Ìpolówó Àkàrà              Hawker’s advert

Àkàrà gbóná re,              Here comes hot fried bean fritters
Ẹ bámi ra àkàrà o           Buy my fried bean fritters
Àkàrà yi dùn, ó lóyin       This fried bean fritters is sweet with honey
Àkàrà gbóná re.              Here comes hot fried bean fritters

Àkàrà jẹ ikan ninu ounjẹ aládùn ilẹ̀ Yorùbá.  Ẹ̀wà (funfun tabi pupa) ni wọn fi nṣe àkàrà, wọn a bo ẹ̀wà, wọn a lọ, ki wọn to põ pẹ̀lú èlò ki wọn tó din.  A lè fi àkàrà jẹ ẹ̀ko, fi mu gaàrí tabi jẹ fún ìpanu.  Ki ṣe gbogbo enia ló mọ àkàrà din, awọn enia ma nfẹran ẹni ti ó ba mọ àkàrà din.  Àti ọmọdé àti àgbà ló fẹ́rán àkàrà.   Awọn ọmọde ma nkọrin bayi:

 

Taló pe ìyá alákàrà ṣeré,         Who is calling fried bean fritters woman for fun
Ìyá alákàrà 2ce                        Fried bean fritters seller
Ó nta sánsán simi nímú          Its smell is inviting to my nose
Ìyá alákàrà                              Fried bean fritters seller
Ó nta dòdò sími lọ̀fun             Its smelling like fried plantain in my throat
Ìyá alákàrà.                             Fried bean fritters seller

Ki ṣe enia nikan ló fẹ́ràn àkàrà, Àjàpá naa fẹ́ràn àkàrà, ṣùgbọ́n kò ri owó raa, nitori èyi “Ojú ni Àjàpá fi nri àkàrà, ètè rẹ ko baa”.  Àjàpá wá ronú ọgbọ́n ti ó lè dá lati pèsè àkàrà fún òhun àti idilé rẹ.  Ó ronú bi wọn ti lè dá ẹ̀rù ba ọmọ alákàrà ki ó lè sá fi igbá àkàrà, rẹ silẹ̀.  Ó gbé agọ̀ wọ̀, ìyàwó àti ọmọ rẹ̀ fi pápá́ bora.  Bi alákàrà ba ti kiri kọjá, Àjàpá a bẹ si iwájú ọmọ alákàrà, wọn a ma ko orin bayi:

Ọlirae ma gbọ̀nà,      The Spirit has taken over the Road
Tobini tobini to 2ce   Tobini, tobini to
Olóri yara lọ,              Corn meal seller go quickly
Tobini tobini to          Tobini, tobini to
Alákàrà dá dànù        Fried bean fritter seller abandon it
Tobini tobini to.         Tobini, tobini to

Ẹ̀rù ba alákàrà, á da àkàrà dà nù.  Àjàpá àti ẹbí rẹ á bẹ̀rẹ̀ si kó àkàrà. Yorùbá ni “Wọ́n mú olè lẹẹkan, ó ni ohun ò wá ri, tani fi ọ̀nà han olè?”.  Ọmọ alákàrà sunkún lọ si ilé, inú Ìya-alákàrà kò dùn si ọmọ rẹ nitori o pàdánù àkàrà àti owó ti o yẹ ki ó pa.  Kò gba ìtàn ọmọ rẹ̀ gbọ́, nitorina, ó gbé àkàrà fún ni ọjọ́ keji ati ọjọ́ kẹta, ọmọ tún padà pẹ̀lú ẹkún.  Ohun fúnra rẹ̀ tẹ̀lé ọmọ rẹ̀, iwin tún yọjú, àwọn mejeeji sá eré padà si ìlú lai ranti gbé igbá àkàrà.  Ìyá alákàrà gba ọ̀dọ̀ Ọba àti àgbà ìlú lọ lati sọ ohun ti ojú wọn ri.  Ọba pe awọn òrìṣà ìlú lati ṣe iwadi ohun ti ó fẹ́ ba ọrọ̀ ìlú jẹ yi.  Ninu gbogbo òrìsà, Ọ̀sanyìn nikan ló gbà lati yanjú ọ̀rọ̀ yi.

Ìyá alákàrà tungbe àkàrà fún ọmọ rẹ̀, ṣùgbọ́n ohun àti Ọsanyin tẹ̀lé.  Bi alákà̀rà ti bẹ̀rẹ̀ si polówó, Àjàpá tún jade gẹgẹ bi iṣe rẹ̀.  Yoruba ni “Ọjọ́ gbogbo ni ti olè, ọjọ́ kan ni ti olóhun”.  Ìyá alákàrà àti ọmọ rẹ̀ tún méré, ṣùgbọ́n Ọ̀sanyin ti o fi ara pamọ́ dúró lati wo ohun ti ó fẹ́ ṣẹlẹ̀.  Àjàpá àti àwon idile rẹ̀ jade nwọn bọ ohun ti nwọn fi bora silẹ̀ lati tún bẹ̀rẹ̀ si kó àkàrà.  Orí ti Àjàpá yọ jade lati jẹ àkàrà, Ọ̀sanyin fọ igi ẹlẹgun mọ lórí, awọn ẹbi rẹ̀ sálọ.  Ọ̀sanyin gbé òkú Àjàpá lọ si ọ̀dọ̀ Ọba.  Inú ará ìlú dùn nitori àṣiri olè tú.  Ọba pàṣẹ pe Àjàpá ni ki nwọn bẹrẹ fi rúbọ si Ọ̀sanyin.

Ẹ̀kọ́ ìtàn yi ni pe ojúkòkòrò kò lérè, bó pẹ́, bóyá àṣírí olè á tú.  Ikú lèrè ẹ̀ṣẹ̀ – Àjàpá pàdánù ẹ̀mí nitori àkàrà.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Fried bean fritter is one of the popular snacks of the Yoruba people.  It is made from beans (white or brown), the skin is removed, then grinded and seasoned before frying.  It can be eaten with other meals such as corn meal, soaked grated cassava flour or as snack.  Not everyone knows how to fry, hence people love those who knows how to fry the bean fritter.  Fried bean fritters is loved by both young and old.  The children have a song for it.

Not only people love fried bean fritters, the tortoise do too, but he had no money to buy “he can only see, his lips cannot taste”.   The Tortoise then devised a scheme to provide fried bean fritters for himself and family.  He then devised a trick to frighten the fried bean fritter seller so that he/she will abandon her stuff.  He masked himself and taught his wife and children to hide under the bush shrubs.  As soon as the fried bean fritter seller begins to advertise, the tortoise will hop in front suddenly, while his family begin to sing fearful song.

As planned by Tortoise, the fried bean fritter seller becomes fearful, abandon her tray and ran off, crying home.  The Tortoise and his family just come out of hiding to pick up the fried bean fritters left.  Yoruba proverb said “A thief was caught once, he/she claimed never to have stolen, who showed him/her the way?  The fried bean fritter sellers got home to her mum in tears to narrate her experience.  Her mother did not believe hence she fried more bean fritters for her daughter to sell the second and third day.   She still came home crying, so her mother decided to follow her, seeing the same experience they both took to their heels.  However, the mother went to report the incidents to the King and the elders.  The King then approached the Spirits for solution.  Osanyin the Spirit volunteered to solve the problem.

According to Yoruba proverb “Every day is for the thief, one day for the owner” The mother and daughter in the company of Osanyin went to sell again, but took to their heels as soon as they sight the object of their fear.  The Tortoise and his family did the usual thing without knowing the Spirit of Osanyin was laying siege for the thieves.  As soon as the Tortoise brought out his head to enjoy the abandoned fried bean fritters, his head was pinned down with spiked wood by Osanyin till he died.  His family quickly took to their heels.  His corpse was taken to the King and the people who were very happy to see the end of the thief that was tormenting the economy of the town.  The King then rewarded Osanyin by declaring that henceforth, the Tortoise will be offered as sacrifice to the Osanyin.

Lessons of this story are: greed does not pay; no matter how long it takes, the thief will be exposed; death is the reward for sin – the Tortoise lost his life for fried bean fritters.

Originally posted 2014-04-11 21:40:58. Republished by Blog Post Promoter