AUTURGY
I
Go, sound the ikoro;
Summon the elders
For at dusk, when the ancestors
Resume leadership of the land
We shall cast lot
To define our end from the beginning
And our future from the past
II
Yes, we shall know how and why
Water entered the coconut;
And how and why our land is
Losing her beauty bit by bit.
III
Kinsmen, behold, that smoke over there is getting bigger
Before dawn we might become history.
So we must act fast.
IV
No, the gods can't say they're angry,
For their happiness are always shown
In our rich harvests and weather.
No the gods are not angry.
But I think we are, for our thoughts are stained with evil beyond evil
Yes, we're the alpha and the omega of our struggles?
V
But still the gods must decide -
Through these kola nuts and strong wine.
Yes, the gods must decide.
VI
But brothers, before the lot is cast
And the gods speak in clearer tone,
What do you think is the cause of our ills?
VII
Is it because of the agonies of the oppressed,
The clutches of the abandoned widows,
Or of the innocent blood spilt on the streets?
VIII
Brothers, before the lot is cast, and the gods speak in clearer tone,
Please lets us first reason,
Yes, within us.
I
Go, sound the ikoro;
Summon the elders
For at dusk, when the ancestors
Resume leadership of the land
We shall cast lot
To define our end from the beginning
And our future from the past
II
Yes, we shall know how and why
Water entered the coconut;
And how and why our land is
Losing her beauty bit by bit.
III
Kinsmen, behold, that smoke over there is getting bigger
Before dawn we might become history.
So we must act fast.
IV
No, the gods can't say they're angry,
For their happiness are always shown
In our rich harvests and weather.
No the gods are not angry.
But I think we are, for our thoughts are stained with evil beyond evil
Yes, we're the alpha and the omega of our struggles?
V
But still the gods must decide -
Through these kola nuts and strong wine.
Yes, the gods must decide.
VI
But brothers, before the lot is cast
And the gods speak in clearer tone,
What do you think is the cause of our ills?
VII
Is it because of the agonies of the oppressed,
The clutches of the abandoned widows,
Or of the innocent blood spilt on the streets?
VIII
Brothers, before the lot is cast, and the gods speak in clearer tone,
Please lets us first reason,
Yes, within us.
An Ikoro is a slit drum created and used by the Igbo of Nigeria. It is beaten with a stick or sticks and is used for communication, somewhat like a talking drum. The only difference between an ikoro and an ekwe is the size, since the ekwe is small and portable while the ikoro is too large to be carried by one person and is kept in a fixed place (usually in the village square). When it is heard, people assume a murder, the outbreak of war, or some other a calamity has befallen, and they gather at the village square to hear the latest development.
ReplyDelete"That is the Ikoro drum, the drum of the great, the drum of heroes. There is no place for the coward when Ikoro calls. Beaten only for those who have won the coveted crown, answered and danced to only by them." -- Ugo Agada-Uyah