I am a poor man escorting the goat of a wealthy person.
Yasi nanu: Lifanje was an employee of a wealthy animal farmer. On one occasion when Lifanje was escorting his master's goats to an area with green grass, a group of elderly men (vetina ve wunyana) remarked:
“Taata ee ! So, this lad is the owner of this herd of goats
He will be a multi-millionaire soon”.
("Taata ee !
ene elonge-longe ya mwaana !
imele,
mofe, mondi,
a-veni wono gbwaaka wosusu wo mboli nau !
imele a-gbwe-ya,
wokoki fetei,
laka nau,
seke imele ave ndi e-wangi ya hoo)”.
Lifanje frightened by the remarks, and fearing the elderly men may jealous him, and mystically cause him to be sick, pleaded in a trembling voice:
“Va Taata ami kooko ! (My elders),
I am not the owner of these goats.
I am a poor boy, a mere custodian, escorting/leading the goats of a wealthy person to an area with green pasture”.
(“va Taata ami kooko !
yeene nau,
seke te imba ndi naveni wono gbwaka wo mboli;
na timbi ndi mboli jaa-ngani, jamba e-wanga moto !
na-jendene ndi o-wanga, li-ji-lise”)
"Molisa moto ndi a timbi mboli”.
Literally:
I am not the owner.
I am only an employee of the establishment – a caretaker, a custodian, for instance: a cashier; a treasurer; a chauffeur.
molisa = poor; without wealth
molisa moto = a poor person.
ewangi = wealthy.
ewanga moto = a wealthy person.
gbwaaka = a flock, a herd.
gwaaka wo mboli = a herd of goats.
elonge-longe OR embee-mbe = young and tender.
elonge-longa mwaana OR embee-mbe a mwaana = a beautiful/handsome and tender teenager.
etina = elderly, plural, vetina.
e-tina munyana = an elderly man.
e-tina molana = an elderly woman.
Taata = Papa.
Taata ee ! = My father.
Oma nanu.
Imba
Mola Mbua Ndoko
P.o Box 38 Buea, South West Province
Cameroon, West/Africa.
Email:[email protected]
Website: http://www.mbuandoko.com
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