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

Nketia (1966) says, but this is not essential. The musical instruments are
minimal, usually clapper sticks or some kind of bell or castanet.
The first in this category (Example 13) was sung by a woman: Aŋbaa Dɔŋkɔ Mo̱ya-kpa
“It’s me that wants it” also called Sa-mo̱-na-ŋ-ke̱e̱ (Give me so I can see)
from Wiai but sung at Kumundi. It has no proverb in it. The opening and the
closing are mostly vocables, but they also employ the phrase ŋ yɛ meaning “I
say” and o yii meaning “she has gone”. This is known as yoori kiliŋ “to introduce
a song”. In several lines she seems to address certain people, namely her mother,
a river owner, and a brother whose name is Kye̱eḵpa “wants girls” a name given
to a boy born after three girls.
Example 13
Yii yawa yii yoo yaaa.
O yii yaa yoo yii yaa ŋyaaa.
Ŋ yɛ yawa yii yoo yaaa, o yii yoo yii yoo yaaa.
O yii yawa yii yoo yeee.
Ŋ yɛ o yii yawa yii yoo yeee, o yii yawa yii yoo yaa ŋyɔɔɔ.
Mmmm.
N na a nyeṟa mo̱ eee,
N na Agyo̱wa.
Ake̱e̱, bo̱ yɛ n na a nyeṟa mo̱
ooo.
N na a ko̱we̱ agyi, ne̱ ɔ mo̱ŋ nya
agyi ooo,
Ɛsɛsɛ ne̱ ɔɔ waa mo̱ ane̱ŋ.
N na, ɛsɛsɛ ne̱ ɔɔ waa mo̱ ane̱ŋ.
Katrapo̱ eee, ɛsɛsɛ ne̱ ɔɔ tɔɔraa
mo̱ ooo.
My mother has spoiled me eee,
My mother Ajuwa.
Again, they say my mother has spoiled me
ooo.
My mother has borne children, and she
didn’t get children ooo,
Perhaps that’s why she has done this to me.
My mother, perhaps that’s why she has done
this to me.
River-owner eee, perhaps that’s why she has
troubled me ooo.
17