Praise songs to Oba Ovonramwen

Headnote

The composers of the first two songs, written in the early part of this century, are unknown. The last song was written by J. Elegbe, an informant for Hans Melzian, in the 1930s.

U gha mig Oghomwen ne o rre ikalaba

Ogungunmgygn ne O.

U gha mig ebo ne o mu mwen Ovonramwen

Emwen kekan ne o.

U gha mig Oba ne a mu Q

O ye vbe ikpin ne ame.

U gha mig ebo neo .mu mwenOvonramwen

O ye vbe iri eroro. If you see my own at Calabar

Mighty is he.

If you see the white man who carried

Ovonramwen

Very plain is he.

If you saw the King they captured

He is like the python of the water.

But if you saw the white man who captured

Ovonramwen

He is skinny like a twig.

Ovonramwen neogbe isi;

Oba kha vba ye!

Khama Ologbose, "Wa s'uma gbe ovbiedo.

N' i ma gie ne...