“Oromo Proverbs” of Dr. Enrico Cerulli ----- Written: Afendi Muteki ---- Jiruu deegaa Jiruu seetaa Raafuu fixee Rafuu dide --- (Enrico Cerulli, “Folkeliterature of the Oromo of Southern Abyssinia: 1922: page 192) This folk “saying” is among the most widely known in the whole of the Oromo land. You can hear it in all regions of Oromia and in all dialects of Afan Oromo. For a long time, I was thinking that it was created in recent times, especially when the Dergue regime was ruling the country. But few days ago, as I started surveying some of the classic books written on the Oromo Language and Culture through the course of my ethnographic researches, I realized that the aforementioned saying was commonly known in Afan Oromo even in the very old days. To say in the least, I found this proverb written a classic book written by the famous Italian scholar of the languages and history of the horn of Africa, Professor Dr. Enrico Cerulli. In those old days, Dr. Cerulli picked some of the common Oromo proverbs and listed them on pages 191-198 of his book with their approximate translations. And many of those proverbs are still commonly used in our daily speech of Afaan Oromo without being changed. But some of them are re-constructed latter in new ways while their themes weren’t changed. Just see the following proverbs which I took from Cerulli’s book (pages 191-1998); you will witness that they are still used popularly in all regions of Oromia. 1. “Yaa goowwaa, siduubaan boowwaa” 2. “Ollaan bultee beekaa, akka itti bule abbaatu beeka” 3. “Intalillee da’a haadha gorsite” (Now it is reconstructed as “Intalti da’a haadha gorsite”) 4. “”Kan hojii dhabe dhangalaasee bu’a” (It seems Dr. Cerulli missed the last word of the proverb because I saw him translated it in the book as “He who has nothing to do scatters and gathers” which will be a direct translation of the proverb as it is known all dialects of Afaan Oromo as this time . So the correctly written proverb will be “Kan hojii dhabe dhangalasee guura”). 5. “Nan tolchatti tortorse” 6. “Silaa hin ooluu, kajeelaa dura waami” (Silaa dhufuu hin ooluu kajeela dura yammi) 7. “Saani ba’uu ge’e wal arraaba, namni du’uu ge’e wal-jaalata”. 8. Mukni tokkichi ni aara malee hin buba’u. 9. Hiyyeessaa fi ibiddi tuttuqaa hinjaalatu. 10. Kan argatanirra kan abdatantu caala. 11. Akka abaluun sirbaan morma nama jallisa. 12. Eegeefi gaabbiin gara boodaa adeemti. 13. Atuu fidii atuu fixi (compare it with “Ofumaaf fiddee, ofumaaf fixxe) 14. Qalbiin yartuun bishaan keessa dhaabbattee dheebootti. 15. Jabbiin hootu hin mar’attu. 16. Kan sodaatan du’a, kan hin oolles du’a. 17. Akka madaa qubaa, yaadni garaa guba (this known even in many songs of Afaan Oromo). 18. Afaan tolaan afaa tolaa caalaa. 19. Hoo jennaan diddee ol keenyaan haatte 20. Waamichi ulfina, haafiinsi salphina. 21. Karaadhaafi garaatu gargar nama baasa. 22. Beekee bofa miila dhoowwe. ------- I hope you heard of Dr. Cerulli’s book titled “the Folk Literature of the Oromo of Southern Abyssinia” which was published in 1922. It is a book those who want to undertake a study on the language, folk lore and culture of the Oromo people must read in their career. It was this book which inspired Professor Asmerom Leggese to study the Gada system in detail. Dr Encrico Cerulli was the first scholar who systematically analyzed the folk literature of Afaan Oromo in his monumental book. The task was highly developed and expanded in the turn of 21st century when Professor Claude Sumner published his series of analytical survey of the Oromo language and culture under the title “Oromo Wisdom Literature” (published in three volumes in the years 1995-1997). We owe a due respect to both scholars indeed. They have shown true and adorable scholarship in their works and left behind unforgettable works. Gracias!! ------ Afendi Muteki January 22/2015
Posted on: Fri, 23 Jan 2015 05:25:51 +0000
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