Blunt Cutlass/Oloku Ada Poem by Morakinyo Temiloluwa Bolarinwa

BLUNT CUTLASS

It is lesson for all when elders fall into pits,
the meastro of the talking drum is the work of the finger,
orchestrators of Olunnagun's arrival must orchestrate his exit,
another man's son should not kill another man's father.

Enough is enough,
should a knighted hawk be incapable of snatching a chick? ,
when incapable as royalty, ignobility is better off,
if paps go in and leaves come out, can we still say 'Baba is sick'? .

Failure to quickly catch the thief makes him claim over the farmer,
charms have efficacy only for the swift,
the eating mouth must itself reject the sour supper,
before another cockroach horse, another greek gift.

Nudity of the High masquerade should bother all followers,
woe awaits the man with a blunt cutlass.

OLOKU ADA

Agba to jin si koto, o ko ara yoku l'ogbon,
ati ranmu gangan, ko seyin eekanna,
eni matide olunnagun ni yo mo atilo re,
omo olomo ko le wa pa baba onibaba,

Otoge omo leefi,
ai fini joye awodi kama le gbadiye,
akuku 'joye, o san ju 'enu mi o kalu' lo,
ara baba o ya, ara baba o ya, eko n wole, ewe n jade.

Aitete m'ole, ole n m'oloko,
eni yara logun n gbe,
enu eni lafin ko meeje,
ki won tun to gbewa geshin aayan.

Ailasolorun paka, apero ni fun gbogbo omo erinwo,
igbeyin nii dun oloku ada.