Ewì Ọmọge Ìwòyí - Girls of now-a-days

Ọmọge ìwòyí o!!!
Ẹn ẹ̀yin ni mò ń báwí, ẹ t’ẹ́tí kí ẹ gb’ọ́rọ̀ ẹnuù mi

Ẹ yáa gbọ́ mi yéké.

Àntí Bùkọ́lá, Tọ́sìn o lẹ́sẹ̀ tínínrín

Sììstá Jẹ́nífà ẹlẹ́sẹ̀ pàlàbà, Fásílá o lẹ́sẹ̀ ẹdìẹe,

Àfi kí ẹ tọ́jú ki e tọ́tè, máa gbọ̀ndí kiri àdúgbò

Áwù, aṣọ kù lọ́jà, èwo ni ti bóńfò, èwo n taṣọ pénpé kí ẹ dá,

Kò balẹ̀ le fi ṣe

Àbí ẹ ò mọ̀ pé aṣọ àbúròo yín lẹ wọ̀?

Ìbàdí ọmọge yín là ń wò l’òfẹ́ lófò,

Gbogbo ọmú rè é níta, ẹ jọ̀wọ́ ẹ bòdíi yín o, ó ti súu wá í wò.

Níbi tí bùbá àti ìró tó gbáfẹ́ gbé wà,

Àmọ́ àkísà lẹ̀yín yàn láàyò.

Gbogbo ibi la ti ń bá ọ, bíi ẹ̀fúùfùlẹ̀lẹ̀

Ìwọ lónìí, ìwọ lánàá bí ẹkún apọkọjẹ

Wàá gbé dúdú, gbé pupa,

Bo ṣe ń gbé kúkúrú lò ń gbé gíga

Àti ọ̀dọ́ àt’ọkọ ilé, déédé ni

Ṣé kò kí ń rẹ̀ ọ́ ni? Ó rẹ̀ mí tì, é le è rẹ̀ mí lo fi ń ṣe

Àtolátọ̀sí, àtoní wárápá, gbogbo wọn ló ń ṣebẹ̀,

O ò kọ̀ kan, gbogbo ayé ní í gbé e sẹ́nu, kò yàtọ̀ sí síbí ilé ìjẹun

Àlàpà tó dẹnu ílẹ̀, ẹran oríṣi ní í fi bẹ̀ ṣe ‘lé

Tára bá bájẹ́ talára ní í dà, bí ọ̀rọ̀ àgbà

Ṣọ́ ọ ṣe ọmọge fácitì, ìwọ ọmọ ilé ìwé gíga ẹ ṣọ́ra ṣe

Alágẹmọ ti bímọ, àìmọ́jó dọwọ́ọ yín 

The above ewì (a Yorùbá poem) talks about the indecent dressing among-st girls of now a days - ìwọ̀ kuwọ̀ láàrín àwọn ọmọge ìwòyí. 

We look at western culture, imitate them and forget our own - àṣà òkèèrè là ń kọ́ ṣe, tí a gbàgbée tiwa. 

We wear clothes worn by club strippers on the street - aṣọ ilé ijó là ń wọ̀ kiri ìgboro. 

We no longer wear our Yorùbá attires (a ò wọ aṣọ ìbílẹ̀ẹ wa mọ́). Prostitution and promiscuity is the other of the day - àgbèrè àti panṣágà ti gbàlú kan.

See the translation of the ewì below :

Ọmọge ìwòyí o!!!

Pretty girls of now a days!!!

Ẹn ẹ̀yin ni mò ń báwí, ẹ t’ẹ́tí kí ẹ gb’ọ́rọ̀ ẹnuù mi

Yes it is you am talking to, listen to my voice

Ẹ yáa gbọ́ mi yéké.

Better listen to me clearly.

Àntí Bùkọ́lá, Tọ́sìn o lẹ́sẹ̀ tíírín

Aunty Bùkọ́lá, Tọ́sìn the tiny leg

Sììstá Jẹ́nífà ẹlẹ́sẹ̀ pàlàbà, Fásílá o lẹ́sẹ̀ ẹdìẹe,

Sister Jenifa the big leg, Fasilat the hen leg,

Àfi kí ẹ tọ́jú ki e tọ́tè, máa gbọ̀ndí kiri àdúgbò

All you know is to paint your eye and lips, shake ass about

Áwù, aṣọ kù lọ́jà, èwo n bóńfò, èwo laṣọ pénpé kí ẹ dá,

When there are clothes in the market, which one is this short, small cloth that you wear,

Kò balẹ̀ lẹ fi ṣe

Not long enough

Àbí ẹ ò mọ̀ pé aṣọ àbúròo yín lẹ wọ̀?

Or you don not know is your sister's?

Ìbàdí ọmọge yín là ń wò l’òfẹ́ lófò,

We see the waist of a beauty free of charge,

Gbogbo ọmú rè é níta, ẹ bòdíi yín o, ó ti súu wá í wò.

The breasts are out, cover it, we are tired of looking.

Níbi tí bùbá àti ìró tó gbáfẹ́ gbé wà,

When we have nice bùbá and ìró,

Àmọ́ àkísà lẹ̀yín yàn láàyò.

But you chose to wear rags.

Gbogbo ibi la ti ń bá ọ, bíi ẹ̀fúùfùlẹ̀lẹ̀

You are everywhere just like the air

Ìwọ lónìí, ìwọ lánàá bí ẹkún apọkọjẹ

It is you today, you tomorrow

Wàá gbé dúdú, gbé pupa,

You date dark and fair skinned,

Bó ṣe ń gbé kúkúrú lò ń gbé gíga

As you date short men, so you date tall ones

Àti ọ̀dọ́ àt’ọkọ ilé, déédé ni

Boys and married men, its okay

Ṣé kò kí ń rẹ̀ ọ́ ni? Ó rẹ̀ mí tì, é le è rẹ̀ mí lo fi ń ṣe

Don't you get tired? Never, you never get tired

Àtolátọ̀sí, àtoní wárápá, gbogbo wọn ló ń ṣebẹ̀,

Even patients of urinary infection, and epilepsy come close,

O ò kọ̀ kan, gbogbo ayé ní í gbé e sẹ́nu, 

You don't mind, the world puts its mouth,

Kò yàtọ̀ sí síbí ilé ìjẹun

Not different from spoon of a restaurant

Àlàpà tó dẹnu ílẹ̀, ẹran oríṣi ní í fi bẹ̀ ṣe ‘lé

Broken wall that is open, any animal lives in it

Tára bá bájẹ́ talára ní í dà, bí ọ̀rọ̀ àgbà,

When the body get spoil, only the owner feels it

Ṣọ́ ọ ṣe ọmọge fácitì, ìwọ ọmọ ilé ìwé gíga ẹ ṣọ́ra ṣe

Be careful, pretty university girl, you high school girl 

Alágẹmọ ti bímọ, àìmọ́jó dọwọ́ọ yín .

The masquerade agẹmọ has given birth to a child, it is left for the child to learn to dance.

What do you think about the ewì?

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ÌYÀWÓ ILÉ ILẸ̀Ẹ YORÙBÁ (THE YORÙBÁ HOUSEWIFE)

"Ìyá ni wúrà iye bíye

tí a ò lè fowó rà,

Ó lóyún mi fóṣù mẹsaan,

ó pọ̀n mi fọ́dún mẹta

ìyá ni wúrà iye bíye

tí a ò lè fowó rà"

<translation>

Mother is gold, expensive,

that money cannot buy

she carried me in her womb for 9 months

she back snuggled me for 3 years.

Mother is gold, expensive,

that money cannot buy

              .................

 

              .................

Ìyá- is the word for mother in Yorùbá. It is believed that the African mother, the Yorùbá woman is precious and must be adored, pampered (gbe gẹ̀gẹ̀) which is why my people say 'ìyá ni wúrà...' (mother is gold).

Again, to the Yorubas, the 9 months;oṣù mẹsan pregnancy stage is not an easy task, not to mention the irora- pain, stress- ìnira on the ọjọ́ ìkúnlẹ̀: day of delivery (labour). 


She has a lot on her hand to do in the welfare of her child/children (ọmọ) , she breast feeds the child "á á fún ọmọ lọ́yàn",back snug the child "á á pọn sẹ́yìn", bathe it "á á wẹ̀ fún un  and care for it á tọ́ júu ẹ̀ even in the middle of the night; ọ̀gànjọ́ òru.

The poem my mother by Ann Taylor is not enough to show the worth iyì, strength agbára of the African Yorùbá mother.

This is why in Yorùbá land, the ìyá is regarded as the next after God. Any child who disobeys the mother automatically disobeys the creator. This can also be found in the christian philosophy as well as in Islam, both the Bible & Quran attest to this. 

Ìyàwó means wife in English, while ilé is the Yoruba word for house, home and to have a 'wife' is to have a mother who knows the value of child care, home keep to list a few.

The ìyàwó ilé is the housewife, who is most of the time expected to be in the home environment and not too far from the home where the ilé ìdáná, kitchen is her main spot. When not in the ilé ìdáná, she is in the market place; ọjà  selling her wares, which includes, aṣọ-òkè, òfì (clothing), agbọ̀n (basket), ìkòkò; clay pots and other goods.

The ìyàwó ilé on the other hand, is what the Yoruba tradition expects the wife to be in the ilé: house. She is expected to dáná/se oúnjẹ: cook for the family, see to their well being.

The major responsibilities of an ìyàwó ilé should do include: ọmọ bíbí, child bearing, ìtọjú ọmọ àti ọkọ: child care & husband pampering, iṣẹ́ ilé: house shores.

Apart from looking after children and the other duties of the ìyàwó ilé, it is her responsibility to inculcate the Yorùbá morals, ethics, values and norms in them (ìwà ọmọlúàbí, àṣà, ìṣé ilẹ́ Yorùbá ). Of which, ìtẹríba: respect/obedience for the ẹbí: family, ọ̀rẹ́: friends, abálégbé: neighbours, alàgbà: elders, ẹgbẹ́: age mate, is of paramount importance (ó ṣe kókó). 

Our people often say that "ọmọ gbọ́dọ̀ yàn kó yanjú, ó gbọ́dọ̀ jẹ ọmọlúàbí, tí a bíre, tọ́re, wò re" - a child must be nurtured with the proper ethical, moral, social manners and for this to happen, the mother would have done a great job for her children to be regarded as ọmọlúàbí or ọmọ tó gbà ẹ̀kọ́ ilé (moral children).

As the house keeper- alámójúto ilé, nothing kept in her care must go amiss, she must be a good cook for her husband to love her, she washes the man's aṣọ, clothes with that of the children if they are still in a tender age.

If a housewife did not meet up with the expectations of the ẹbí ọkọ: husband's family (in-laws), then arises complaints over everything she does. They will say 'ìyàwó kò mọ̀ ẹsẹ gbé'.

To be loved by her in-laws;ẹbí ọkọ, she must care for and also have respect - ìtẹ́ríba for everyone even the youngest of them (àbúrò ọkọ). She calls the male - ọkùnrin 'brother' and female - obìnrin 'sister' using "ẹ" as a sign of respect when she addresses them.

Are you a housewife? What shores do you do which is not stated here? Do you think the housewife still work in this generation? 

Kí lo rò? Jẹ́ kí á gbọ́ ní pà ẹ̀

:)

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