Elesin Oba (The King's Horseman)

Elesin Oba (The king's Horseman).
 
Elesin Oooooooooba!
Tell me
Tell me why you haste death.
Why do you haste death?
When the moon
In the corner of the sky
Mourn your departing soul.
Tell it to my ear.
Why do you so want death?
When the brow of every river
Sorrowful spring water
 
Elesin oooo
What is death to you?
Tell me
Honour?
Or 
Grief? 
 
Olohun-Iyo!!!
What is it to you?
Yes, death!
What is it to you?
Honour, that is.
Oh! Olohun-Iyo.
It is honorable to lose a soul.
A soul to one's lord.
 
Olohun-Iyo, are you in a hurry?
Do you not know?
I am no longer of this earth.
The very day the great Araba fell.
The day the birds watched faithfully
In the passage of the sun
How the good king slept in between the
opened earth,
That was the moment I embarked on the other side.
 
Elesin Ooba!
But you are that man, are you not?
You are that man who was
Caged in my heart for years.
Elesin Oba!
You are that man who, with
a mouth sweeter than salt 
spoke of what seemed to be
Immortal promises to me.
Can a caged bird free itself?
Answer me, Elesin!
 
Olohun-Iyo!
The gods broke the snare.
Listen! Olohun-Iyo
Can you hear?
The Song of the Dead
Can you?
The beat of the world beyond
Olohun-Iyo, it is a warning.
Let me go and touch my feet.
In a dance with my father
And salute the good king.
 
Elesin Oba!
Remember!
There will be no one like me there.
Do you know?
Your Olohun-Iyo,
Okin in the jungle of birds.
 
Olohun-Iyo! 
Haba!
 
Wait! 
Olohun-Iyo, what is this that my eyes behold?
Except the gods have changed my eyes.
Olohun-Iyo!
Are you sure my feet are still on?
The soil of my father?
Olohun-Iyo!
Tell me!
Do I still breathe the same air as you?
Have I abandoned my beloved?
My teen village?
 
Haha! Elesin Oba,
excellent.
What is it?
Elesin Oba,
A man of honour!
What is it that troubles you?
Why do your eyes cry like a
Is the Fetish goat bound to be sacrificed?
Your feet are stuck to the ground.
of your youth.
And the voice is mine. Olohun-Iyo
But not of a mourner in heaven.
 
How can it be? in all my days 
As Elesin's good King, of all the years
The gods gave me life.
I owned the sweetest of trees.
Even you, Olohun-Iyo.
My roof-covered beauties
and my floor was littered with damsels.
 
Yes! Elesin
Who will deny your reputation?
A man whose cap is every
A woman begs to wear
An honourable man.
Which garment is each insight? Woman
want to wear.
 
Olohun-Iyo, then how can it be?
This is what my eyes see.
An Angel of Death or an Earthly Being?
I do not know the
The tree that bore her
Olohun-Iyo!
Tell it to me?
Do you think Iyalode betrayed me?
because the most juicy fruit was hidden.
From a man of honour,
Elesin of the Good King.
 
Haaaaaa! Elesin Oba!
Do you not remember?
Elesin! How could it fade so fast?
Elesin! I beseech you not to
Provoke the gods into anger.
 
Olohun-Iyo!
Is this not a song of jealousy?
Tell me
Is this look not of loathness?
Tell me, Olohun-Iyo!
 
Nooo! Elesin
excellent!
Is it not too early to forget?
The blood is still fresh 
In the house of the Whites
Were you not told?
How the juicest fruit of your father's days
This caused him to delay his journey.
His journey to the world of the fleshless
And how about your brother, Olunde?
I fearlessly took up the tail of death as the Elesin
While your father struggled with his bones,
In the chain of Pilkings, the Simeon
 
Hmmm Elesin
The heavens welcomed two horsemen.
On that scary night,
The burning coal of blame was placed on Pilkings' head.
Who would want to deny the gods of the soul?
but ended up giving them two.
Now Elesin,
Whom should we blame?
Neither Pilkings nor Richard are here.
 
Olohun-Iyo! 
Do you need to wake the dead?
Do you need mourning?
Olohun-Iyo, 
Make My Bride in front of the gods.
Demand the whole soul.
make my final earthly bed.
To touch, feel, and eat the juiciest.
 
No one dares belittle your tongue 
Elesin Oba.
Tonight, your flesh shall swim in a red sea.
But pray not for the wrath of the gods.
The path you chose is your father's.
Neither Pilkings nor Bernard are here.
To take up the cause, but
Elesin Oba!
I beseech you to take it back.
 
Olohun-Iyo! 
Let the gods do as it pleases them.
But the gods will curse me, I believe.
If this maiden is left behind unscathed 
 
Elesin Elesin Elesin
What an honorable man!
Who's falling into the pit 
He buried his father.
What a man of honour!