Jealous Twins

Transcription and translation

SNye dada Hudolo Atɔsu: I, Madam Hudolo Atɔsu
ye ŋutinya yia gblɔ ge: I am going to tell this story
ne ɖeviwo abe fefe fefe ene: to children as a play
Eye edzɔ kpɔ.: And it happened once
Ee mise gli loo: Listen to a story
AEgli neva: Let the story come
SEglia tso υuu keke dze ŋutsu aɖe kple srɔ dzi: The story moves and lands on a man and the wife
AWodze dzi: It falls on them
SMawu va xɔ: God received
Ao to, nyateƒe: No wait, speak the truth

Wole edzi υuu keke wova dzi eve nɔvi; Atsu kple Etse.: They lived for long and have twins; Atsu and Etse
Atsu kple Etse wo va le edzi υuu keke: Atsu and Etse lived and grew up
wo va kpɔ nyɔnu be ye woaɖe.: they saw a woman they wanted to marry
ame yia be nyɔnu yi ɖe ge yeala yi.: This one says that this is the woman he will marry
Ame yi hã be nyɔnu yi ɖe ge yeala yi.: This one says that this is the woman he will marry
Nyɔnua be newo yi woa dzi flawasi nyuie aɖe: The woman said they should look for flowers
ne wokpɔ flawasi wonyoa, hafi yeaɖe wo: When they got flowers that are good, before she will marry them
Wova yi υuu keke; Atsu va kpɔ flawasia, flawasia menyo: They went for long and Atsu saw the flowers, the flowers were not good
Etse tɔ nyo.: Etse’s were good.

Wole edzi υuu keke: They were on it for long
Eva dzɔ be ŋutsu aɖe nye alẽkplɔla, alẽnyila,: Once there was a man who was a shepherd
ekplɔ alẽawo kɔ yi ɖe gbedzie,: He took the sheep to the field
Gbeadzi woyi koa, etsatsam gbea me koa: In the field, he was walking in the bush
Eƒe afɔ vadze eƒu aɖe dzi: His feet stepped on some bones

Kpɔ aɖe: Look your tongue (it’s your turn)
SYoo gbemagbe má, amekae yae nyɔnua ɖe ge?: On that day, who will marry the woman
ŋutsuwo le mia dome fifia?: Do you have men among you now?
AEe … miawoe nye si: Yes.. we are here
SKe wo tututue nye Atsua ewu Etsea: Then you are Atsu who killed Etse

Yewo gbɔ; koa eƒua alẽkplɔla tsɔ afɔ ɖo edzi: then again; the shepherd stepped on it
yiko eƒua be:: then the bone said
Note: A song by the story teller...
E! Alekplɔla
E! Alekplɔla: E! shepherd (2 times)

Alẽkplɔla tsɔ eƒua vae na dadaa kple fofoa…: The shepherd brought the bone to the mother and father
Fofoa tsɔ afɔ da ɖe edzi wobe…: the father stepped on it and it said…

Woyɔ dadaa be neva.: He called the mother that she should come
Dada va wobe mie ŋutsuwo miele afiyia go dzi: The mother said you men are here
da ƒu ɖe afiyia ko miebe ye neda afɔ ɖe dzi haa…: you place a bone here that I should step on it
Wobe neya neda afɔ ɖe edzi kpɔ ko: They said she should step on it
Eƒua kɔseti aɖe ɖem,: The bone is showing some concert
dadaa tsɔ afɔ da ɖa edzi: The mother stepped on it
Afɔ wo da ɖe dzi haa….: The foot she placed on it

Dadaa ga li sẽe ko be enya vivi: The mother after a while said the words are so interesting
Wo ga tsɔ afɔ da ɖe edzi ake;: She stepped on it again
wo ga dzi nɛ...: It sang for her again

Ke afiya wo be wo ne yɔ Atsua ɖa.: Then this place they asked that they should call Atsu
Atsua va. Wobe ne da afɔ ɖe eƒua dzi: Atsu came. They asked him to step on the bone
ne nya yi gblɔm eƒua lea ne ye wɔa see.: so that the words the bone was saying they all hear
Yiko wo be: ‘tso miawo ya eƒu le miagbɔ,: Then he said: ‘You, you have bone with you
Afikae miekpɔ eƒua le: Where have you got the bone from
hafi be mada afɔ ɖe edzi?: then you want me to step on it?
Nye mele afɔ da ge ɖe edzi o.: I am not going to step on it
Wo kuku ɖem nɛ υuu keke: They were pleading with him for a long time
hafi wova da afɔ ɖe ƒua dzi.: before he came and stepped on the bone
Yiko afɔ woda ɖe edzi ko wo be:: Then as he stepped on the bone it said:

Wo le edzia, wo be ne ga dae ɖe ake,: they continued, they said he should step on it again,
wo ga dae ɖe edzi ake.: he stepped on it again

Wo va tso kufia na Atsu.: They have sentenced Atsu to death
Wowu Atsua.: They killed him
Ke numatae wobe: That is why it is said that
ne ebe ye nɔvitɔ meganyo oa,: If you say that your friend’s should not be good
wo hã tɔwò menyonyo ge o.: yours will also not be good

Eye meto afima tsɔ ble mie loo.: and I brought it from that place to deceive you

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