Embu & Mbeere - Music and Dance

Embu wedding song
An Embu wedding song, from Ciarunji Chesaina's outstanding book "Oral Literature of the Embu and Mbeere" (1997: East African Educational Publishers, PO Box 54314 Nairobi, Kenya). See the copyright notice for textual extracts.


We have arrived indeed (Twakinya gukinya)


Twakinya gukinya
Ana enyu maguca
Twakinya wa thuonthe
Tukite wa thuonthe
Tukite wa thuonthe
Tutitiganaga
manji nimatavwa
Megane nyanya
Na matigare
Nwanga arume magatucambithia!

Tugite nitwicovera buru
Tugite tutingiveria
Tugite nwathue tukwirete
Tukite guka
Tukite wathue thuonthe!
Nwanga arume magatucambithia!

We have arrived indeed
Your people have come
All of us have arrived
We have all come
We have all come
We never leave any of us behind
Water will be fetched
It will be enough
Enough and to spare
Unless the men let us down!

We have decided to show off our wealth
We have decided to put away all callousness
We have decided to present ourselves
Of our own accord
We have come indeed
We have come all of us
Unless men decide to let us down!

 
 
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Traditional Music & Cultures of Kenya
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