Doing Chumburung songs—A taxonomy of styles Gillian Hansford ...

Example 7
Ako̱weḇɛɛ-ana, ŋ yɛ, ako̱weḇɛɛ-ana,
Mo̱n' sa a ane̱ yɔwe̱ kase̱ŋtɔwe̱,
Mo̱n' sa a ane̱ yɔwe̱ katɔkyii,
Mo̱n' sa a ane̱ yɔwe̱ eḇɔye̱ pɛɛɛ.
Ɔnyeṟapo̱ e̱ gye̱ ne̱ o gyigye ane̱ ooo
Ako̱weḇɛɛ-ana ooo.
Relatives, I say, relatives,
Let us stop troublesome talk,
Let us stop back-biting,
Let us stop all sin.
It is the devil who deceives us,
Relatives.
The themes are of praise or encouragement. Of those not laid out here, many
seem to be songs from parts of the Bible, for instance one about Daniel in the
lions’ den, but only one of them have I heard elsewhere.
The next song (Example 8) was sung by all the pupils at Kachinke Primary
School, a two roomed open-sided building with a thatched roof. Their teacher
was the late J.K. Apo̱o̱-maa-su. The song celebrates the end of school, and was
unaccompanied. It seems to have been around for a long time, for an adult of
around 50 remembers singing it himself in school.
Example 8
Mo̱n' ba, mboo,
Ane̱ kake e̱ gye̱ ndɔɔ.
Ane̱ e̱ yɔ ane̱ yɔwe̱ ane̱ sukuu ndɔɔ,
Na obiara ya ŋu mo̱ ̀ nyi akatɔ-rɔ.
Na ɔ tɔwe̱,
Mo̱n' nare̱ dameṉaŋsɛ.
Ane̱ e̱ tɔwe̱,
Mo̱n' nare̱ dameṉaŋsɛ,
Ane̱ tiikyaa awuye,
Mo̱n' nare̱ dameṉaŋsɛ,
Amɔ ane̱ a bo̱ gyaŋŋe̱.
Mo̱n' nare̱ dameṉaŋsɛ,
You should come, good,
Our day is today.
We are going to stop our school today,
And everyone will see their mother’s face.
And s/he will say, (she = ? teacher)
Go well.
We will say,
Go well,
Our teachers,
Go well,
Until we have meet again.
Go well,
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