“Obinrin ti kò ni orogún, kò ti mọ àrùn ara rẹ̀”: A woman who has no co-wife cannot yet identify her disease

Òwe yi fi ara han ni itan iyàwó Aṣojú-ọba, ti a ò pè ni Tinumi pẹ̀lú ọmọ rẹ̀ kan ṣoṣo, ọkùnrin ti a mọ̀ si Mofẹ́. Mofẹ́ dàgbà lati fẹ obinrin. Ó̀ yan obinrin ti à ńpè ni Àyànfẹ́ ni iyàwó àfẹ́sọ́nà. Nigbati ó mú Àyànfẹ́ lọ han àwọn òbi rẹ, Bàbá Mofẹ́ gba Àyànfẹ́ tọwọ́-tẹsẹ̀, ṣùgbọ́n iyá Mofẹ́ fi àáké kọ́ri pé ọmọ ohun kò ni fẹ́ Àyànfẹ́. Wọn bẹ̀rẹ̀ idi ti kò ṣe fẹ́ ki ọmọ ohun fẹ ẹni ti ó múwá, Tinumi kò ri àlàyé ṣe ju pé ohun kò fẹ́ ki ọmọ ohun fẹ́ “Àtọ̀hún rin wa – ọmọ ti kò ni iran”. Ọmọ rẹ naa fi àáké kòri pé ẹni ti ohun ma fẹ ni Àyànfẹ́.

Tinumi sọ àfẹ́sọ́nà ọmọ rẹ di orogún, gbogbo ibi ti ó bá ti pàdé Àyànfẹ ni ibi àjoṣe ẹbi ni ó ti ḿbajà pé ki ó dẹ̀hin lẹhin ọmọ ohun. Àyànfẹ́ lé ọmọ rẹ titi ṣùgbọ́n ó kọ̀ lati dẹhin.

Lẹhin ọdún marun ti Mofẹ́ àti Àyànfẹ́ ti ńṣe ọ̀rẹ́, iwé jade pé wọn gbé Bàbá Mofẹ́. Gẹgẹ bi Aṣojú-Ọba lọ si Òkè-òkun. Bàbá ṣètò bi ọmọ àti iyàwó ti ma tẹ̀lé ohun. Ọmọ kọ̀ pé ohun kò lọ pẹ̀lú òbi ohun ti àfẹ́sọ́nà ohun kò bá ni tẹ̀lé àwọn lọ. Bàbá gbà pé ọmọ ohun ti tó fẹ́ iyàwó, wọn ṣe ètò igbéyàwó fún Mofẹ́ àti àfẹ́sọ́nà̀ rẹ. Lẹhin ti Mofẹ́ àti Àyànfẹ́ ṣe iyàwó tán, wọn tẹ̀lé Bàbá àti Ìyá wọn lọ si Òkè-okun lati má jọ gbé.

Àrùn ara Tinumi, aya Aṣojú-ọba bẹ̀rẹ̀ si han nitori ó sọ iyàwó ọmọ rẹ di orogún. Nigbati ọkọ rẹ ri àlébù yi, ó pinu lati wa orogún fun Tinumi nitori ai ni orogún ni ó ṣe sọ aya ọmọ rẹ di orogún. Gẹgẹ bi a ti mọ, igbéyàwó ibilẹ̀ kò ni ki ọkùnrin ma fẹ iyàwó keji. Nigbati Bàbá Mofẹ́ fẹ́ iyàwó kékeré, ọmọ àti iyàwó kó kúrò lọ si ilé tiwọn, inú rẹ bàjẹ́ nigbati o kũ pẹ̀lú orogún rẹ. Ó jẹ èrè iwà burúkú àti ìgbéraga.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

This proverb is clearly depicted in the story of one Ambassador’s wife, named Tinumi (meaning my own mind) who had an only son named Mofe (meaning I want). Mofe became old enough to date women. He developed an intimate relationship with a lady called Ayanfe (which means chosen to love). When he took Ayanfe to meet his parents, his father received Ayanfe very warmly, while his mother refused bluntly, insisting that her son will not marry Ayanfe. She was asked the reason for her objection, she had no tangible reason other than she does not want her son to marry “An unknown person – a child without pedigree”. His son too, refused to accept his mother’s verdict and insisted that it is either Ayanfe or nobody.

Tinumi turned her son’s fiancé to a co-wife/rival, she would always disgrace Ayanfe whenever they met at family gatherings demanding that she left her son alone. With this experience, Ayanfe attempted to break up the relationship with her son but he refused to break up with her.

After five years into their relationship, Mofe’s father received a letter of posting to Foreign Mission as an Ambassador. He then arranged for his son and wife to join him. The son said he would not join his parents without his fiancé. The father accepted to this term because his son is old enough to marry, arrangement was then made for Mofe to marry his fiancé. After Mofe and Ayanfe’s marriage, they moved along with Mofe’s parents to his post oversea.

Tinumu, the Ambassador’s wife’s disease became apparent when he turned his daughter-in-law to a co-wife. When her husband noticed her bad behaviour, he decided to get her a proper rival/co-wife, thinking that it was because she had no co-wife that made her turn her daughter-in-law to one. As known, traditional marriage does not prevent a man from taking a second wife. After Mofe’s father took a new wife, his son and his wife moved on to their own resident, Tinumi was very sad as she was now left with her co-wife. She got the reward of her bad manners and pride.

Originally posted 2014-06-20 13:30:24. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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“Obinrin ti kò ni orogún, kò ti mọ àrùn ara rẹ̀”: A woman who has no co-wife cannot yet identify her disease

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