Ethiopian textile design. Image courtesy of Chris Beckett
‘Haile Selassie! do not be surprised…’
~Â Aleqa Araya Woreta, trans. by Chris Beckett
Translator’s note: Aleqa recited this prophetic poem to Haile Selassie as a 14 year old boy, when no-one expected him to become emperor. Aleqa was inspired by an incident that same day when Selassie and his cousin and rival Lij Iyasu (Emperor Menelik’s grandson and heir) went diving in Lake Alemaya near Harar: Selassie disappeared underwater for one and a half hours before resurfacing unscathed. He was obviously destined for greatness!
‘The man who leaves his church…’
~Â Getaw Ras Gugsa Wollie, trans. by Chris Beckett
Translator’s note: Gugsa was ruler of Begemder, an important province by Lake Tana. He was a bitter opponent of Haile Selassie and died at the Battle of Anchem in 1930. He recited this poem at a feast for the Annuciation, where 52 famous religious scholars sang praises accompanied by the sistrum.
‘We do not respect an angel for his wings…’
We do not respect an angel for his wings
or because he covers his face with his wings.
After all, birds and insects have wings.
We do not respect an old man for his white hair.
After all, wood may turn white in cold air.
We respect a man for his wisdom, not his white hair.
~Â Liqoo Kefle Yohannes, trans. by Chris Beckett
‘Mount Tabor’
~ Anonymous (Zeamlakye Q’ene from one of the Gondar scholars), trans. by Chris Beckett
Translator’s note: A reference to the Transfiguration of Jesus, where God speaks to Peter, James and John from a cloud, saying “This is my beloved Son: hear him.†(Mark, 9:2-8)
‘One teacher bows to another…’
One teacher bows to another.
Finger and thumb are unequal brothers.
~ Anonymous (an “ancient Gondar Gubae Canaâ€), trans. by Chris Beckett
Translator’s note: The lesson is humility amongst church scholars, for whom Jesus is the ultimate teacher, the thumb without which the fingers cannot function properly.
‘Since Adam…’
Since Adam/your lip did eat of that Tree,
The Saviour/my heart has been hung up for Thee.
~Â Anonymous, trans. by Donald Levine
Editor’s note: A classic semenna warq (wax and gold) q’ene where two subjects are presented side by side and the second line puns on the verb, in this case tasaqala, which can mean is crucified or is anxious to be near. The poem is about Christ atoning for the sin of man, but is also a sensual love poem.
‘What use is tella? What use is tejj?’
What use is tella? What use is tejj?
When you see the enemy, serve him coffee!
~Â Anonymous, trans. by Donald Levine
Editor’s note: Tella is a watery beer and tejj is strong honey wine. This is a so-called merimer q’ene which puns on two possible meanings of a phrase, in this case buna adargaw (serve him coffee) and bun adargaw (reduce him to ashes), so the “gold†reading of the second line is: When you see the enemy, burn him to ashes!
‘Since Adam…’ and ‘What use is tella?…’ were both originally published in ‘Wax and Gold’, by Donald Levine(University of Chicago Press, 1965).
The other q’ene in this selection are versions by Chris Beckett of Ge’ez (Ethiopic) poems in ‘The Meaning of Quine: The River of Life’, by Kessis Kefyalew Merahi (Addis Ababa 2006).
