Oríkì Baba Jédì Shemsú Jehéwty
Praise Poem for Baba Jacob Carruthers
by Dr. Ọbádélé Kambon
Kemet: "Internal" Good Character and Carrying on the Tradition
Olùkọ́ tí ó kọ́kọ́ kọ́ wa
[The teacher who first taught us]
bí ó ṣe yẹ
[The proper way]
Kí a kẹ̀kọ̀ọ́ kíkọ àkọsílẹ̀ Kẹ́mẹ́ẹ́tì,
[For us to learn the writings of Kemet]
Ọmọ ilẹ̀ Ta-Sẹ́tì
[The child of Ta-Seti]
Òótọ́ ni, Bẹ́ẹ̀ 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 t'ó borí,
[The one of victorious destiny]
T'ó yorí, ṣàṣeyorí nítorí èyí tí ó rí
[Who prevailed; gained victory due to experience]
Òótọ́ ni, Bẹ́ẹ̀ l'ó rí
[That's how it was and that's how it is]
Ọmọlúwàbí ni àwa bí,
[The ideal person is who was born]
Ọmọlúwàbí ni àwa bí, ni àwa bí, ni àwa bí
[The ideal person is who was born, was born, was born]
Oníwà-pẹ̀lẹ́ 'bílẹ̀
[The indigenous owner of humble character]
Látìbẹ̀rẹ̀'pilẹ̀
[From the beginning of the beginning]
T'ó gbà wá sílẹ̀
[The one who rescued us]
Nílé ayé a pè wọ́n l'ọ́mọ líle, líle, líle
[In this world we said he has fortitude]
T'ó fimú fínlẹ̀ fún ìmọ̀ ìjìnlẹ̀
[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 l'áyé, ó káre l'ọ́run
[Who has done well in the world and the ancestral realm]
T'ó ṣe èyí tí kò rọrùn, rọrùn, rọrùùùn
[Who has done what is not easy, easy, easy]
Kí l'ẹ tí wí? Bẹ́ẹ̀ l'ó rí! (awítúnwí)
[Whatcha'll say now? That's how it is!] (repeated)
Rere gbogbo l'ó ṣojú ẹni, rere gbogbo l'ó ṣojú ẹni, bémi wà, bémi wà bá kùú, rere gbogbo ni ó ṣojú ẹni. (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]
Ẹ̀yin ni wọ́n dárúkọ,
[It is your name that they call]
L'óde ọ̀run! Baba Jédì Shemsú Jehéwty,
[In the ancestral realm, Baba]
Orúkọ yín ò níí tán l'áyé
[Your name will not finish ever]
Ikú mà ba ohun rere jẹ́
[Death indeed spoils good things]
Ikú má ba ohun rere jẹ́
[Death don't spoil good things]
Háà! Baba Jédì Shemsú Jehéwty!
[Man! Baba Jedi Shemsu Jehewty]
Ọmọ ilẹ̀ Adúláwọ̀ gidi
[A True Son of Kmt]
Iná kú, ó feérú bojú
[When fire goes out, it leaves ashes in its place]
Ọ̀gẹ̀dẹ̀ kú, ó fọmọ rọ́pò
[When the banana tree dies, its children replace it]
Ta ní yóò tún jogún balógun
[Who will inherit the burden of the general?]
Bí jagunjagun kò bá jẹ́ ayé ó gún
[When warriors do not allow the world to be peaceful]
Jagunjagun yóò jẹ́ 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
Òtítọ́ dọ́jà 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]
Òtítọ́ dọ́jà 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 irọ́ bá sáré fún ogún ọdún
[Even if a lie runs for twenty years]
Ọjọ́ kan lòótọ́ yóò bá a
[Truth will catch up to it in a day]
A bí ọ wẹ́rẹ́ l'a rí irọ́
[You were born at a time when lies came into the land]
A ń wẹ̀ ọ́ lọ́wọ́ l'a rékèé
[They were still washing you when we saw falsehood]
A kó ọ jáde l'a rí lárúbáwá
[When they outdoored you is when we saw the a-rabs]
A sọ ọ́ 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 l'ógun,
[Like, "The war is on!"]
A yásẹ̀-yásẹ̀ bíi kájà-kájà,
["Quick on the feet like "Let's fight! Let's fight!"]
bọ́lẹ̀kájà, ká wàyá 'jà
["Come down let's fight, let's fight for real!"]
Àní, òyìnbó kò gbọdọ̀ roko
["Saying, the whiteys better not go nowhere!"]
Àní, láábá kò gbọdọ̀ rodò
["Saying, those a-rabs better not move a muscle!"]
Ó dánáá ilé-ẹ̀kọ́, dánáá ìta
[Setting fires in the school, setting fires in the street]
Ó finá jó ìwé onírọ́ gbogbo
[Burning up the books of all the liars]
Bí ogun bá bàjẹ́,
[If there are difficulties in the war]
Ẹ ké sí Baba Jédì Shemsú Jehéwty wá
[Call out to Baba Jedi Shemsu Jehewty]
Ó jagun òjò jagun ẹ̀wọ
[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 l'áyé tó ń jà l'ọ́run
[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 Kẹ́mẹ́ẹ́tì,
[Who bust 'em up fighting like Kemet]
Ẹnu l'áṣẹ
[The mouth has power]
Ọ̀rọ̀ l'àṣẹ
[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 ẹ̀gbẹ iṣu
[Up into a shed like dried yams]
Ó gbá hegel lójú
[The one who busted hegel in the eye]
Ó ta henry louis gates l'áyà
[Who busted henry louis gates in the chest]
Ìmọ̀ bí kúùkù l'ó tari hume lẹ́nu
[Who busted hume in the mouth]
Ọgbọ́n bí ọ̀kọ̀ l'ó fi tẹ cornel west l'órí
[Who busted cornel west in the head]
Bógun ńbẹ̀ l'ọ́wọ́ ọ̀tún
[If the war is on the right side]
Wọ́n á gbọ̀nà òsì,
[They take the road to the left]
Bógun ńbẹ̀ l'ọ́wọ́ òsì,
[If the war is to the left side]
Wọ́n á gbọ̀nà ọ̀tún,
[The take the road to the right]
Ogun ńbẹ̀ nílẹ̀yílẹ̀,
[If the war is on the ground]
Wọ́n ń bá torí igi lọ
[They take to the tops of the trees]
Háà! Bàbá Jédì, ọmọ Ta-Sẹ́tì
[Man! Baba Jedi, the child of Ta-Seti]
A fàṣẹ ṣiṣẹ́ níṣẹ́ tí kìí ṣe é ṣe
[Who uses power to make the impossible happen]
K'á tẹ̀lé nípasẹ̀ 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]