i was in Church the other day and alawiye came up for discussion. To my greatest surprise almost everyone has a favorite alawiye story. i remember ijapa and ojola. they were the most interesting characters. i vaguely remember alade who grew horns(alade hu iwo) and i can neva forget

Ise ni ogun ise
mura si ise ore mi
ise ni a fi n di eni giga
ti a ko ba ri eni feyintin
bi ole la n ri
ti a ko ba ri eni gbekele
a tera mo ise eni,


share the stories that made an impression on u from alawiye

What is Alawiye? I know it is something Yoruba from what you have written. It does sound familiar though. Is it a Yoruba series or something like Feyikogbon?

SMC:

What is Alawiye? I know it is something Yoruba from what you have written. It does sound familiar though. Is it a Yoruba series or something like Feyikogbon?

It is a Yoruba textbook.

alawiye was like a cross we had to carry in primary school. thought it was hell cos it was a private school and all. we had to memorize stuff. my fav was ise ni oogun ise. i know it by heart. i fell in love with yoruba lit and i am proud to say that though am not a yoruba major, i can read and write in yoruba. we should be proud of what we have

my favourite alawiye story is titled " OMO TO MO YA RE LOJU O. and it goes thus -
omo to mo yare loju o
osi yio to mo na paa
iya to jiya po lori re
baba to ji ya po lori re
omo to mo ya re loju o
osi yio to mo na paa

learnt it in primary two or so and still remember the words even now that i'm almost in my thirties. good old days

@runsaway
My fave poem in that book is theone you posted . . .lol


baba re le lowo lowo
mama re le lesin lekan
ti o ba gbojule wan
o tetan ni mo so fun en

there's also one bout farming, can't remember that one now

One goes like:

Iwe kiko laisi oko ati ada
Ko i pe, ko i pe
Ise agbe ni ise ilewa,
Eniti ko sise amajale etc

Very true
Nothing pays like hardwork
No paddy for jungle

Runsaway, help, I read alawiye too in my elemenetary school. I have been trying to recollect the Alade hu Iwo story. Can you kindly tell it at some length to stir my memory? Will appreciate. Regards, T Manners

T Manners: Runsaway, help, I read alawiye too in my elemenetary school. I have been trying to recollect the Alade hu Iwo story. Can you kindly tell it at some length to stir my memory? Will appreciate. Regards, T Manners

The Alade hu iho story is kinda about a friend of Alade, who on seeing the horns on Alade's head could not bear to keep the secret and not being able to tell anyone had to dig a hole and shouted Alade hu iho into the pit. A pawpaw tree later grew from the hole and some boys made a hollow in the stem to form a kind of trumpet. Unfortunately, when blown, what the villagers heard was Alade hu iho. #Hope.I.got.it.right.

Another one from The Alawiye...
Iya lolutoju mi
Ti n toju mi ni kekere
Eyin re lo n fi pon mi
Emi ki iya mi ku ise
Pelu iteriba mole
Emi ko ni ko ise fun ya mi mo o
Iya o, Iya o, Iya o.

Doubt if it's still used in schools

Haaaaa! Memories, this thread really bring back memories.

Thanks, Runsaway, I recollect now. Mighty good of you. Enjoy this from my memory too. I recollect that I read Yoruba alphabet before I did the English alpahabet. This story is also from Alawiye: The title is - Aworawo ko ko t'ise, or something close to it. Aworawo sold water, but he was poor. His wife was always angry that he was too honest, but Aworawo insisted that his head would surely take him to where he is destined to be. There was a town that needed a king. The oracle said what they should do to find the right king, so that all would be well with the town. Pots were set in the palace yard. All water sellers were to come and fill the pots. Aworawo saw money in his pot, and he returned it to the palace keepers. No other water seller did. Aworawo became king. His wife was happy.

How many of such stories that shaped the xter of our generation should I recollect? There was the unserious boy in school who later pushed wheel barrow in the market, while his friend who was serious rode a car. There was Jokotola was greedy and would not work. He only waited for his father's wealth. The father died, Jokotola did not shed a drop of tears, but waited impatiently for his father's wealth to be shared. There was his half-brother who did cry, and did not care for the sharing of any wealth. The father woke up later. He didn't die, he only wanted to know who loved him, and who did not. Are these stories in our schools today? A reason we have lost so much of our values. Regards.

Oh my!
This is too good.
This thread brings up such sweet memories...
This excerpt is from Alawiye Book 4 [don't recall the chapter now]
I would've added the necessary 'ami' but Microsoft Word and I aren't on speaking terms just yet...

Chapter Title: Opa Iyonu [Rod of affliction]

Ode kan lo oko ode ni ojo kan. O kiri titi, ko ri eran pa. Orun ojo naa po pupo. Ebi n pa ode naa, aare si mu patapata. Nitorina, o joko si abe igi kan. O fi ibon re ti si egbe re, o si sun lo fonfon!
Laipe laijina, awon obo kan sere wa...

and that's all i remember..in verbatim Yoruba, that is.

The story concludes with said curious monkeys fascinated not by the 'adarihunrun' slumbering before them but by his 'opa' resting harmlessly beside him. They crowd round noiselessly to examine the 'opa'. One of them accidently [or is it fortuitously] depresses the trigger. What the hunter could not accomplish with all his senses alert and active, he did by restful slumber.

Iyajebu, you have such a good memory. Remembering so much of what you wrote is a mighty task. As I read your recall in those Yoruba words, I saw for the first time how beautiful the lines have always been - short, crisp, rhythmically poetic. I read the story way back that time; but this is the first time I see the beauty of the lines. I wish I could get the book and read it all over and I am sure I will learn a few things in it. And I should appreciate those old story and the craft of putting them together because as a story teller myself one should have eyes for those things. Incidentally, the late author of Alawiye should be from Ogun State, your state, if I am right. Opa Iyonu should be for pupils between Primary Four and Primary Six. Brilliant man, the late author. I was so used to his series that when I entered secondary school and we read other Yoruba texts, I was in shock. It took me a long while to adjust, although I still recollect books used in secondary school such as Owo Eje, and xters such as Bankarere and Ajito Oba in another text which name I can't immediately recollect. Regards

Agbo lie nla kan niyi
eniyan melo ni ole ri nibe
eranko melo ni ole ri nibe pelu
Adun ni eni tonlo ata
Alabi ni eni tonki baba
Akinbo ni eni ton nla igi
aja baba nba sere
ewure nwa kan panu kiri
ologbo sun
awon adie nwo nu ago won
eiye oge nfo lo sori ite re
tiun-tiun nke Lori igi ninu ogba

Ode a fi fila perin......alaatan seran jobojobo nuu

Bade de ade oba
Bade de ade oba
A o baa de

Obe bade ba obo
Obe bade ba obo
A o ba bade be oba
A o baa be

alawiye was like a cross we had to carry in primary school. thought it was hell cos it was a private school and all. we had to memorize stuff. my fav was ise ni oogun ise. i know it by heart. i fell in love with yoruba lit and i am proud to say that though am not a yoruba major, i can read and write in yoruba. we should be proud of what we have
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Looks like you and I had the exact same experience. It really a "cross" I had to carry but I 'm glad I did. I had to chose between Igbo language and Yoruba and I chose Yoruba because I thought it was easier. Benefit of hindsight.....I should have chosen Igbo and would still be armed with both languages now because I was born and raised in Lagos but I only can hold a 30s conversation in Igbo but can read and write Yoruba even more fluently than some Yorubas...lol

Alawiye apa kini
Obe baba bo
o ba obo oba
a o ba baba be oba
somebody should remind me of the story of tortoise and his father inlaw which tortoise went to his father inlaw farm to steal and was caught and was tied to a stake for people to see who are going to their farm. Only for them to return in the evening to meet tortoise at the stake and they became angry with the father inlaw.

Though i am not yoruba but------
Alawiye apa kini
Obe baba bo
o ba obo oba
a o ba baba be oba
somebody should remind me of the story of tortoise and his father inlaw which tortoise went to his father inlaw farm to steal and was caught and was tied to a stake for people to see who are going to their farm. Only for them to return in the evening to meet tortoise at the stake and they became angry with the father inlaw.

my favorite poem from alawiye is

kaka ki n bi egba obun
ma kuku bi okansoso oga
ma fi yan araye loju
ma roun gberaga
se okansoso araba ki segbe egba osunsun
omo to ja fafa kansoso ki segbe egba irunbi omo
......

I plan to buy alawiye for my kids

Akuku u bi san se radarada
ka ku l'omode ko yeni
o san ju ka dagba atoroje lo

One of my favorites poems in Alawiye:

IWA AFOWOFA

Eda ti yio ba fa jogbon
Bi a ba daa lekun, se koni gbo
Oun ti oun fe se nii kaa lara
Aye gb'ekulu odan, Oun fe nipon laya bi ira
Olowo jeun yo tan, Oun wa iku kiri,
Ire yo tan, O be ara re nikun,
Aya yo tan, Oun se kandu kandu s'oko
Aye gba iwofa tan, Oun pe olowo re ni were,
Omo yo tan, Oun pe Baba l'eranko
Oya yo tan, oun wo ode suunn l'akitan, Oni ki aja ode maa kalo
Se Oro ko dun gboro, bi a fee l'aro a si ru l'ale
Esin yo tan, oun ta olowo re ni kete
Afopinna sun ara re jo reu reu,
A ko mo wipe omo ina nii wo ina lo fun ra won
ise kii wa eniyan, eni ti oun wa ise nii wa iyonu,
Osi n ta aja, oun po ara re mo eeru,
osi n ta ewu aala, oun ba epo wo iya ija,
Osi n ta elede, oun fi ara sekuru de le jigbini,
Oluwa ko ma a so ni l'owo ori inu eni,
iwa afowofa nii fa osi t'eda,
Iku ti oun pa onikaluku laye,
Oun be ni orun ara won.

Does anyone know where I can buy the Alawiye books? Or recommend Yoruba text/workbooks for primary age children?

Thanks

if "butties" are not allowed in , then how will they learn?

and btw, alawiye is not specific to economic status. It's for general use.

I think this is in Alawiye...primary 4, 5, or 6

Kini won o fole she laye ti mo wa 2x
Laye ti mowa, kaka kin jale, ma kuku deru
Kini won o fole she laye ti moway

Teni to jale ba lola laye 2x
Bo lola laye, kole rorun wo, bolojo bade
Teni to jale ba lola laye

Aye ema fole she eni ti a ni 2x
Eni ti a ni
Kaka koja le ....
Ewon ko sun won fun omoluabi....


And this one

Ijuba,
baba alawo to ba fe kifa
Aa ranti opon ifa
Akope to ba fe koyin
Koni fi igba seyin
Bo shere ba fe lo sode
Aa si ranti awon alarinrin
Kere won le larin rin
Mo she iba fun iwo...
...
Mo juba foba alade gbogbo
Ati iwo eniyan atata
To n gbo mi ni akoko yii....
Mo ki e denu..
....
Asiri oga kii tu loju odan
Asiri eko kii tu loju ewe
Oba ti basirii egbe, yo basiri re
A kii ri di...
A kii ridi Atiwaye eni
Oba onigelegele padi remo
Oba oke, maje omo araye ridi re je


I might have mess it up a bit...but wow!

I remember this:

Funmi gbe agbe emu,
O de idi agba omi,
O ba agbo ebun ni ibe,
Agbo ebun nfe mu omi,
Funmi mu igba o fi buu fun,
Omi ko si iho imu igba.

Iyan funfun lele
Oba ninu oje
Ijoye atata la u jo okele
Osupa abe iti
Aran dele ole
KO si obe to KO ba lo
Gbegiri nkan l'ewo re
Laafu lounje won n'ile alake
Amala lounje won n'ile mesi ogo
Iyan lounje won n'ile obokun
a je b'oko do we ke
a je d'igbo l'oko
a je b'oko rerin ofofo
a je ri po raun beni ti o muti oyibo yo

Wow... Very long

Baba bade ba
Bade nde ade oba
A o ba bade be oba
A o baa be e

There is this story about a boy that was pressured by his mum to reveal what was discussed at the Elders meeting his father took him along to attend. The boy gave the mother an info on the promise that she will keep it to herself only for the next day the whole women in the village stormed the palace to protest.

Who remembered this story?