Asuo Tano-gctid30378

[Ɔbenfo Ọbádélé]

Asuo Tanɔ

ɔkwan atware asuo, [the path crosses the river]
asuo atware kwan, [the river crosses the path]
ɔpanin ne hwan? [who is the elder?]
ɔkwan atware asuo, [the path crosses the river]
asuo atware kwan, [the river crosses the path]
ɔpanin ne hwan? [who is the elder?]
yɛbɔɔ kwan yi kɔtoo asuo no. [we created the path, encountering the river]
asuo yi firi tete. [this river is from ancient times]
asuo yi firi ɔdomankoma ɔbɔadeɛ [this river is from The Beneficent Creator]
Konkon Tanɔ [Konkon Tanɔ] (Tanɔ's mmrane)
Birefia Tanɔ (Tanɔ's mmrane)
Asubirekete [Asubirekete] (Tanɔ's mmrane)
Agya Kwaante e. [Agya Kwaante e] (Tanɔ's mmrane)
Asante Kɔtɔkɔhene bosom [The Asante Porcupine King's divinity]
Asu Berempɔn [Great river]
ɔberempɔn Daasebrɛ, [The great man who is thanked until fatigue]
Yɛrekɔko baabi a,
Yɛkeka ma wote, [We speak so that you hear]
Mede brɛbrɛ mede brɛbrɛ masi ta.
Mede brɛbrɛ mede brɛbrɛ masi ta.
Ta Kofi Berempɔn, [Ta the Friday Born Great Man]
Firampɔn Dammirifua! [Firampɔn Condolences!]
Dammirifua! [Condolences!]
Dammirifua! [Condolences!]
Ta Kofi Berempɔn. [Ta the Friday Born Great Man]
Firampɔn dammirifua. [Firampɔn Condolences!]
Asu Berempɔn, [Great River]
Firampɔn dammirifua. [Firampɔn Condolences!]
Ta Kofi Berempɔn, [Ta the Friday Born Great Man]
ɔkyerɛma a ɔyan atumpan se ɔrekoto wo, [The drummer who plays the atumpan says he is kneeling to you]
ɔresrɛ wo, ɔrebɛyan atumpan. [He is begging you, he says he's fixing to play the atumpan]
Meyan atumpan a, ma atumpan nkɔ me
tenene tenene tenene.
Meresua; momma menhu.

[Okomfo Akosua]

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 Kmt CD insert. Smithsonian/Folkways Recordings.1996.
Transcribed and translated by Dr. Daniel Agyei Dwarko from the University of Cape Coast.
Transcription corrected by Dr. Ọbádélé Kambon from the University of Ghana

Segue to Poetry Honoring the River Tanɔ
Asuo twa ɔkwan, ɔkwan twa asuo, ɔpanin ne hwan?
The river crosses the path, the path crosses the river, who is the elder?

Asuo twa ɔkwan, ɔkwan twa asuo, ɔpanin ne hwan?
The river crosses the path, the path crosses the river, who is the elder?

Yebɔɔ kwan no kɔtoo asuo no,
The path was cut to meet the river,

Asuo no firi tete
the river is of old,

Asuo no firi Ɔdomankoma a ɔbɔɔ adeɛ
the river comes from “Ɔdomankoma” the Creator

Konkon Tanɔ,
Konkon Tano,

Birefia Tanɔ,
Birefia Tano

Asuo birekete
Asuo birekete

Agya Kwaa Ata ei!
Father Kwaa Ata ei!

Asu berempɔn
The great river

Asuo twa asuo
River that passes/crosses a river

Takasi berempɔn
Takasi the Great

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

Menam, menam, menam, masi Ta kɔ mu
I have wandered, and wandered, and wandered, I have stepped into the deep floods of Ta

Takasi berempɔn
Takasi the Great

Firampɔn damirifa
Firampɔn, condolences,

Dammirifua,
Condolences,

Dammirifua,
Condolences,

Dammirifua due,
Deepest condolences,

Dammirifua due,
Deepest condolence,

Takasi berempɔn
Takasi the Great

Firampɔn dammirifua
Frampon, condolence,

Asu berempɔn
Great river

Firampɔn dammirifua

Firampɔn, condolences

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

Adawu, Adawu, Denkyira pentemprem, Ɔmene sono, ma wo homene 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 homene so
Exert yourself, in glory

Kronkron, kronkron, kronkron
Your holiness, holiness, holiness

Ampɔnsɛm Koyirifa, ma wo homene so
Amposem Koyirifa, come forth in thy light, in glory

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

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

Wo a wofiri dodoɔ mu
You who came from many,

Wo a wotu a ewiemu dinn sɛ asamando, ma wo homene so
You who fly and the skies become still like the ancestral realm, come forth in thy light

Ampɔnsɛm nana a “ɔdi sika tɔ,” atɔmprada, ma wo homene 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 ɔseadeɔyɔ
You promise and you fulfill it

De nkoden akyekyere Dankyiraman, de apɛ no sibere, ma wo homene 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 nana
Grandson of Ahihi Ahaha

Wirempi Ampem nana a ɔwɔ ntam na yɛnka, ma wo homene so
Grandson of Wirempi Ampem whose oath is not to be sworn, come forth in thy light

Otibu Kwadwo nana
Grandson of great King Kwadwo Otibu,

Wo a wode Dankyiraman firii Abankɛseɛso baa Dwukwaa, ma wo homene so
Who led the Denkyira people in their great migration from Abankesieso to settle in Jukwa, come forth in thy light

Ɔdeefoɔ, ma wo homene so
Benefactor, come forth in thy light

Ma wo homene so Agona,
The Agona clan,

Dankyiraman da wo ase,
The Denkyira state thanks you,

Yɛda wo ase a ɛnsa,
Expresses its endless

Esie ne kagya nni aseda
There is no thanks between the termite mound and the kagya plant