MIX Jan 15, 1973 47 8B Pokwo

Recording Series B 8B

Place of Recording: Pokwo

Date of Recording: January 15, 1973

Performance:

Informant: Agwa Alemo

Date of Transcript: May 19, 1973

1 000 Dudbul.

Information: Refer to B 8A 16 1091. Same song repeated. Solo male singer. Without accompaniment.) Reaches new part at 085.

Text: Praising a man after his animal, giraffe. He’s in between those who are giving and those who are not. When he went to another clan of his relatives, they were upset about his poorness and bad luck. Praising his close relatives if they continue like that. Praising one of his friends saying there are many villages starting from here up to TEO and in some other village accidentally you can get bad luck and you can get good luck also. Praising the wife of the king saying you would have cried for her because she missed her husband. Not to make people of the meeting place. Praising one boy who is to married yet saying after his grandfather’s animals, saying advising him if he can marry. Praising one lady as saying something or a gift which is given by you can be considered by our generation. We have been separated by my king because of the liars and I will beg him when he walks proudly to his place. Praising the wife of the king, saying I will make you famous in my song. Praising one of his friends. If he can be prepared for the poorness of the singer. Because he always used to give something to him when he saw his poorness. He always sympathized with him. Praising one of his friends said something which is promised is not forgotten and also when is the person. (something which is said can be carried on by a person who heard it to many villages) Praising the leader when he danced after his dancing, he used to give a gift to his people. Our precious king is like his father who used to give prices at the top of the mountain.

2 172 Obero.

Text: Informing the people saying what has the son of AKWAY done? During his absence the people used to insult him, but when he is present the bad insults will be changed to good talk among the people. Saying, lets keep our chief in a good condition because his leadership seems very nice to all people because he unites Anuak and Ojung tribes at the same time. (For the sons of kings when we are crowned, we need someone as an adviser. My uncle will be an advisor; I must follow him in everything he advises. He has to oppose me in some decisions I make also. In the song, a chief or a crowned prince who doesn’t have uncle or a good advisor will die as soon as possible. Praising a man after his uncle and grandfather. Praising the chief. (If you are being given prices by a chief or a king, you will never be far from him. Will stick to him in any case.) Praising a man named after pelican. Requesting the king if he can give him 10 spears. For his marriage business. Informing a king also saying that you didn’t hear what the people are saying to me. Informing the king saying that common people always appreciate the leader when they are drunk. If the king is being insulted that means people have no way to study about him. Because they really know about him. Said also, what is the thing to be done, let me sing while I’m standing in the gate of the palace. (informing the son of the king’s aunt (sister), I’m still waiting for your sister’s son to bring me the special beads. I will not blame you because you missed to give a price to me. Praising the leader in the song saying he overcame all the people in his village by shooting those radicals in his village with a pistol and he’s like Amhara who comes first in peace and not by war. When he dances also many people from different villages are very sad about him. I hope he could be my chief. Praising him according to the work he has done and what he has conquered. And his wife together. Praising the chief saying that you raise your hand to me and not that I can get what I am longing for. He would have gone to ADONG villages and he said also, a common man doesn’t have any good place to sleep. His worry will be after he says that there is no good place to sleep and he will work at midnight. The dog will never bark without seeing anything. His leader doesn’t know what is going on in the village but he advises him that the people don’t like him because he used to kill people. The singer expresses that he is the only one person who still likes the leader. (Means, if all people don’t like the king, and he is the person only that likes him, the king will like him in return more than the others and will kill a person who saying anything against the singer.) Telling about the chief, when he went to Gambela for a court (called by the Ethiopian government) and explained about his journey from his village to Gambela.

3 380 Dudbul.

Information: Sung before. From Gok.

Text: Whose village is this, it is your village. The newcomer will never be identified. I forgot the poorness of AROT. If I was a girl, I would have given myself to an old man to get money for marriage. If you give me to a blind person also, I would accept him and don’t go to Gore. Praising a man after hyena saying that people of Gok accept my appearance only. Praising his generation and their wives. Saying during my first song they give one spear to him. My friendship with AKIEW is from God. Though I’m being insulted in GALLA highland he will fight in place of him. Praising his wife, the wife of AKIEW. A girl who is married for making beer. Praising a man who is named after a fish, PURO. With his wife. Said, that I’ll be glad if your wife can bring one spear. If she could bring what I begged for. When the river flows down it will never flow up anymore. When Gok people cry, they cried for their big village. People of Gok agreed and accepted their chief and it seems as I accept him among the people. The land and all things agree to accept our chief. People of Amhara say that don’t do roam about any more because the thing which is said by your chief are always true. It will be better that the sons of OMOC can be removed across the river and this village may remain for AKWAY. (dove; named after) this will remain for Akway and Amhara. Praising one of his friends saying how is your clan, look like. Where there is no meeting place and no good thing which is coming out from it. People ask what did Obung give, and they answer, even a needle. Is not given out. Because of love he took his wife. Praising a man after a bird called OKWOM saying, this kind of bird seems as an airplane makes noise, when he cries. Praising he wife of this man saying that to go very far away will never differentiate rich and poor. A rich man can go and get some money and poor can get some money also. Informing himself to the people I’m Obung who is the poorest boy in the village. If I had been in the village, I would have died or taken askes out (when you light a fire ash remain) to keep the place of your father orderly, to clean out ashes, et. If you don’t do that, he will never accept your wife when you get married. Informing people any person who is going to marry his wife that he missed for the money. He will she will make beer in the home of that man. Flour for food always, these things will be present I his home. Explaining his bad luck to one of his friends who came from a long journey. Explaining about his wife as she died. He dreamed that his wife died and he was upset because of that, said that there is no body wo can be compared to one of my friends, who is the son of ANGOM.

4 566 Dudbul.

Text: Praising the king when he dances and walks to his palace. Said, I will bow down and go and ask him or look at him as I’m longing for a gift from him. Praising the sings wife saying my mother the daughter of NYOEL will give the first gift to me. Our leader is the leader of all Anuak. Praising the daughter of the king saying that I am fed of requesting a gift. The generation of Crocodile I have not seen anybody who seems like our leader, ORIET. I’m happy with our chief who makes himself famous in the daytime also. (Our chief gives a gift in the daytime when everybody can see him) whose village is it. They said it is our leader’s village. If I missed to be given a gift, it may be because our village is very small. Praising on a lady from the village. Saying that being poor will never come twice. It comes only once. (means that If I’m poor this year, maybe next year I will get something that will make me rich) Praising the king and his wife after her active work in the village. Said to the king if he gives me something, I will praise him to remain as a big leader in the village. I’m not glad when you promised something to be given to the singer which is not give out, praising a man who is named after a pelican, said, pelican who are seen in the way of PINYUDO. He is my friend as well as my brother. Praising one lady in the village her beautifulness is known in ADONG village also. Said, God was not tired when he created her. Praising his friends after their animals and their fathers’ animals. Praised them in their friendship with him. Praising some of his friends, their wives if they can give a gift to him. Advising a boy who is not married in the village if he could marry and also informing one lady if she could give the gift for his song. Continues to praise his generation saying when we went for big dancing in other villages, man tribes appreciated our dancing. As the first dancers. informing all people and praising them after their animals. Who used to give gifts and their beautiful girls in the village? Praising a man who is named after a hippo and his wife. Praising the king, our rich king when he comes with a pistol, he will dance proudly between the people but when he comes the second time with his big gun, people will look at him with small eyes. Fearfully and they will bow down and see him fearfully. Praising the king as his father left him for the revenge. (to revenge the dead people).