Sound: first stanza in Yoruba, 113 KB .au
Entire poem, 1.4 MB .au

OLOMO LO LAIYE EDUMARE WA FUN WA LOMO AMUSEYE OMO TII TOJU ARA TII TOJU ILE TII TOJU BABA FUN WA LOMO ATATA TII MUNU IYA DUN. OMO TITUN TO WA SILE AIYE OBI ORE ATOJULUMO E MA KU ALEJO OMO TITUN OROGBO LO NI KOO GBO SAIYE KOO GBO PELU DERA. OMO OWO KII KU LOJU OWO BEE NI OMO ESE KII KU LOJU ESE OMO WA O NII KU TIYIN NAA O NI DAGBEGBIN BI ISU ODOODUN LA NROROGBO ODOODUN LA NRAWUSA ODOODUN LA NROMO OBI LORI ATE LODUNLODUN NI KOLORUN O FOMO RERE KE GBOBO EN TO NWOMO. BIBI LA BIMO TUNTUN EDUMARE JOMO TUNTUN O DAGBA KOUN NAA O SI DOLOMO TUNTUN KULUKULUKULU OMO WEERE LODEDE GBOGBO WA. ABOYUN NU KO BI TIBI TIRE A KII GBEBI EWURE A KII GBEBI AGUTAN LOJO IKUNLE ABOYUN KA GBOHUN IYA KA GBOHUN OMO TITUN WEREWERE LEWE NBO LARA IGI GBEBE NII RO KOKO LAGBALA A TABOYUN A TI KOKO YIO ROYIN LORUN GBEDEMUKE GBEDEMUKE OMIDAN TO NWOKO KOLUW O FUNWON LOKO RERE APON TIO LAYA GBAIYA RERE KO WON LONA AIYA ELESO OGEDE KII GBODO KO YAGAN AWON TI NWOJU JE KIWON O FOWO BOSUN KIWONSI FI PAMO LARA A TOMIDAN A TAPON WA DAWON LOHUN LASIKO AGBE NII GBERE PADE OLOKUN ALUKO NI GBERE PACE OLUSA KOLUWA O GBOMO RERE PADE AWA EYIN AWA EYIN BINA BA KU A FEERU BOJU BOGEDE BA KU A FOMO RE ROPO OLOYE KU FOLOYE SILE LO OJI TAA BA PAJU DE OMO RERE NI KO JOGUN WA ABO MI REE E MA PE O GBABO MI ABIODUN A JI KUGBA ORIN ERUWA NILE ILE BABA MI ERUWA DJOKO AGBE DUDU ORI OKELE AKUKO GAGARA KII KO L'ERUWA AGBE NII DAJOWON EMI ABIODUN ADEPOJE LUNFOHUN BI AGBA. 3/15/96

To have a child, is to have joy in life. God give us a child that we can be proud of. A child who takes care of the family, that takes care of the home, That takes care of the father. Give us a precious child, that makes the mother happy. The baby is newly arrived. Parents, friends and aquaintances, you are all commended for the baby; May the baby have a long life. A long life in comfort. The child will not die while in the hands. The child will not die while across the lap. Our baby shall not die Yours shall not be buried like a yam. Bitter Cola appears every year Yearly does Awusa herb appear Colanuts surface every year. May God give good children yearly. To all those who want children. Indeed, a new baby is born. May God bless him with old age so that he may reproduce.; Lots of children, intelligent from their infancy, shall be in our home. May the pregnant mother deliver safely Goats never go through midwifery. Sheep never go through midwifery. On the pregnant woman's delivery day, We shall hear the mother's voice; we shall hear the baby's voice. A ripe leaf drops easily. The cocoa in the courtyard is always green. For the pregnant mother and the child about to be born, it will be easy; gentle, gentle. To the unmarried women, May God give them good husbands. As to the unmarried men, may they have good wives; Good childbearing wives. May you not be barren. To the would be mothers, May you succeed in having children. The unmarried woman and the unmarried man, may your requests be granted. Good things shall be ours. We shall attain goodies. God shall present us with good children. To us, to you, to all of us together. When one dies, a survivor is to replace him. Substitution is essential. A dead leader leaves a living leader behind. On the day that we die, may we leave a precious child to inherit our wealth. Here, I pause; this is my pause. I, Abiodun, from a young age, sings two hundred songs. Eruwa is my home town; my father's town. Eruwa Ojoko, with a black parrot, on Okele hill. It is not a cock that crows at Eruwa, it is a parrot that makes the town's announcements. It is Abiodun Adepoju that talks like the elders.

Yoruba drums often accompany Ewi poems

"Ako" Bata drumming sample (103 KB .AU)
from Smithsonian/Folkways "Yoruba Drums from Benin, West Africa" recording

Ewi Poetry

Ewi is a tradition of singing proverbial praises. Ewi poets perform at special occasions, such as naming ceremonies, marriages and funerals to honor individual or family achievements.

Abiodun Adepoju

There have been many gifted singers and poets in Abiodun's family. His late maternal grandfather, Pa Alabi Aderibigbe, was popularly called Ologunowe ("Proverbial praise singer of the deity Ogun"). Abiodun recalls that his late grandfather, Chief Olukotun Adebayo, was well-known as a singer and that the songs of his father, Jacob Adepoju, were also much admired and appreciated.

Abiodun regards the ability to create Ewi poetry as a latent natural talent. Growing up in a village setting, he received a deep grounding in Yoruba language, philosophy, and oral literature. As a boy, he accompanied his father to many celebrations where his father would be called upon to sing. These occasions nurtured his talent for Ewi. Abiodun came to Washington D.C. to study architecture and business management and now works as a real estate agent.

21 April 1996