Oriki to Baba Jacob Carruthers - O. Kambon

[Olùkọ́ Ọbádélé]

[Written By Obadele Kambon at the annual ASCAC 2004 Conference in honor of our Ancestor, Baba Jacob Carruthers]

Kemet: “Internal” Good Character and Carrying on the Tradition

Olùkó̧ tí ó kó̧kó̧ kó̧ wa
[The teacher who first taught us]

bí ó şe yȩ
[The proper way]

Kí a kȩ́kò̧ó̧ kíko̧ àko̧sílȩ̀ Kȩ́mȩ́ȩ̀tì,
[For us to learn the writings of Kemet]

O̧mo̧ ilȩ̀ Ta-Sȩ́tì
[The child of Ta-Seti]

Òótó̧ ni, Bȩ́ȩ̀ l'ó rí
[That’s how it was and that’s how it is]
(this chorus is said after every line and at every break in between verses)

Orí tó borí,
[The one of victorious destiny]

Tó yorí, şaşeyorí nítorí èyí tí ó rí
[Who prevailed; gained victory due to experience]

Òótó̧ ni, Bȩ́ȩ̀ l’ó rí
[That’s how it was and that’s how it is]

O̧mo̧lúwàbí ni àwa bí,
[The ideal person is who was born]

O̧mo̧lúwàbí ni àwa bí, ni àwa bí, ni àwa bí
[The ideal person is who was born, was born, was born]

Oníwà-pȩ̀lȩ́ ‘bílȩ̀
[The owner of humble character]

Látìbȩ̀rȩ̀ ‘pilȩ̀
[From the beginning of the beginning]

Tó gbà wá sílȩ̀
[The one who has resuscitated us]

Nílé ayé A pè wó̧n ló̧mo̧ líle, líle, líle
[In this world we said he has fortitude]

T’ó fimú fínlȩ̀ fún ìmò̧ ìjìnlȩ̀
[The one who searched for and found deep wisdom]

Aláwìíyé nílé-ìyè
[Instructor of the house of life, who explains matters perfectly]

Olóyè òye oníyebíye
[Who holds the rank of “Owner of Priceless Understanding”]

Ó káre láyé, ó káre ló̧run
[Who has done well in the world and the ancestral realm]

T’ó şe èyí tí kò ro̧rùn, ro̧rùn, ro̧rùùùn
[Who has done what is not easy, easy, easy]

Kí l’ȩ tí wí? Bȩ́ȩ̀ l’ó rí! (awítúnwí)
[Whatcha’ll say now? That’s how it is!] (repeated)

Rere gbogbo l’ó şojú ȩni, rere gbogbo l’ó şojú ȩni, bémi wà, bémi wá bá kùú, rere gbogbo l’ó şojú ȩni. (awítúnwí)
[The good of a person bears witness for her/him when he/she passes on] (repeated)

Nílé ayé! Baba Jédì Shemsú Jehéwty,
[In the world, Baba Jedi Shemsu Jehewty]

Ȩ̀yin ni wọn dárúkọ,
[It is your name that they call]

Lóde ò̧run! Baba Jédì Shemsú Jehéwty,
[In the ancestral realm, Baba]

Orúkọ yín ò níí tán láyé
[Your name will not finish ever]

Ikú mà ba ohun rere jé ̧
[Death indeed spoils good things]

Ikú má ba ohun rere jȩ́
[Death don’t spoil good things]

Háà! Baba Jédì Shemsú Jehéwty!
[Man! Baba Jedi Shemsu Jehewty]

O̧mọ ilȩ̀ Adúláwò̧ gidi
[A True Son of Afrika]

Iná kú, ó feérú bojú
[When fire goes out, it leaves ashes in its place]

Ò̧gȩ̀dȩ̀ kú, ó fọmọ ró̧pò
[When the banana tree dies, its children replace it]

Tá ni yóò tún jogún balógun
[Who will inherit the burden of the general?]

Jagunjagun kò jȩ́ ayé ó gún
[When warriors do not allow the world to be peaceful]

Jagunjagun yóò jȩ́ ayé ó gún
[Warriors will make the world to be peaceful]

Ògún! Ògúúún!...
[Ògún! (Divinity of Iron and War), Ògún!]

Máa p’Ògún f’óògùn ogun!
[Call Ògún for the poisonous herbs of war!]

Ògún! Ògúúún!...
[Ògún! (Divinity of Iron and War), Ògún!]

Máa p’Ògún f’óògùn ogun
[Call Ògún for the poisonous medicine for war!]


Intellectual Warfare: “External” Good Character & Fighting Enemies

Òtító̧ dó̧jà ó kùtà,
[Truth came to market and could not be sold]

Owó bíńtín l’à ń ra èké
[Yet, we buy lies with ready cash]

Òtító̧ dó̧jà ó kùtà,
[Truth came to market and could not be sold]

Owó bíńtín l’à ń ra èké
[Yet, we buy lies with ready cash]

Bí iró̧ bá sáré lógún ọdún
[Even if a lie runs for twenty years]

O̧jó̧ kan lòótó̧ yóò bá a
[Truth will catch up to it in a day]

A bí ọ wȩ́rȩ́ l’a rí iró̧
[You were born at a time when lies came into the land]

A ń wȩ̀ ó̧ ló̧wó̧ l’a rékèé
[They were still washing you when we saw falsehood]

A kó o̧ jáde rí lárúbáwá
[When they outdoored you is when we saw the a-rabs]

A sọ ó̧ lóókọ l’a róyìnbó
[When they gave you a name is when we saw the whites]

Bàbá Jédì a bojúpá,
[Baba Jedi in readiness]

Bíi ká yára lógun,
[Like, “The war is on!”]

A yásȩ̀-yásȩ̀ bíi kájà-kájà,
[“Quick on the feet like “Let’s fight! Let’s fight!”]

bó̧lȩ̀kájà, ká wàyá ‘jà
[“Come down let’s fight, let’s fight for real!”]

Àní, òyìnbó kò gbọdò̧ roko
[“Saying, the whiteys better not go nowhere!”]

Àní, láábá kò gbọdò̧ rodò
[“Saying, those a-rabs better not move a muscle!”]

Ó dánáá ilé-ȩ̀kó̧, dánáá ìta
[Setting fires in the school, setting fires in the street]

Ó finá jó ìwé oníró̧ gbogbo
[Burning up the books of all the liars]

Bí ogun bá bàjȩ́,
[If there are difficulties in the war]

Ȩ ké sí Baba Jédì Shemsú Jehéwty wá
[Call out to Baba Jedi Shemsu Jehewty]

Ó jagun òjò jagun ȩ̀wọ
[Who fought in the rain, fought in the drizzle]

Ó jagun òkè jagun odò
[Who fought in the hills, fought in the rivers]

T’ó ń jà láyé tó ń jà ló̧run
[Who fought in the world, fights in the ancestral realm]

Ó namọ jà bí Áyítì
[Who bust ‘em up fighting like Haiti]

Ó namọ jà bí Kȩ́mȩ́ȩ̀tì,
[Who bust ‘em up fighting like Kemet]

Ȩnu láşẹ
[The mouth has power]

Ò̧rò̧ làşẹ
[The word is power]

Òkè kò lè dúró
[The mountains can’t withstand it]

Igbó kò lè dúró
[The forest can’t withstand it]

Ó kọ-ebè-gbin-ọmọ-òyìnbó-sí
[Who makes heaps and plants whiteys in it]

Ó kó òyìnbó aláwọ dúdú
[Who gathers the whiteys with Black skin]

Ságò bí ȩ̀gbẹ işu
[Up into a shed like dried yams]

Ó gbá hegel lójú
[The one who busted hegel in the eye]

Ó ta henry louis gates láyà
[Who busted henry louis gates in the chest]

Ìmò̧ bí kúùkù l’ó tari hume lȩ́nu
[Who busted hume in the mouth]

O̧gbó̧n bí ò̧kò̧ l’ó fi tẹ cornel west lórí
[Who busted cornel west in the head]

Bógun mbȩ̀ ló̧wó̧ ò̧tún
[If the war is on the right side]

Wọn á gbò̧nà òsì,
[They take the road to the left]

Bógun mbȩ̀ ló̧wó̧ òsì,
[If the war is to the left side]

Wọn á gbò̧nà ò̧tún,
[The take the road to the right]

Ogun mbȩ̀ nílȩ̀yílȩ̀,
[If the war is on the ground]

Wọn ń bá torí igi lọ
[They take to the tops of the trees]

Háà! Bàbá Jédì, ọmọ Ta-Sȩ́tì
[Man! Baba Jedi, the child of Ta-Seti]

A fàşẹ şişȩ́ níşȩ́ tí kìí şe é şe
[Who uses power to make the impossible happen]

K’á tȩ̀lé nípasȩ̀ Baba Jédì
[Let us follow in the footsteps of Baba Jedi]

Káfilégbọingbọin
[Let’s remain true to the cause]

Káfilégbọin
[Without compromise]

Káfilégbọingbọin
[Let’s remain true to the cause]

Káfilégbọin
[Without compromise]

Bí ayé ti rí rèé o
[‘Cause that’s is how the world is]

Lèyí o, àjàmọ o o
[This is a fight to the death]

Ayé è gún o
[Cause the world is not peaceful]

Oyeee, oyeee
[Oh yeah, oh yeah]

Ogun leeeyìí o o
[This here is war!!!]

Leeyí àjàmọ o o
[We must fight to the last person]

Káyé lè gún o o!
[So that the world may be peaceful]