EYO O
(Eyo is a masquerade in Lagos)


Eko Akete Ile Ogbon
Eko Aromi sa legbe legbe
Eko aro sese maja
Eko akete ilu okun alagbalugbu omi.

Welcome, dear stranger to Eko ile (lagos)
The land which edumare beautified to vomit a strong people called Awori.
Ilu eyan jankan jankan
A city filled with people made of steel.
A city like no other with no one to dare her in the battle of industry.

Kaabo o lekan si
Eyo baba eegun
Eefun fulele ti n mi igbo kiji
Alagbara ti eko ti n wo aso funfun

Eyo.
A masquerade like no other.
The one who carries the spirits of our forgotten fathers
The ajanaku that reminds us of a glorious past.
A rod that shapens the excesses of the unrepentant child.
The ara orun that carries a cornucopia on its back.

The loving father that carries a basket filled with gifts from edumare.

To every barren, they distribute omo lanti lanti.
To every gende, they supply supply strength to forge ahead in career like a true omo eko.

With their harps in their lips, they play a tune for the land;

A tune that stimulates the dead bean seed to bring forth its fruit.
A tune that helps the ewure (goat) to push out kids in eights.
A tune that reconnects the disconnected brain neurons of a mad man and makes him sane.
A tune that evokes the memories of old and turns a weakling into an omo akin (strong man) that will never sojo.
A tune that awakens the knowledge of Ashipa, Akinsemoyin, Ologun Kutere: Kings of old who forged eko (Lagos) into what she is today.
A tune that transforms the dying grey land into a fresh luxuriant green habitation like Edumare requires.

Eyo o
Our fathers who don the white cloth to tell us that the odi keji (heaven) is for the pure in heart.
Nitoripe fun ni Edumare.
(Because holy is the God on high)

Our fathers who don the red cap to remind us to strive to be at the top of everything we do.
Because Edumare created everyone to dominate and always multiply.

Our fathers who hold a long stick to remind us that discipline is every necessary in our growth.
Because Edumare requires His beloved children to always maintain the best iwa.

Eegun wole de
Eyo wole de.

Ki ara le so fun ti oko (those in the homes should tell those in the farms)
Ki ara computer Village ni ikeja so fun awon ti Lekki ati Ajah.

Edumare ti ran awon baba wa lati wa ki wa oo. (God has sent our fathers to greet us)
#BASHORUN

Okontas.com

I would be satisfied if my novels (especially the ones I set in the past) did more than to teach my readers that their past- with all its imperfections- was not one long night of savagery from which the first Europeans acting on God's behalf delivered them.
Chinua Achebe.