Collected by: Don Sybertz, Scanned by: Cephas Yao Agbemenu Edited by: Fr. Zakaria Kashinje OSA
With special thanks to Rev Joe Healey (African proverbs,Sayings and stories)
Oliho bhabha umo oli nseni ong’hwi. Nalulu nang’hwe goli nimo go bhuli lushiku, ubhabha ng’wenuyo olishaga bhana bhakwe gulogusena ng’hwi.
Onoga nose bhabha ng’wenuyo ayibhuja, nibhuli shi unene nagalyaga ja gukoyela shiniki, nibhuli abhangi bhagalyaga nulu bhadajile gung’hwi. Bhing’we bhabehi nalabheja ahene unene.
Bhabha ng’wenuyo umugwibhuja gokwe agibhuja nose wiwila hambu hambu ulu gwibhulaga na ng’hana agabhuka kuja kujuyela ng`wipolu, munumo ubhona ahasoga wiwila ahanaha yafayaga ugwibhulagila.
Bhasi agandya gwitungila lugoye lokwe. Aho naho agawilwa na munhu, bhuli nkoyi ulihaya gwibhulaga aliyo utali shiku ningi giki ahawelelo na lulu utali na miaka makumiane iyagwikala umusi.
Munhu ng’wenuyo akanemeja nkoyi lekaga gete ugwibhulaga ulabheja duhu imyaka yagubhutongi. Na hangi naguwile giki ihaha senaga ng’hwi duhu uje kaya, ulu ushika ikaya imhindi ugayele hasokoni ugubhona nkima aguyelaga, nkima ng’wenuyo ng’wilage gwitola.
Ngosha ng’wenuyo ogashika ikaya agibhona imhindi yadilaga aje ugusokoni. Nose yushika imhindi okabhilaga aliwila unkima ng’wenuyo hamo nalinajo ijikolo nagusabha.
Agaja gusokoni ng’hana ugamona unkima ng’wenuyo aguyelayelaga agang’wila goguntola. Nang’hwe adalemile uzunya ng’hana unsola lulu ubhiza na bhakima bhabhili, gukula hangi lulu unigo ubhiza ongeja likoye hangi lingi wendelea duhu ichene ugujisena ing’hwi bhiza bhalya.
Imanila hangi lushiku goshika ugokwe, uiwila bhabehi unene naiwilaga giki nkima ng’wenuyu agunisabya gashi yaya. Unene mumo namalila duhu, gogwibhulaga nayubhela. Bhasi wela usola hangi lugoye guja ng’wipolu gujibhulaga, agiwila naduja uko nalinaja, ihangi nalole kungi.
Agalola ipande lingi ng’hana ugashika halinti limo isoga usola lugoye lokwe ugwasija hangi. Ushika hangi umunhu okwe ung’wila, hama hangi iki nagagulemeja bhuli hangi osola lugoye?
Nang`hwe ushosha nibhulage nkoyi, nagongeja ikoye duhu nagukoyaga noyi. Ubhulingisilo bho ng`wenekili ulu bhutali ugushikila agalemejiwa nulo kabhili uwilwa giki solaga ahenaho yiyo juba yina bhugota ulu ushika ikaya ugogwandya nuguwila giki, wibhuje ning’wa nani aliho nsatu, nkoyi unene nagubhiza nang’ho bhulikanza ulu ugashika aho linsatu uguyulola bhulingisilo bhone mumakono ulugikalile kabhuli lushiku mumo agupila ulu kikalila guntwe mumo udupila ulu gikalila gumagulu ng’wenuyo agupila.
Huna ungosha ung`habhi ng’wenuyo agasena ng’hwi hangi usola na jubha uja kaya ukawila obheja nkoyi. Bhulekana ogashika ikaya wandya lulu gwiganika. Ng’wa nani aliho nsatu, uwilwa aliho ng’wa mbati.
Agabhuka gujunola unsatu ng’wenuyo, ogashika ho ubhagisha ubhabhuja ginehe akajile ka nsatu, ginehe amadilo gakwe? Nabho bhushosha yii bhabha, gadulindilile ikanza duhu. Nalulu mayu nalina bhugota bhogunagula unsatu.
Ngikulu uhaya yii, ugudula bhabha, ngosha uhaya nagudula duhu. Ngikulu uhaya nahene lulu bhabha nagulage. Haho na haho wingila umukaya ugunola unsatu. Wandya gulola ishimanyikijo jakwe ulola uguntwe ugaiwa, ulola gumagulu ugabhona amakono, umana agumpija.
Huna nilikanza linilo agang’wisha bhugota. Ubhawila giki nakwiza nanole makanza. Ushoka kaya ugaja gujusena ng’hwi. Ugasenha ushoka mhindi, uja hangi gujunola unsatu okwe, ugansanga ihali yakwe nsoga, odulaga naguyomba.
Ubhabha ng’wenuyo ulomba minzi ung’wisha hangi ubhugota, ubhawila giki ntondo dilu nagwiza nanole, uja kaya gujulala. Bhogela uja gujunola hangi unsanga alimila ogema nagushimiza. Kaya yayegaga no. Ung’wisha hangi ubhugota, ubhawila hangi giki, naje bhabehi nagaje gung’hwi. Agalemejiwa yaya bhabha, igishaga undegeleke unsatu.
Agandya gwibhula uhaya giki yaya bhabha nalekile shibhi no ikaya, namhala agamuja shibhi ki bhabha olekile? Nalekaga nduhu nulu shiliwa ugukaya.
Bhabha ng’wenuyo agadahilwa shiliwa magunila abhili na hela ya gutumamila bhuchalilwa ikaya. Agikala ho makanza ga shiku idatu ubhiza opila gete unsatu okwe.
Agandya guibhuja hangi, kimba ulu ng’wanani hangi. Wiganika ng’hana ing’wa ntemi aliho ng’wana okwe osata. Halushiku lo kane ubhawila abhaha kaya yiniyo, abehi nayeleyele kunu hadoo.
Nabho bhunzunilija ukubha ajile mpaga ng’wa Ntemi ugashiga upiga hodi ugihaya imihayo yakwe ahanyango. Uwilwa giki yichene bhabha ugamanile amalagilo ga ntemi?
Bhagabhulagagwa ulu uduma ugumpija ung’wana ontemi. Ngosha ng’wenuyo agahaya nahene duhu, iki ulu nadumaga, una lulu bhaganzunilija aha nyango wingila na ushika guko lintemi. Ung’wila makulu gakwe.
Aho ong`wila Ntemi uchalwa gunumba agabhitiwa gumpindo ugolekejiwa mitwe ya bhafumu abhobhanduma ‘ipindilijije pye indugu ya numba. Aho obhona uchalwa gujunola unsati, ushigila gulola ulumeng’ho ulo agalolaga ubhona giki agumpija.
Haho na haho wandya gung’winha bhugota, ung`wene shiku ibhili ubhiza opilaga gete. Ntemi agayega no agang`winha manong`ho gabhuli mbika. Nagubhejiwa ibarabara mpaga ha ng`wakwe, ugazengelwa na manumba. Welelo nhale ungosha ng´wenuyo ihaha goshika gobhusabhi agigasha ikanza lya ng’weji gumo haho.
Unsati ubhiza oshokelwa nu mili gokwe. Hanaho agabhiza opandika inong’ho hangi winhwa ng`waniki gutola ashishe bhadatu lulu. Na ubhegejiwa nu Ntemi liwinga litale no. Na bhagasamva iti hado.
Ili nong’ho ilingi utinilwa bhupande ubhiza Ntemi. Ngosha ng’wenuyo igashila imyaka yakwe wiyibhile nguno agabhiza nabhuyegi wibha nugogwinija.
Lushiku na lushiku ajile gujuyela alinudeleva okwe ubhabhona bhanhu bhalisimba jigila, ung`wila udeleva giki obhabhona abhanhu abho bhalisimba jigila?
Deleva okwe unshokeja, dujage dugukeleja, huna bhupela pela ubhona hangi bhanhu bhabhukije maiti, ung`wila hangi udeleva okwe obhabhona abhanhu bhabhuchije maiti, deleva ushosha, bhebhe nang’ho kadugukeleja.
Bhupela bhupela hangi hadoo, bhumona munhu alimicha iloli yabho, ung’wila udeleva nang’hwe uhaya bhebhe kadugudila, bhupela hadoo hangi bhubhona munhu ugubhutongi alimicha iloli yabho, ung’wila hangi udeleva imaga, nose wima ng’hana.
Umunhu ng´wenuyo umuja onimana? Nang’hwe ushosha, yaya nadugumanaga, umunhu ng’wenuyo wandya gwiyeleza, nunene uyo nagagutinila lugoye munhingo, uguhaya lulu nkoyi ishiku jako jashilaga lelo, haho na haho ucha na gucha.