Afar war chants

By Jacob Silkstone
Photography by Chris Beckett
Ethiopian textile design. Image courtesy of Chris Beckett

I am the red Maandita

I am the red Maandita!
I am a true Maandita from across Dobi

the man who said he would never run away from me
I killed him on his sleeping mat
the one with stylish hair, I killed in Namosa
I killed a lover under the eyes of his mistress at Boole
the leader of the camels, I killed at Gegalo
also, to avenge our camels, I killed at Arso

the companions of my youth
you were better than anybody except the Assaba

the Sultan for whom I work
is better than all others except the Prophet

we are not two only
like the teats of the donkey
not four like the teats of the cow
not even six like the teats of a dog!

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Literature.Mar 28, 2016

Afar war chants

“a man gave twelve cows for a beautiful woman and seventeen days after the wedding/ I came to the bridegroom, armed with my spear…” Two ancient Afar war chants, as recorded by Georges C Savard.

By Jacob Silkstone