ON SOME OROMO HISTORICAL POEMS

Author(s): TAMENE BITIMA

Source: Paideuma: Mitteilungen zur Kulturkunde , 1983, Bd. 29 (1983), pp. 317-325
Published by: Frobenius Institute

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Paideuma 29, 1983

ON SOME OROMO HISTORICAL POEMS

TAMENE BITIMA

Afaan Oromoo (the Oromo language) first appeared in print in 1842, in a publication by
a German missionary L, Krapf, Subsequently a few books and pamphlets in Afaan Oromoo
were published by Europeans and by Oromo living in Europe0 But before a written literatur
could be developed by the Oromo people, Menilek II invaded Oromoland. The rights of the
Oromo and other nationalities were taken away, and the development of their literature wa
likewise thwarted.
The Ethiopian regime totally banned the publication of Afaan Oromoo and all other
languages except Ambarina and to some extent Tigriña and Arabic. When books and pam-
phlets in Afaan Oromoo, printed in Europe, were brought into the country by missionaries
and travellers, their fate was to be confiscated and destroyed»
As a result of the 1974 revolution and the contemporaneous struggle of the Oromo
people, the military junta allowed one weekly Oromo newspaper (Bariisaa), but would not
let it be printed in the Latin script, which properly suits the Oromo language. Two years
later the regime took over the same newspaper to use it for its own propaganda. But Oromo
intellectuals inside (underground) and outside the country continue to publish their language
in the Latin script.
While the situation of written literature has remained at this level, oral literature has to a
certain extent continued to grow. Since a great part of the oral literature of the Oromo has
not yet been collected, there is a danger that some of its contents may be lost.
The following historical poems are taken from Oromo oral poems which I collected in
Šawaa Province in 1970 and 1971. 1 collected them not only for their literary value, but also
for their historical content. From a historical point of view some Oromo poems and songs
could be used as sources for the study of the history of the Oromo people. Finally, it should
be the duty of concerned Oromo from all regions and of those individuals who are interested
in Oromo studies to collect oral literature, in order to save it from disappearance and
neglect1 о
The following poem relates to Menilek's conquest of the Gullalee, Eekkaa and Sululta
Oromo and the establishment of his capital first at Entoto and later at Addis Ababa.
Gullallee was conquered in 1875 by Menilek's general, Dajjac Wolde Bessiyum. Ten years
later, Menilek told his wife Taytu Butul a story about the "prophecy" of his grand-father,
King Sahle Selassie. "'One day as he sat under that great tree', Menilek added, pointing to a
large tree . . . Suddenly he said, 'o land, today you are full of Gallas, but one day my
grandson will build here a house and make you a city' " (Pankhurst 1966: 149).
Menilek's story was about Sahle Selassie's various expeditions against the Oromo people in
the region. Yet his grandfather never ruled the Oromo south of Angoo-Laalaa, a few kilome-
tres southwest of his capital, Ankobar, even though he attempted to do so for three decades.
"In the following year, 1887, Taytu once more left Entoto and installed herself in her
new house above the hot springs. Then began the building of the town. All the chiefs were
allotted sections of land in the traditional manner round the royal area, and began indivi-

1 I am grateful to Dr. Paul Baxter for his constructive suggestions and to Mr. Mohammed Hassen for his
help in translating the Oromo poems into English.

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 318 Tamene Bitima

dually to build their own dwellings.

army loved staying there and it was
given the name of Addis Ababa." (Pan
Of course, Menilek's army "loved st
countryside, but mostly of its richn
their 'gebars' (tenants) and serfs.

Inxooxxoo daabatani3
Caffee gadlaaluun hafe
Finfinnee4 loon geessani
hora5 obaasuun hafe
Tulluu Daalattirratti6
yaa'iin7 Gullallee hafe
Gafarsatti dabrani
qoraan čabsuunis hafe
Hurufa Bombirratti8
jabbilee yaasuun hafe
barajarri9 dufani
loon teeññas indumani
idda Mašašaan10 dufe
birmadummaanis hafe.

No more standing on Intoto,

to look down at the pasture below,
no more taking cattle to Finfinee,
to water at the mineral spring.

2 During the foundation of Addis Ababa Menilek expelled hundreds of Gullallee from the Finfinnee
villages. Thus some of them were forced to go to Arsii and settled around Asallaa.
3 "x" in these poems = t.
4 Finfinnee is the former name of Addis Ababa.
5 Hora is the mineral spring. It is the custom of the Oromo people to take their cattle to the mineral
springs at least once a year. Hora Finfinee is the present 'Filwiha' in Addis Ababa. Before the
foundation of the city in 1887, it was used by the surrounding Gullallee, Eekkaa, Meettaa, Sululta and
Galaan Oromo s as "hora".
6 Tulluu Daalatti is not Tulluu Daalotaa, which is located east of Aqaaqii Basaqaa, but a hill in Finfin-
nee, where later Menilek's "Talaqu-Bëtamengist" (grand palace) was built. The hill was a place where
the general assembly of Gullallee took place within the "eadaa" system.
7 Yaa'ii is a general assembly within the gadaa system (cf. Haberland 1963: 202, 453).
8 Hurufa Bombi was a meadow (the later "jan-mëda") which the Gullallee people used as a grazing area
for their cattle. Bombi = beetle.
9 Jarri means those people, but in this verse it means the Nafxaññaas, i.e. Menilek's generals and soldiers
who occupied the Oromo, Sidaama, Guraagee, Hadiyyaa, Walayitaa etc. territories in the last quarter
of the 19th century.
10 Dajjac Mašasaa Seifu was Menilek's general (his brother's son). He led the first expedition against the
small Oromo state (Muslim in faith) of Darraa, between Abbay (the Blue Nile) and the Kingdom of
Sawaa in 1875, but was defeated by the Darraa army led by Hasan Wadaaj. Later, Darraa was defeated
by another expedition. Mašašaa suppressed theGullallee urprising of 1878.

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 Oromo Historical Poems 319

No more gathering on Tulluu Daalatti,

where the Gullallee assembly used to meet.
No mere going beyond Gafarsa,
to chop firewood.
No more taking calves
to the meadow of Hurufa Bombi.
The year the enemy came,
our cattle were consumed.
Since Mašašáa came,
freedom has vanished.

II

cufaakoo čufaakoo11
čufaa jalan bulaa
yaa leenča Gullallee
dur sumayyuubdanee
Tufaakoo Tufaakoo
Tufaa12 yaalma Munaa.

My barricade, my barricade,
I live under your protection.
The shield of Gullallee,
the sustainer of our hope.
My barricade, my barricade,
Tufaa, the son of Munaau

III

This Poem is a song by Walgaafaa Qumbii of Qaqaldii, while poem IV is a song by

Illaansoo Halloo of Daawo. They were two of the leaders of Waliso Oromo, who fought
against Menilek's general Ras Goobana Daaččuu when he conquered Waliso and Ambo in
1876. These songs were sung in the prison where Ilaansoo died. Ras Goobana took with him
some prisoners-of-war to Ankobar, including Habte-Giyorgis Dinagdee from the Daawo area
of Waliso and Baalčaa Abbaa-Nafsoo from the Baantuu area of Sooddo.13

11 Such introductory lines (1 and 2) are usual in Oromo songs, which form a kind of parallelism of
sounds or images with the following lines of the song. See also poems III and IV.
12 The leader of Gullallee who fought against Menilek and died in battle in 1ö75.
13 Habta-Giyorgis was the former Minister of War, who conquered Boorana tor Menilek in 18УУ. baaicaa
was one of the heroes of the Battle of Adowa.

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 320 Tamene Bitima

yaa didii galgalaa

yaa didii galgalaa
dubbii Goobana Daaččuu
gamni14 hamaaniddatuu
goonni15 namaandaadatuu
maal čilimiinakkanaa
maal čilimiinakkanaa?

О red sky at night,

о red sky at night.
The falseness of Goobana Daaččuu,
the cunning man does not bind people.
A hero is not boastful.
What is this blackness of night?
What is this blackness of night?

IV

yaa orooboo16 battee

yaa orooboo battee
yaa Oromoo baddee
yaa Oromoo baddee
yaa Oromoo baddee!

О wide Orooboo,
о wide Orooboo.
Oromo you are destroyed,
Oromo you are destroyed,
Oromo you are destroyed.

The Čaboo Oromo live west and north of the Waliso Oromo and south of the Kuttaaye
Oromo of Ambo. They defeated Menilek's army on the first expedition. Then Goobana
remobilized his forces and suppressed them. They therefore sang the following 'geerrara'
(war-song)17.

14 Gamna: wise, clever, cunning.

15 Gooni jagna hamaa, i. e. a great hero.
16. Orooboo: household containers which can be used: a) to store butter, b) for holding ornaments and
'wandaboo' i. e. full dresses.
17 See also Cernili 1922: 73-74.

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 Oromo Historical Poems 32 1

sooressi boonummaa boonee

hiyyeessi boo'ummaa boo'ee
Goobana farda qilleensaa qilleensee
dufeetii qalnuqixxeessee18
waraanni gaaraa duultee
allaattin Caboos quuftee.

The rich showed their pride,

the poor shed their tears.
Goobana, whose horse galloped like the wind,
came and levelled all.
The invaders descended from the mountain,
the vultures of Čaboo were satiated.

VI

raajakaa raaja raajaa19

dubartiin mananattuu
kan saree daltuu raajaa
haayyon areedanqabduu
kan haadoo re'ee raajaa
diirri oldeebi'eeniyyuu
kan kormaandaanqoo20 raajaa
lammiin lammittinmaltuu
kan muka qottoo21 raajaa
saññiin saññiingurgurtuu
kan ilma Daaččuu22 raajaa!

It is strange, it is strange, it is strange,

women do not raid houses,
that of a bitch is strange.
Mothers do not have a beard,
that of the mother of a goat is strange.
The brave does not think of retreat,
that of a cock is strange.
Relatives do not hurt one another,
the haft of an axe is strange.
People of one stock do not sell one another,
that of the son of Daaččuu is strange!

18 Line 4 is sung because in the battle the poor and the rich were killed equally.
19 Raajii, dinqii, i. e. prophet, prophecy, but in this poem it means wonder or strange.
20 In Oromo society, the cock is considered cowardly only (line 7) when he retreats to the house betöre
crowing.
21 The handle of the axe, which is made of wood, is considered an ally of trees (wood), but (in this
poem) it is collaborating with the iron part of the axe. "Muka qottoo" and Goobana Daaččuu are
thus considered to be similar, because both betrayed their own people. The poem is still a popular
song.
22 Ras Goobana.

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 322 Tamene Bitima

VII

After Menilek's conquest the peasan

tribute, such as grain, honey, butter
mules to Addis Ababa» They had to tr
Waliso, Ambo, Salaale, Abbiččuu, Jidd
to wait for days before presenting th
bribe officials to give up whatever the
The peasants had to surrender a por
to the government as 'gibr' (tribute),
to 70 % of the produce23«
The following song reflects these con

fiffidaa jettii warri

maalitti bekti jarri
akka qoraan baatanii
akka qorraan kaatanii
akka Hoolota24 bulanii
akka bollata bulanii
akka Aqaaqii25 bulanii
akkakaayyiin26 bulanii
Šaggaritti27 marmaaruu
čallaa namaa hammaarruu
čalleessee namaa hiruu

Bring, bring the Nafxaññaa say,

what do they know,
how the peasants carry firewood,
how they go through the freezing weather.
How they spend the night in Hoolota,
shivering through the night.
How they stay in Aqaaqii,
how they live on parched grain.

The peasants go to Saggar,

the Nafxaññaa grab the threshed grain of others.
The peasants produce, the Nafxaññaa loot.

23 The conditions of the peasants in other provinces were similar. They had to bring tributes to provincial
capitals: to Harar in Harargee, to Goree in Iluu-Abbaaboor, to Aggaaroo in Limmu, to Asallaa in Arsii,
and so on.

24 A cold area, 45 km from the capital, through which the people from the southwest have to travel to
Addis Ababa.
25 Here: the one, which is part of Addis Ababa.
26 Darched, roast grain. Even though, the Oromo eat 'akaayii' as an additional food, it can be very
monotonous and unhealthy when eaten daily as a staple.
27 Addis Ababa. It was at this time and in this situation that the Oromo gave the name 'Saggar' to Addis
Ababa. Empress Taytu had named Finfinnee 'Addis Ababa', which means 'new flower' in Amharic.
The word 'Saggar' is derived from the Amharic word 'ciggar', which means' misery. In the Oromo
region of Sawaa, almost all the people call the capital (Addis Ababa) 'Saggar' to this day.

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 Oromo Historical Poems 323

VIII

bakara gabaa Gindoo28

jinfuu malee qabannee
jabana bixaabbixoo29
ennaa malee dalannee.

The long spear of Gindoo market,

we hold it without butt.
At the time of disorder
we were born out of season.

IX

During the Italian occupation of Ethopia from 1936-1941, Haile Selassie was in England.
Later, on his return to the country, some patriots opposed his restoration to power; but with
British aid he crushed the resistance and entered Addis Ababa. The following poem expresses
this.

Xaaliyaanin nunfurree
nuti bowwada turree
Raas Hayluu30 gonfitee
warri Roomaa sokkitee
jarri31 gaaraa gadyaa'ee
dufee nurra qubatee
garaan keeññás gubatee
Xaaliyaanota sana
buuppaadumaan gabbarree
Nafxaññootuma kana
tumamessaan gabbarree
yaa Oromo bakkuma keñña barree.

Italians did not defeat us,

since we were in the valleys.
Raas Hayluu, the son of the king,
you surrendered to the men of Rome.
Those who fled came back
and became our masters.

28 The capital town of Ammayya, a subdistrict in Caboo and Guraagee district.

29 Muddle; in disorder; a very hard time.
30 The son of King Takla Haimanot of Gojjam, who collaborated with the Italians during the occupation.
Even though the Gojjam people fought heroically against the ItaliansJ he co-operated with the latter
and led many expeditions from Addis Ababa against the patriots in Sawaa, such as Jimaa Sambatee,
Beqele Wayyaa, Garasuu Dukii, Kebede Bizuneš and Abebe Aragay.
31 Haile Selassie and his Nafxanñaas.

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 324 Tamene Bitima

This burns our heart.

For the Italians
we paid tribute in eggs;
for the Nafxaññaa
we paid tribute of a gelded goat.
O Oromo we know our situation32 .

After Menilek's conquest of Southern

throughout the region. In pre-dominan
and Guuma, mosques were replaced by
Baqaamť, which literally means 'the end
of Menilek. In this prison, which was -
tions, several rebellious peasants and pat
following is one of the many Oromo
Baqqaañn. It is still a popular song.

Kalcallee33 laga biraa

rakkanneerra yaa fira
bara baraan hidaadaa
akka sangaa didaadaa
nu lakkaawu nugalcuu
akka waan dilbii34 taanee
ganama nu lakkaawu
galgala nu lakkaawu
akka waan birrii tannee
nu fuundura adeemuu
akka waan ijanqabnee
qabaniit nu teessisuu
akka waan dugdanqabnee
simaamaloo nuttimuu
akka waan gurranqabnee
daaññaan jara35 qaxartee
gaarasii gadaramtee
yaa daaññaa minnoo minnoo
Nafxaññaa minnoo minnoo
foolisii minnoo minnoo
isinaa fixu fìnnoon.

32 In lines 8-11 two oppressive experiences are compared: the Italian occupation and Ethiopia's feudal
system.
33 The name given to Alam Baqqaañn after the Italian occupation.
34 A well fed ox; hoard.
35 The 'foolisii', i. e. the police, who were employed by the daaññaas (judges).

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 Oromo Historical Poems 325

Kalcallee, the prison by the river,

о friends, we are in trouble.
It is imprisonment year after year,
like an unruly bullock.
They count and drive us home,
Like fattened oxen,
they count us at dawn,
they count us at the desks,
as if we were coins (dollars).
They go before us,
as if we did not have eyes,
they grab and put us down,
as if we were spineless.
They talk to us through an interpreter,
as if we were deaf.
The magistrate who hired them
there were transferred from another place.
О you petty magistrate,
о you petty Nafxaññaa,
you petty police,
let smallpox finish you off one by one.

Bibliography
Andrzejewski, B. W.: A Survey of Cushitic Literatures
Cernili, E.: The Folk-Literature of the Galla of South
Cambridge, Mass., 1922.
Haberland, E.: Galla Süd- Äthiopiens. Stuttgart 1963.
Littmann, E.: Galla- Verskunst. Tübingen 1925.
Pankhurst, R.: State and Land in Ethiopian History. Add
Triulzi, A.: Social Protest and Rebellion in Gabbar Song
Modem Ethiopia from the Accession of Menilek II. to th

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