Her Name Is 'Ikwerre' Poem by LIGHTCHEERFUL BRIGGS

Ikwerre anu meka o', diali! Ikwerre anu meka o', diali! Ikwerre anu meka o', diali!
Eli Ikwerre sobulemawei! Chei, eli Ikwerre sobulem o! chei, kabueliayi!
For the pleasure and love of my eyes is but she who is called ‘Ikwerre';
It is she I treasure the most of all the lands in Rivers State—alandam.
To her I give all my love that I may unto a creature
And from whence this love comes I canst tell,
It strains me pass the compass of my wit.
And when I hear her son ‘Duncan Mighty' sing with her tongue,
My love for her increases with pride and more desire of her is born
Thus if music is the fruit of love, then I say let ‘Wene Mighty' play on.

I shall conduct her into my life then her beauty shall shine upon me
Whereon here and there I wander about in quest for her beauty
That many ‘Rumu-Light' and ‘Rumu-Briggs' may be born of her for me;
For I love her like ‘Wene Mighty' loves his mother and sang for her,
And again I say if music is the fruit of love, let ‘Wene Mighty play on
Even the song-‘Iwuru darling mo? Olugamwei', let it play on
For she is too fair, too wise and wisely too fair to make me desire love her.

And if she will like a mortal stay the siege of loving terms
Nor bide the encounter of assailing eyes,
I shall but woo her like a suitor unto a maiden
For she is rich in beauty, vast in land and accommodating like God
And if only the world around me could hear me,
I will tell them I love ‘Ikwerre' so dearly from my heart.
If only she will believe me that I love no other land than her,
She is going to know how my heart is love-infected for her;
And my certificate of sincerity will I leave alone leave with her.
And if I'm allowed to give her another name, I shall call her ‘Annabel'—lovable.
Chei! Eli ikwerre sobulemawei! Eli Ikwerre sobulemawei! Oh, kabueliayi;
ikwerre anu meka o', diali! Ikwerre anu meka o', diali! Anu meka o', diali.