DAILY DEVOTION: ÌWÚRE

DAILY DEVOTION: ÌWÚRE

Gbogbo igi kọ́ lejò ń gùn (Not all trees can be scaled by the snake)

Gbogbo omi kọ́ lẹdun ń mu (The colobus monkey doesn’t drink all types of water)

Àyàfi wèrè, àyàfi dìgbòlugi (Only the insane, only the raving lunatic)

Ló lè kẹ́bọ oríta mì (Devours the sacrifice placed at the crossroads)

A kì í ṣí ọwọ́ lu imí (No one punches human feces)

A kì í bu ìtọ̀ sebẹ̀ (None cooks the soup with urination)

Ojú tí ó ń ka ìwé yì í kò ní í fọ̀ (The eyes reading these lines will not go blind)

Ahọ́n tí ó ń sọ ọ̀rọ̀ yì í kò ní í kan (The tongue reading these words will not turn sour).

Ọmọ tí a bá bí (Our offspring)

A kò ní í gbé wọn gbìn (We will not bury them)

Aya tí a fẹ́ (Our wives)

A kò ní í wá wọn tì (We will not lose them)

Ọkọ tí a ní (Our husbands)

A kò ní í sunkún un wọn (We will not wail for them)

Iwájú là á wo imú ajá (The dog’s nose stays in front)

Iwájú ni ojúgun ń dúró de ẹsẹ̀ (The shin waits in front of the leg)

A ò ní deni ẹ̀hìn nílé ayé (We will not retrogress)

Bẹ́ è ni kó rí lágbára àwọn Ìyàmì (May it be so by the power of Our Mothers).

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ÀYÁJỌ́ and ÌWÚRE are major poetic forms in Yoruba and other African languages.

We use them to connect with spiritual powers.

Here I sit in my office this morning, a favorite drink in my hand, connecting with spiritual powers to protect me through the day.