Toju Iwa Re (Yoruba Poem)

[Olùkọ́ Ọbádélé]

Tôjú Ìwà R÷









Tôjú ìwà r÷ örê mi [Maintain your character my friend]
Ælá a máa «í læ nílé ÷ni [Honor can leave from the house of a person]
¿wà a sì máa «í lára ènìyàn [Beauty can leave from the body of a person]
»ùgbôn ìwà ní í bá ‘ni dé sàárè [However a person’s character will go with a person to the grave]

Èéfín nìwà, rírú ní í rú [Character is like smoke, eventually it will rise (to the surface)]
Ènìyàn gb’ókèèrè níyì [A person lives off in the distance in honor]
»ùgbôn súnmô ni, l’a fi ñ mö’«e ÷ni [But with closeness we learn of a person’s actions]
Ìwà kò ní í foníwà sílë [Character will not leave its owner alone]

Ìwà æmæ l’ó ñ sæmæ lórúkæ [It is a child’s character that gives the child a name]
Æmæ dára ó ku ìwà [Even if the child seems fine, there is still a need for character]
Ara dára ó ku a«æ [Even if the body looks fine, there is still a need for clothing]
¿së dára ó ku bàtà [Even if the feet work fine, there is still a need for shoes]

B’énìyàn dára tí kò níwà [If a person seems fine but doesn’t have character]
Ó padanù ohun ribiribi [He/She is missing something very valuable indeed]
Ìwà rere l’ë«ô ènìyàn [Good character is a person’s bodyguard]
»ùúrù baba ìwà, ìwà baba àwúre [Patience is the progenitor of character, Character is the progenitor of blessings]