webPulaaku
Amadou Hampâté Bâ
Kaïdara
Translated by Daniel Whitman
With “Kings, Sages, Rogues: The Historical Writings of Amadou Hampâté Bâ”
Kaydara — Strophes 2425-2450
Min woni lummbinoowo min mi min oo… »
Gorel nayewel heɓaali woliide yottin,
Hammadi suuri weeyi feɗii e daande
Hammadi wii mo : « Mobbam kille juulɗo 2425
fa seekoy aadi miɗo ni mi kurka maaɗa,
anndudo moƴƴe maa taalibbo jaɓɗo.
Aan reenoyta kam mobbam a joomam.
Heɓii yananaama fa ɗo haattirde haaɗi.
Gorel nayewel nde Hammadi soccoyii ɗum, 2430
naccere nacci Hammadi jaɗɗi sanne,
naccere ndee waraali mo yaari caggal,
mo waɗi taaɓanɗe tati nayewel nden waylii
laatii huunde fooynunde nanndoyaa e fay
e ɓinngel Aada maa duu daaba saare, 2435
nanndaa e daaba perre walaa ko nanndi.
Weɗɗiti bibje ɗiɗi cirkaaɗe kanŋe.
— « Kaydara dee yo miin woni! kanko ndaa nii!
Miɗo woɗɗi sabaabu walaa e suura
wanaa homo fuu yeɗoytee maata annda, 2440
heɓa tinoroo ko jannginoyan-mi danna.
Mi Kaydara ɓalloyiiɗo walaa ko faddii
tiwre waɗaaka hakkunde am e kuɗɗe.
Ko muuy-mi mbaylotoo-mi mi hunca kuurle;
No muuyru-mi ittiran-mi ko woɗɗinoy kam. 2445
Ko nan-ɗaa reenu ndonnaa ɗum mbasoyo-ɗaa
hunduko e nowru yottina taaniraaɓe,
ngaɗaa taalol ronooɓe ma laamu ndokkaa,
Ngaɗaa ɗum jannde mawnde yeɗaaɓe noppi
malaaɗi e hoore welnde takkoyaaɗi. 2450
Waroore mi jantanoyte dameeje jeenay
gaɗaaɗe e terɗe gorko
I am the ferryman and also…”
The little man was unable to finish;
Hammadi jumped up, took him by the neck
and said, “Master with the pious,
extraordinary spirit, I am your servant,
grateful for your bounty, your devoted student.
You will be my guardian, my master, my lord.
Here I shall always remain.”
Just as Hammadi touched the old man
he felt a shock and was frozen stiff 168.
The discharge did not kill him; he inched
back three steps 169 and the old man was transformed,
turned into a shining being, dissimilar
in all respects to a man, to the town animals
and to the bush: entirely different.
This new being stretched out two wings striped with gold.
“Kaidara, yes it is I! I am here!
I am distant because formless
and not everyone has the gift of perceiving me,
receiving my teaching, and benefiting from it.
I am Kaidara the very near because there exists
no obstacle, nor any distance between others and myself.
I assume any form I like, and cause veils to fall;
I eliminate distances as I choose.
Retain what you have just learned, transmit it
from mouth to ear unto your grandchildren.
Make a tale 170 of it for the inheritors of your power.
Teach it to those whose lucky ears
lie with an agreeable and happy head 171.
When we next meet, I will explain to you
the nine openings in man's body 172,
Notes (Lilyan Kesteloot)
168. The god is not a man; contact with him can be only spiritual, thus Hammadi's effusiveness is inopportune, for love cannot take precedence over respect.
169. Hammadi takes three steps back to leave the three veils that must remain between the master and himself: distance, respect, margin of ignorance or necessary obscurity, age. In initiation, there are twelve ranks among hunters; for example, there is student number twelve, master number twelve. The hierarchy must be preserved.
170. Merely a tale for those who see it only as entertainment.
171. That is, which attract and bear good luck.
172. Allusion to the other initiation called Koodal, or the initiation of “the Radiance of the Great Star” which follows in a future volume.