MIX January 15, 1973 - 47B8A Pokwo

Place of Recording: Pokwo

Date of Recording: January 15, 1973

Recording Series B 8A

Performance: Leader in Bura

Informant: Agwa Alemo

Date of Transcript: May 12, 1973

1 000 Dudbul.

Text: All people I will never be blamed and my father who is named after a permanent thing accepts my song (solo male singer singing without accomp). Where will I go because I don’t have money. Informing the wife of the chief saying, Hes the chief of all Anuaks. Praising his friends after their animals saying when will you give me a price. I’m not playing, I’m serious swearing in your name. he’s asking a man who is named after pelicans and his wife after her father’s animals. If they can give him a price or can accept his song. Saying that this will be my last chance to get married. After that he praised people and a man who helped the chief in leadership and his wife. Praising a man named after a buffalo and his wife. Saying, you are the roots of the song. Praised a woman whom he borrowed a dollar from informing her you have a dollar on me. Praised her after her father’s animals which is a buffalo. Praising a man also named after a fish or a dove saying what have you done to God (Because of your bad luck) Praised the wife of that man after her activeness. Saying all Anuaks known that she is a hard worker. Praising one of his friends named after fire. Who is pounding corn, she is your wife? Praising a man who is named after an elephant and his wife who is the daughter of the king. Saying that your grandfather is from water – from the river. When I met a woman, who was crying I met a man named after a crock also and tell him that I didn’t know that he was going to miss giving me a price. Praising his friends after their animals and their wives after their fathers’ animals and permanent things. If they could give the things they discussed before. Telling that he was boiling prevented by one of his friends to go to the highlands of Gallas. When his wife made food in the day time she still makes it in the evening also. (Means she will never be tired of making food) Praising a man after a fire, when you sing my song during dancing it is only ADONGO people who cannot come to visit. Praising a man named after a lion and his wife also. If they can give a bracelet informing a man who is not married in the village saying why don’t you get married because this is the time where you can get good or bad luck. (There are some very poor people but they will never be insulted by others because they don’t say bad things to others, they keep quiet. When they are ordered to build a house for parents of his wife they will go and do it. If he is being sent to the highlands to get tobacco, they will just go without complaining) Because of that though he is very poor the parents of the girl will let him look for money or bring it in the future when he gets it) Those how are insulted are those who are opposing the parents of the wife) Praising his friends or the people in the village. Praising a chief of OKUNA saying when he went to Gambela the people of OKUNA agreed to go with him because he was the leader of all villages of OKUNA. He’s the BELEMBRAS in Amharic. The chief of chiefs. (were given this title when invited by His Imperial Majesty) Praised the wife of the chief.

2 185 Marching song.

Information: This marching will be heard in Anuak areas.

Text: Our marching is becoming known and our generation is given blessing by the priest to become powerful (Orthodox sacrament) (Sometimes translated, it is the liver of the lion given to the people). When we pick up our guns, we will be planning to kill an elephant but because the animals were being prevented by the Ethiopian government or by Amhara, we will not do that. We are AMERICANS and ETHIOPIANS at the same time. When the trumpet is blown our marching will be seen. Or will arrive.

3 205 Marching Song.

Text: The generation of OCUK come up and go for hunting when those young generation come back, they will be appointed or anointed by the oil and the ivory will be seen in their hand. (extending this by connecting it with another song) Not a real marching song. But when the people are preparing for dancing) when we are going to swear, we will be taken by an airplane in the village of our chief who is named after fog. When we tried to discuss about our oath not to eat salt the young generation of the girls say that our grandfathers didn’t taste the salt at all. The old women were crying where will this young generation go. The trumpet will blow (Imitates the trumpet in the singing) Inform a man named after an elephant. We swore not to eat salt which swells the whole body. Our marching will be known in Gambela or gold mines’.

4 236 Marching song.

Text: When we shoot our bullets, the drum will sound like Amhara drums. We swear not to eat salt. There is a town of Gallas which is called BEDELE. When we went to Bedele we bought sacks of salt and some other people. Said leave it don’t buy it. (Sung in Amharic: leave it don’t buy it.) Our bullets which we are going to shoot will kill an elephant because of what we swore. Inform all people that our chief is coming. We the generation of the chief of chiefs. Swears not to eat salt.

5 257 Marching song.

Text: When we fire our guns, the drums will sound like Amhara drums and when we put on our shoes we march to the town of BUNA BEDLE. When we swear not to eat salt, we tried to kill an elephant and the people cried to to shoot the bullets because the fog will cover the area. A foggy day. The generation of OJULO. Inform the people that you the generation of chiefs of chiefs is coming. When we swear not to eat salt.

6 277 Marching song.

Text: We ask our generation leader, where will be a good place for hunting an elephant. He answered that OCWAC will be a good place. When our leader agreed to fight an elephant, we killed it and put the ivory in our hands and what is left is only a pistol. Only a pistol left. Many people hate us because of our hunting an animal and jealous of our killing an elephant which has head is being eaten by hyenas. Those who were hunting or who were looking for honey are still seeing the bones of our animal. You better march the generation of 3 chiefs. (said that because OKUNA is divided into 3 villages and lead by 3 chiefs) It was because of AMHARA who took our ivories and if its made to be a cross it would be fit for us. If it is made for our wrist it would be fit for our generation. If it is made for both rooms it would be fit for us also. If it is made like a ring it will be fit for us also, if it is put into beads it will be fit for us also. If it is taken to the highlands it will return as a cup.

7 331 Agwaga.

Text: Praising a man named after an elephant saying he became angry because of the war. Praising a man who killed OJANG. When he shot OJANG he broke the stick of the spear and killed the man. (Stood standing holding the spear. The bullet went through the spear and killed the man at the same time) Praising the leader who is named AGWA, saying he is just like that – he didn’t take the war seriously. (Means he did not consider the OJAN tribe as brave people but as a slave people) Informing the elders of the village saying let’s keep our chief in a good condition. He’s informing all Anuaks saying you leave feeding us bad news or bad rumors. It is because of you that the OJANG tribes to a good lesson from us. (Many Anuaks were considering the people of OKUNA as the OJANG tribe because they live in a thick forest and made a war with OJUNG tribes to identify the fact that they were Anuaks. And not from OJANG tribe) Our chief is not good when he is being annoyed by some other things. Means he will take everything seriously when he is being annoyed.)

8 368 Agwaga.

Information: Considered the people of OJUNG tribe as their own slaves. Agwa’s father went to war and collected many of them and sold them away.

Text: My father the son of a snake and the mad man of Anuaks who is boasting. He doesn’t think of his loneliness, he fights though he is alone. He fights and kills many people. Good things also can be said before the bad things. I don’t know whether or not the people have many guns. Our elder made the tribe of Anuaks not to sleep properly. during our fighting a known man in Ojung tribe died or were killed at the same time. With this daughter and his wives. Our leader, nothing bad should be said against him. Otherwise, we will collect all of Theo JUNG tribe. He defeated the OJUNG tribes with one stick and made them swim like monkeys in the river because he didn’t have a good gun to kill them.

9 414 Agwaga.

Text: Father, I’m going to Gilo river to make your name known and those who insult will come back. I swear in the name of our chief, in the name of our chief who feeds the common people. Don’t say anything the son of AGOLA will become very angry. Or will bark. Those who are insulting the chief they are increasing the soil. (Means they will be killed and their flesh will be changed to soil) I’m bringing the peace and friendship with the king is good. When he is being insulted you can go and report everything to him. What have I done? Why don’t you give a price also to your uncle’s son? All the elder’s ore the old men are begging or asking day and night.

10 439 Agwaga.

Text: Informing the chief saying that why don’t we murder the person of the thing we discussed. The fire burned the fingers of the people. The place where the people used to come was surrounded and they prevented that place to be farmed any more. Liars people can be fed by a bullet into their stomach causing them to bleed and their stomachs to swell) When our leader went to Gilo river, people were uneasy and feared him.

11 463 Agwaga.

Text: Praising the elders and those who helped the chief in eldership. Our village being protected by wars and our prime minister. He doesn’t kill someone during the way. He will never cut off his hair. Our leader who is the son of AGWA was being appointed by his grandfather to protect or control his village. Anuaks are mad, I came to bring peace among them and those who are liars will be burned during the war.

12 503 Dudbul.

Information: Said in Anuak: this song was sung when I was a small boy and I knew it because I’m a singer)

Text: A man named after a bird who is the chief. (a bird which tries to catch fish – Nile perch – but it is impossible to take out of the water) Advising him to keep his village in a good condition. I’m begging my grandson which people looked after him. Praising the wife of the chief and saying the poorness is not supposed to be hidden. Informing the people in the meeting place saying that you didn’t see our leader when he gives out the prices at the same time. Our father unites Anuak and Ojung tribes also. Praising the wife of the chief if she could give the 3^rd special beads. Praising a man named after a pelican and his wife Praising a man named after a bird saying when he drums, he drums a drum nicely and praises his wife also at the same time. Praising the wife of the king. She will never be tired to give out a price to the singer. Praising a man named after a pelican and his wife who is not comparable to any girl in OKUNA village. Praising a man after his animal saying that if there are some people who are opposing our government in OKUNA they will get something out of it. Consequences. When will our dancing be spread out? Our wife who is beautiful is known for her active work. Praising a man named after a crock. To give him a price. Saying a singer is like a river if you give me a price, I can be your son immediately. Praising a man after leopard and his wife who is named APIEW. Saying when will APIEW come back. If she pounds ground or soil will be changed to beer. When our wife comes back everybody in the village will go to visit her.

13 716 Obero.

Text: Taking the chief as a precious treasure, saying we will form dancing with the wife of the chief. Praising a man named after crock and his wife saying that a crock sleeps on it back when it is dead, tell the king them to give him a price also. Praising the prime minister and his wife saying that people give, let the chief give me the gift only without the people. Praising a man after his animal which is lion and his wife. Praising another an after his animal, black and white: if he can agree with his wife to give him a price. Praising a person named after a vulture and his wife after her father’s animals. I’ll go early in the morning to one of my friends for a gift. We have our best leader which is made by the OKUNA people bad and AGWA is left by his father to rule OKUNA village. Praising a man after buffalo and his wife. If they can agree to give him something. Our father must continue to give his hand to the people And I was asked by some other singers, how much money did you get by your singing and he answered nothing but my chief who is named AGWA was supposed to give me $50. But the liar prevented him not to give me anything. Praising the son of the prime minister saying who is playing after his animal there. Answered, the son of the prime minister. I will just be away from your village because many liars are insulting me.

14 888 Marching song.

Text: When OKUNA tried to fire their guns, they will be in under their flag listening to the telegram. When people of Baro river heard that they were confused and also, when the Gallas of highland heard that they said, Oh, an Arab coming for food. Why are they refusing not to eat salt (Said in Gallinya in the song) If they refuse to eat salt and give it to me, I will eat it.

15 921 Dudbul.

Text: Praising a man named after pelican saying that I became very tired of going from place to place. Those who are roaming about, some are coming from Baro river having axes. I came to express myself if I can get a gift. The 4^th special beads which came or which were captured from OJUNG tribe are plenty. Praising a woman who from Gilo river after Gilo river station were American Missionary station is. Saying that, the daughter of the place which h is being shared by Amhara and English people, don’t be tired of bad news which you heard from liars, liars always cause the bad things between the people. Praising a boy named after Nile perch. He used to give a gift before every one. If you see that I’m a bad boy in the village informing me so I can leave your village and go to another village. Informing girl compare a singer as water – water can flow wherever it does. Now compares a singer as a young girl and says, a singer is a young girl who considers everything as a good thing to her, she will never be angry or change her face. She is able to cope with good and bad. A singer is like a young girl who accepts everything (A singer accepts any kind of price – big or small) Praising some of his friends who gave him a gift already and those who didn’t give anything also. Praising a man named after a pelican and his wife after her hard work in the village. Saying I was lost in the forest but the pounding of your wife led me to the village. Father, I’m not poor by now, at the same time, I’m not a good singer but I’m trying my best to sing this song to get in Okuna village.

16 1091 Dudbul.

Text: Informing all people that this is the time of my poorness and I swear in the name of our father who is also our chief. Our leader keeps us in a good condition, we are all in his hand. Praising the wife of the chief saying lets keep our chief in good condition because he’s after leadership. Praising him also by saying that he is becoming famous and his name is being heard from JUBA who look like a prince, a crown prince. Praising a man named after snake-fish you have prevented me from getting anything for a long time. Informing the same people if they can give a price to him. Because they are very close relatives to him. Also, if they don’t give any gift to him, means many Anuaks will blame him, he will be blamed by other people, even you close relatives don’t give you price. Why? Explaining about his bad luck in the village. Informing the people saying he is in between the people and the song. (Means people prevented him not to begiven a price and some other people said that he will be given according to the songs he is going to sing) I didn’t get any lazy boy I our generation. (Means that his generation is well dressed) All Anuaks are mad because of my being lonely without playing with some other people and I will sing some songs which can be heard in AJWARA and OKWAAR villages.