HISTORY & CULTURE; Oriki Eko (Eulogy Of Lagos) By:Teslim Opemipo Omipidan

To talk of the busiest, most populous and popular city in Nigeria, one would talk of Lagos otherwise known as Eko in the Yoruba language.

Lagos or Eko homes almost if not all Nigerian tribes but is predominantly inhabited by the Awori, a subgroup of the Yoruba people of Southwestern Nigeria and thus earned an Oriki, the Yoruba art of eulogy.



Below is the oriki of Lagos. Enjoy!

Oriki Eko (Eulogy of Lagos)

Eko Akete Ile Ogbon

Eko Aromi sa legbe legbe
Eko aro sese maja

Eko akete ilu okun alagbalugbu omi,

Ta lo ni elomi l’eko?

ebiwon pe talo ni abatabutu baba omikomi,

talo laabata buutu baba odo kodo

Eko adele ti angere nsare ju eniyan elese meji lo

Eni to o ba lo si ilu eko tiko ba gbon,

Koda, bo lo si ilu oyinbo ko legbon mo

Afefe toni pon wa ni bebe okun ti yin,

faaji to ni pan wa ni bebe osa

Eko omo osha nio ose, mase kutere, osha n gbobi, kutere n gbori

Eyin lomo afinju woja marin gbendeke,

obun woja n wapa sio sio

Eyo o Aye’le Eyo o, Eyo baba n teyin to n fi golu n sere,

eyin oni sanwo onibode, odilee

Ti oju o ba ti ehin igbeti, oju o ni t’eko le.


Eko oni baje o

This post appeared first on OLDNAIJA.COM