a live elephant has to be offered for sacrifice at the Market Square”.

According to the prominent Yoruba Musician – in one of King Sunny Ade’s song: “the King that will catch and tie the elephant has not yet been crowned”.  Only the Chief Hunters has the skill of killing an elephant, but the Chief Hunter that the King appointed to carry out this responsibility told the King it was an impossible mission.  The Chief Hunter said, they were “elephant killers not elephant enchanter”.  So, the King then commanded the Town Crier to announce to everyone “that whoever could bring a live elephant to town for sacrifice would receive a handsome reward from the King”.  As a result of this promise, many people went after this task and many lost their limbs and lives as a result.

After sometime, the Tortoise (the cunny animal) went before the King, Chiefs and the Elders to promise that if given the opportunity “he would bring a live elephant for the sacrifice”.  This provoked laughter as the Chief Hunter berated him by saying “we are talking about animals with horns, the snail appeared”, but the Tortoise ignored them all and continued to convince the King with wisdom.  The King agreed to give the Tortoise a chance to prove himself.

The Tortoise then went to the forest to observe the Elephant.  He noticed that the Elephant loved sweet meals and flattery.  When the Tortoise returned to the forest, he went with plenty of “fried beans fritter soaked in honey”.   He began to praise the Elephant and threw him plenty of fried beans fritters soaked in honey, that the people wanted him to be their crowned King in the place of their late King. The Elephant was convinced that he was being invited by the people because of his strength in the forest.  With the help of the King and the people, they got ready all that was required by the Tortoise for this task. The people joined him to escort the Elephant to town, with plenty of fried plantain fritters soaked in honey, drumming, dancing and songs of invitation.

The Elephant was happy as he saw the thrown without realizing a pit was dug before the throne but covered with beautiful clothes.  The Tortoise and the people changed their song as he was approaching the throne.

Tortoise and the people gave way for the elephant to climb the throne, then he fell into the pit without getting to the throne.  There, the Ifa Chief Priest carried out the sacrifice.  After the sacrifice, the rain began to fall, the famine eased off, the King enriched the Tortoise and the people began to respect him.

Lessons learnt from this story include: “Wisdom is greater than strength”; be careful of pride; do not underrate anyone; be patient to investigate matters at the time of difficulty; be careful of gluttony; be careful of deceit; etc.

 

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Originally posted 2015-02-27 09:10:22. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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