ORÚKỌ: ẸRÙ TÍ KÒ NÍ ÒṢÙKA

Kí ìyá mi tó bími 

Bàbá mi ti bí ìrètí
Bàbá mi, Ìyá mi, pẹ̀lú ìrètí wọn 

ni wọ́n fi orúkọ fún mi bí a ti ń fún ọba ládé

Orukọ—

Májẹ̀mú tí wọ́n dá fún wa kí a tó gbọ́njú
Bí mo bá rántí orúkọ mi, máà sì bú sẹ́kún
Pe: ẹni pé kí ń máà re iwájú, ò leè lànà
Ẹni lànà kò pé kí 'ọlá' ó wá
Ẹrù yìí wúwo—

ẹdakun, ẹ sọ̀ mi.

Orúkọ jẹ́ ẹrù tí wọ́n gbé rù wá kí a tó lè ṣe òṣùká
Kí a tó fi ẹsẹ̀ lélẹ̀ ni wọ́n ti ń tẹ̀ẹ́ mọ́ wa lára bíi òntẹ̀
Ojoojúmọ́ ni ń wọ'ni lọ́rùn tí a ò sì lè sọ̀ọ́.
Ẹni gbee rù wá gan-an ò lè ṣe ìkúnlọ́wọ́
Ǹjẹ́ ọrùn ò ní wọ 'Alówóńlé' tí ò ní kọ́bọ̀ lápò?

N ò rí ohun jogún, Ṣùgbọ́n mo jogún ìrètí..
Pe: bọ́yá lọ́jọ́ kan ẹrù yìí a jẹ́ fúyẹ́
Bóyá lọ́jọ́ kan, orúkọ mi á jẹ́ rò mí
Bóyá lọ́jọ́ kan 'ọlá' mi a jẹ́ sún.
Bóyá lọ́jọ́ kan 'ọlá' mi a jẹ́ re iwájú.
Bóyá lọ́jọ́ kan orúkọ mi a jẹ́ ṣíjú àánú wò mí, 

á gbémi wọ̀ bí aṣọ

N ò bá fi orúkọ mi pàrọ̀ pẹ̀lú ẹyẹlé, 

ń ò bá gba ti àdàbà
Ohùn wo ni mo wá mọ̀ tí ẹyẹ fi ń pe ara wọn?

Ẹrù yìí wúwo, n kò leè da gbé
Mo gbẹ́ẹ s’inu apata—

boya bi a ba foju rẹju, a jẹ gbemi
Mo sọ̀ọ́ sódò fọ àìgbèmí kúrò níbẹ̀
Mo ní kí wọ́n máa fi pèmí bóyá a jẹ́ sàn mí
Mo wii wújẹ́wújẹ́ sí omi fi wẹ̀ bóyá á jẹ́ ṣẹ́ mọ́mi lára bíi ọṣẹ

Májẹ̀mú tí wọ́n dá fún wa kí a tó gbọ́njú ni orúkọ
Mo tẹ̀ẹ́ sórí ayélujára bóyá máà rí àwọn olóríire tí orúkọ jọ dàwápọ̀,
Mo rí wọn, mo gbárí mú pé ibo ni mo ti gbé yan tèmi?

Kí ń tó ṣẹ́jú, ẹ̀rọ tún gbé àwọn ọ̀daràn tí a dìjọ ń jẹ́ 'súná'

Mo rí ọ̀pọ̀ ènìyàn mo tàka òṣì dànù
Mo wá ríi pé díẹ̀ ni orúkọ nínú ohun tí a ó jẹ́ láyé, ohun a fẹ́ dà ń bẹ nínú iṣẹ́ ọwọ́ ẹni

Àtẹ́wọ́ mo bá ilà, èdùà tó kọ kádàrá mi ni ó fi òjìji rẹ̀ hàn níbẹ̀
Ọ̀mọ̀ràn wo ni ó mọ ìdí àdìtú kó sọ fún mi.
N ò rí ohun jogún, Ṣùgbọ́n mo jogún ìrètí..
Pe: Bóyá lọ́jọ́ kan orúkọ mi á jẹ́ hàn lára mi 

bí làpálàpá ti ń hàn lórí

N ò rí ohun jogún, Ṣùgbọ́n mo jogún ìrètí.
Ìrètí tí dàgbà tó ẹni tó ránṣẹ́
Bóyá kí ó tó gbéyàwó Irẹ̀wẹ̀sí, 

orúkọ mi á rò gbémí.

NAME: AN UNPADDED BURDEN

Before my mother laboured,
my father had already birthed Hope.
My father, my mother, and their hope
crowned me with a name,
as a crown is placed upon a king.

Name—
the covenant made on our behalf,
before our eyelids ever opened to life.
Whenever I remember my name,
tears knock at my eyes.

The one who told me to go forward
did not ford the way.
The one who forded the way
did not summon Wealth.
This load is heavy—
help me put it down.

Name is the burden they placed on us,
long before we knew what a load-pad was.
Before our feet touched the earth,
they stamped it on our skin like clay.
Day after day it presses on our necks—
a yoke no one can help us bear.
Wouldn’t the weight crush Alówónlé
who holds no coin in his pocket?

I inherited nothing—
nothing but Hope.
Maybe one day,
this burden will loosen its grip.
Maybe one day,
my name will bring me honour.
Maybe one day,
my name will advance me.
Maybe one day,
my name will summon wealth.
Maybe one day,
my name will dress me with mercy,
clothing me like a garment.

If I could,
I would trade my name with the pigeon,
I would bargain it with the dove.
But how would I then know
what names sound like
in the language of birds?

This load is heavy;
I can no longer carry it.
So I carved it on stone—
maybe when eyes meet it,
it will accord me.
I cast it into the river—
that it may wash my disparities away.
I begged them: call me by it—
maybe it will manifest in me.
I chanted it into water,
bathed with it,
that it may stick upon my skin
like soap.

For name is the covenant
made on our behalf
before our knowledge.
I searched it on the search-engine,
hoping to find
others whose names bore fortune.
I found many,
and anguish gripped me—
how did I choose this fate?

Before I blinked,
the machine brought me criminals
who bore my christening.
They were plenty,
but I rebuked the curse:
I will not be counted among them.

Then I saw clearly—
name is but a fragment of destiny;
the rest lies in the work of our hands.
The lines in my palms,
inscribed by Èdùà,
cast their shadows before me.

Who is the sage
that can untie the knot of the unknown?

I inherited nothing—
nothing but Hope.
Maybe one day,
my name will blaze from my skin
like dandruff glistens upon the head.

I inherited nothing—
nothing but Hope.
And now Hope has grown old,
standing tall like a man.
Maybe before Hope weds Fatigue,
my name will finally honour me.