Orin fun Àgbẹ̀: Yoruba song encouraging farming:
Iṣẹ́ Àgbẹ̀ ni iṣẹ́ ilẹ̀ wa a, Farming is the job of our land
Ẹni kò ṣiṣẹ́, á mà jalè, He who fails to work, will steal
Ìwé kí kọ́, lai si ọkọ́ àti àdá Education without the hoe and cutlass (farm tools)
Kò ì pé o, kò ì pé o. Is incomplete, it is incomplete
Orin yi fi bi Yorùbá ti ka iṣẹ abínibí àkọ́kọ́ si hàn. Olùkọ́, a má kọ àwọn ọmọ ilé-iwé alakọbẹrẹ ni orin yi lati kọ wọn bi iṣẹ́-àgbẹ̀ ti ṣe kókó tó, nitori eyi, bi wọn ti nkọ́ iwé, ki wọn kọ́ iṣẹ́-àgbẹ̀ pẹ̀lú. “Olùpàṣẹ, ọ̀gá ninú Olórin Olóyè Ebenezer Obey” fi òwe Yorùbá ti ó sọ pé “Bi ebi bá kúrò ninú ìṣẹ́, ìṣẹ́ bùṣe” kọrin. Àgbẹ̀ ni ó npèsè oúnjẹ ti ará ilú njẹ àti ohun ọ̀gbin fún tità ni ilé àti si Òkè-òkun.
Àgbẹ̀ – Local African Farmer
Owó Àgbẹ ni Nàíjíríà fi ja ogun-abẹ́lé fún ọdún mẹta lai yá owó ni bi ọdún mẹta-din-laadọta titi di ọdún mẹrin-le-logoji sẹhin. Lẹhin ogun-abẹ́le yi, Naijiria ri epo-rọ̀bì ni rẹpẹtẹ fún tita si Òkè-òkun. Dipò ki wọn fi owó epo-rọ̀bì yi pèsè ẹ̀rọ oko-igbálódé fún àwọn Àgbẹ̀ lati rọ́pò ọkọ́ àti àdá, ṣe ni wọn fi owó epo-rọ̀bì ra irà-kurà ẹrù àti oúnjẹ lati Ò̀kè-òkun wọ ilú. Eyi ló fa ifẹ́-kufẹ si oúnjẹ àti ohun ti ó bá ti Oke-okun bọ̀ titi di òni.
Gẹ́gẹ́ bi Ọba-olórin Sunny Ade ti kọ́ lórin pé “Kò si Àgbẹ̀ mọ́ lóko, ará oko ti dari wálé”. Gbogbo ará oko ti kúrò lóko wá si ilú nlá lati ṣe “iṣẹ́-oṣù tàbi iṣẹ́-Ìjọba” dipò iṣẹ́-àgbẹ̀. Owó iná-kuna yi sọ ọ̀pọ̀ di ọ̀lẹ nitori ó rọrùn lati ṣe iṣẹ́ oṣù ni ibòji ilé-iṣẹ́, lẹhin iwé-mẹfa tàbi iwé-mẹwa ju ki wọn ṣe iṣẹ́-àgbẹ̀ lọ.
Òwe Yorùbá ti ó ni “Iṣẹ́ loògùn ìṣẹ́” kò bá ohun ti o nṣẹ lẹ̀ ni ayé òde òni lọ. Ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ òṣìṣẹ́-Ijọba tàbi oniṣẹ́-oṣù wà ninú ìṣẹ́, nitori wọn kò ri owó gbà déédé mọ, bẹni àwọn ti ó fẹhinti lẹ́nu iṣẹ́ kò ri owó-ifẹhinti gbà nitori Ìjọba Ológun, Òṣèlú àti Ọ̀gá ilé-iṣẹ́ ngba àbẹ̀tẹ́lẹ̀ wọn nja ilé-iṣẹ́ àti ilú ló olè nipa ki kó owó jẹ.
Oriṣiriṣi iṣẹ́-ọwọ́ àti òwò ló wà yàtọ̀ si iṣẹ́-àgbẹ̀. Ọ̀rọ̀ Yorùbá sọ pé, “Ọ̀nà kan kò wọ ọjà, ló mú telọ (aránṣọ) tó nta ẹ̀kọ”. Ohun ti oniṣẹ́-oṣù àti òṣiṣẹ́-Ìjọba lè ṣe lati lo iṣẹ́ fún oògùn ìṣẹ́ ni, ki wọn ni oko lẹgbẹ pẹ̀lú iṣẹ́-oṣù tàbi ki wọn kọ́ iṣẹ́-ọwọ́ miran ti wọn lè ṣe lẹhin ifẹhinti.
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
The above song reflect the value attached to Agriculture. Teachers, taught the Primary School pupils the song to teach them the awareness about the importance of farming, hence, as they are acquiring education they should learn about farming as well. Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey, a prominent Musician used the Yoruba adage that said “Lack of hunger reduces poverty drastically” in one of his albums. Farmers are the producer of the food being consumed by the city people and their farm produce are sold both at home and abroad.
Agricultural proceeds were spent to sustain the three years of the Nigerian Civil War without any external debt, between forty-seven and forty four years ago. After the Civil War, Nigeria discovered Crude Oil in commercial quantity for sale to buyers Oversea. Instead of using the proceed from Crude Oil sale to provide modern agricultural tools and machines to replace hoe and cutlass, Crude Oil proceeds were spent importing into the country all sorts of goods and food from Oversea. This led to the development of taste for foreign goods and food up till now.
According to one the prominent Musician, King Sunny Ade in his song that is translated thus “No more farmer in the farm, farmers have all returned home”. During the Oil boom, many farmers migrated from the farm to the large towns and cities in search of “salaried job or Government jobs” instead of farming. Squandering of the oil wealth has made many to become lazy as it is easier to work in cosy offices after Primary or Secondary education than being a farmer.
According to Yoruba proverb that said “Work is the antidote for destitution/poverty”, is no longer relevant to the happenings of nowadays. On the contrary, many Government workers and salaried employees are destitute or in poverty, as a result of irregular salary payment, also pensions are delayed for Retired employees because of treasury looting, embezzlement, corruption by the Military Government, Politicians and the office big boss.
There are various crafts and trades that can be learnt be side farming. One of the Yoruba adage said “Not only one road leads to the market, hence the diversification of the Tailor selling corn-meal”. In order for the salaried staff and Government workers to use work as medicine to avert poverty, they need to either cultivate a farm as an addition or acquire more skills that could be used during salaried job or after retirement.
Originally posted 2014-12-16 22:22:59. Republished by Blog Post Promoter