Asuo Tano

[Ɔkyeame Kwame]

Asuo Tan¡


¡kwan atware asuo, [the path crosses the river]
asuo atware kwan, [the river crosses the path]
¡panin ne hwan? [who is the elder?]
¡kwan atware asuo, [the path crosses the river]
asuo atware kwan, [the river crosses the path]
¡panin ne hwan? [who is the elder?]
y¢b¡¡ kwan yi k¡too asuo no. [we created the path, encountering the river]
asuo yi firi tete. [this river is from ancient times]
asuo yi firi ¡domankoma ¡b¡ade¢ [this river is from The Beneficent Creator]
Konkon Tan¡ [Konkon Tan¡] (Tan¡'s mmrane)
Birefia Tan¡ [Birefia Tan¡] (Tan¡'s mmrane)
Asubirekete [Asubirekete] (Tan¡'s mmrane)
Agya Kwaante e. [Agya Kwaante e] (Tan¡'s mmrane)
Asante K¡t¡k¡hene bosom [The Asante Porcupine King's divinity]
Asu Beremp¡n [Great river]
¡beremp¡n Daasebr¢, [The great man who is thanked until fatigue]
Y¢rek¡ko baabi a, [If we go fight somewhere then]
Y¢keka ma wote, [We speak so that you hear]
Mede br¢br¢ mede br¢br¢ masi ta. [I use slowness I use slowness to stand strong]
Mede br¢br¢ mede br¢br¢ masi ta. [I use slowness I use slowness to stand strong]
Ta Kofi Beremp¡n, [Ta the Friday Born Great Man]
Firamp¡n Dammirifua! [Firamp¡n Condolences!]
Dammirifua! [Condolences!]
Dammirifua! [Condolences!]
Ta Kofi Beremp¡n. [Ta the Friday Born Great Man]
Firamp¡n dammirifua. [Firamp¡n Condolences!]
Asu Beremp¡n, [Great River]
Firamp¡n dammirifua. [Firamp¡n Condolences!]
Ta Kofi Beremp¡n, [Ta the Friday Born Great Man]
¡kyer¢ma a ¡yan atumpan se ¡rek¡to wo, [The drummer who plays the atumpan says he will go encounter you]
¡resr¢ wo, ¡reb¢yan atumpan. [He is begging you, he says he's fixing to play the atumpan]
Meyan atumpan a, ma atumpan nk¡ me [If I play the atumpan then, let the atumpan go straight straight straight for me]
tenene tenene tenene.
Meresua; momma menhu. [I am learning, you (pl.) should allow me to see]

[Okomfo11]

The prayer for Tano from the below CD has some variation to it but is basically the same.

TRANSCRIPTION and TRANSLATION: “Talking Drum” text from Rhythms of Life, Songs of Wisdom: Akan music from Ghana, West Africa CD insert. Smithsonian/Folkways Recordings.1996.
Transcribed and translated by Dr. Daniel Agyei Dwarko from the University of Cape Coast.

Segue to Poetry Honoring the River Tano
Asuo twa okwan, okwan twa asuo, opani ne hwan?
The river crosses the path, the path crosses the river, who is the elder?

Asuo twa okwan, okwan twa asuo, opani ne hwan?
The river crosses the path, the path crosses the river, who is the elder?

Yeboo kwan no katoo asuo no,
The path was cut to meet the river,

Asuo no firi tete
the river is of old,

Asuo no firi Odomankoma a oboo adee
the river comes from “Odomankoma” the Creator

Konkon Tano,
Konkon Tano,

Brefa Tano,
Brefa Tano

Asuo brekete
Asuo brekete

Agya Kwaa Ata ei!
Father Kwaa Ata ei!

Asu berempon
The great river

Asuo twa asuo
River that passes/crosses a river

Takasi berempon
Takasi the Great

Woama Bosompra adi afasee
You have caused Bosompra to eat the water yam

Me nam, Me nam, Me nam, Ma si Ta ko mu
I have wandered, and wandered, and wandered, I have stepped into the deep floods of Ta

Takasi berempon
Takasi the Great

Frampon damirifa
Frampon, condolence,

Damifira,
Condolence,

Damifira,
Condolence,

Damifira due,
Deepest condolence,

Damifira due,
Deepest condolence,

Takasi berempon
Takasi the Great

Frampon damirifa
Frampon, condolence,

Asu berempon
Great river

Frampon damirifa

Frampon, condolence

Actual Drum Language Glorifying The King of Denkyira
Adawu, Adawu, Denkyira mene sono.
Adawu, Adawu, Denkyira the devourer of the elephant

Adawu, Adawu, Denkyira pentemprem, Omene sono, ma wo ho mene so
Adawu, Adawu, Denkyira the quicksand, devourer of the elephant, come forth in thy light, exert yourself

Pentenprem, ma wo homene so,
Quicksand, come forth in thy light,

Ma wo ho me ne so
Exert yourself, in glory

Kronkron, kronkron, kronkron
Your holiness, holiness, holiness

Amponsem Koyirifa, ma wo ho me ne so
Amposem Koyirifa, come forth in thy light, in glory

Ako nana ma wo ho mene so
Grandson of the Parrot, come forth in thy light

Ako nana a ho a ne mframa mene boo, ma wo ho me ne so
Grandson of the Parrot whose winds sweep and devour even the stones, come forth in thy light

Wo a wofiri dodo mu
You who came from many,

Wo a wutu a ewiemu den se asamando, ma wo ho me ne so
You who fly and the skies become still like the cemetery, come forth in thy light

Amponsem nana a “odi sika to,” atomprada, ma wo ho me ne so
Amponsem’s grandson who “eats mashed gold dust,” and uses only freshly mined gold in his daily transactions, come forth in thy light

Agona adehyekan nana
First grandson of the Agona line,

Wo a wode osee ye oyo
You promise and you fulfill it

De nkoden akyekyere Denkyiraman, de ape no sibre, ma wo ho me ne so
Having fought hard to establish the Denkyira state, and having found it a place among the nations, come forth in thy light

Ayekra Adebo nana
Grandson of Ayekra Adebo [first ruler, fetish priestess of Denkyira]

Ahihi Ahaha nono
Grandson of Ahihi Ahaha

Wirempi Ampem nana a owo ntam na yenka, ma wo ho me ne so
Grandson of Wirempi Ampem whose oath is not to be sworn, come forth in thy light

Otibu Kwadno nana
Grandson of great King Kwadwo Otibu,

Wo a wode Denkyiraman firii Abankesieso baa Jukwaa, ma wo ho me ne so
Who led the Denkyira people in their great migration from Abankesieso to settle in Jukwa, come forth in thy light

Odeefoo, ma wo ho me ne so
Benefactor, come forth in thy light

Ma wo ho me ne so Agona,
The Agona clan,

Denkyiraman do wo ase,
The Denkyira state

Yeda wo ase a ensa,
Expresses its endless

Esie ne kagya nni aseda
Gratitude to you