Nasero, the great ox
O, my great ox, let me die!
O, my Nasero, let me die!
O, my great ox, which copulates with the cows
by the mineral water hole.
O, my great ox, which warms the hearts of others
when bellowing in the fields.
My great ox looks different now,
its body is butchered into many pieces.
My great ox looks different now.
O, king, its body is butchered into many pieces!
The knives which cut my great ox
are the knives of the big landlords.
Yahi has many females,
Ibi has many calves:
if I go to these men with my serfs,
how can you bring me back?
My great ox looks different now,
and its body is butchered now;
how can you bring it back to me?
O, by any means, bring back my great ox to me!
O, by any means, restore my great ox to me!
O, my Nasero, let me die!
Is not my great ox the husband of cows
at the mineral water hole?
Does not my great ox touch the hearts of others
when bellowing?
O, my great ox, let me die!
O, my Nasero, let me die!
O, king, are you going to replace my great ox?
O, king, are you going to find my great ox?
If you are not going to return my great ox,
I will wear my ragged clothes;
I will carry my shield,
I will kill myself!
If I do not do this,
my body is not worthy of the vultures;
my fields are not worthy of labor,
my body is not worthy of a woman.
O, king, replace my great ox!
O, king, find my great ox!
O, Nasero, let me die!
O, beloved Nasero, let me die!
If this is not done, I will avenge my great ox!
If this is not done, I will kill you!
~ Anonymous, trans. by Werner Lange
Editor’s note: Originally published in ‘Domination and Resistance: Narrative Songs of the Kafa Highlands’
