An African Poem on the Mighty Elephant. Elephant, opulent creature, elephant, huge as a hill even when kneeling: Elephant, robed in honor, a demon, flapping fans of war: (1) A demon who splinters the tree branches, invading the forest farm: Elephant, who disregards ‘I have fled to my father for refuge’, Let alone ‘To my mother’: (2) Mountainous Animal, Huge Beast, who tears a man like a garment and hangs him up on a tree: At the sight of him people stampede to a hill of safety: My chant is a salute to the elephant. Ajanaku, who treads heavily: (3) A demon who swallows bunches of the palm-fruits whole, including the spikes: Elephant, praise-named Laaye, massive blackish-grey creature: (4) Elephant, who single-handed makes the dense forest tremble: Elephant, who stands sturdy and upright, who strolls as if reluctantly: Elephant, whom one sees and points at with all one’s fingers. The hunter’s boast at home is not repeated when he really meets the elephant, The hunter’s boast at home is not repeated before the elephant: Ajanaku, who looks backward with difficulty like a man with a stiff neck: Elephant, who has a head pad but carries no load, Elephant, whose burden is the huge head he balances: Elephant, praise-named Laaye, ‘O death, please stop following me’, This is part and parcel of the elephant’s appellation. Learn of the elephant, the waterman elephant, Elephant, honor’s equal, the elephant who constantly swings his trunk like a fly-whisk, Elephant, whose eyes are like water-jars, Elephant, the greatest of wanderers, whose molar teeth are as big as palm-oil pits in Ijesaland, (5) Elephant, lord of the forest, praise-named Oriiribobo, (6) Elephant, whose tusks are like shafts, One of whose tusks is a porter’s whole load, elephant, praise-named Otiko, with the mighty neck, (7) Elephant, whom the hunter sometimes sees face to face, elephant, whom the hunter at other times sees from the rear, Elephant, who carries mortars, yet walks with a swaggering gait, Primeval leper, animal treading ponderously. from Oral Poetry from Africa 1984 compiled by Jack Mapanje and Landeg White, Longman
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