Yoruba King (Oba) Ademuwgun Adesida II in 1959
Words real fast flying
Off the tree shed en-masse
Oro agba ti o se lowuro, await the nightfall
It’s nightfall for all these appalls
Lost in the wilderness of knowledge
True words now dying
Gibberish swells beyond the oceans
Breed of no value amass
Ajee ke lana, death! Today, by the furrow
The way now is to porridge lost
Vanity worn as apparels
While the tree shed leaves?!
Leaves of value for doggerels
Doggerels in words
Doggerels in deeds
Where in the world is dignity?
Where-in lies my sage?
Degradation of soul robes me to the tongue
For collective nonchalance Our new god
We no longer are in custody
Of a glorious origin, a blessed past
Our footsteps to this dwindling present
Thus our blunder a parody
Blunder in words
Blunder in deeds
Where has our wonderful world gone?
Is our value once of prestige torn
To shreds all that was embodied?
Custody is long lost
Custodians now but a few
Melodies of culture blown to dust
I think it is time for curfew
To regain the nation lost
That our blood be washed anew
*Oro agba’ ti o se lowuro means the words of the elders which is not fulfilled by dawn (would come to pass by nightfall).
*Aje ke lana means that a witch’s wail or cries yesterday (part of a Yoruba adage).
