Folktale Four: Uria O Man Ose
Folktale Four: A Literal English Translation
Folktale Four: Distance Nourishes Friendship
1. Òkha ọkpa ke dǒ rè.
1. Story one then finally came.
1. Once upon a time,
2. Ọ na yǎ de mù ọ̀finotọ̀ vb' okpǎghà.
2. It went fall catch rabbit and cassia tree.
2. there lived a rabbit and a cassia1 tree.
3. Ir̅an na dǒ gha rộ.
3. They started to live.
3.
4. Òwi' owiẹ̀, ọ̀finotọ̀ ghà rhìọ̀re, ọ na làdìàn vb' ùvùn ẹr̅ẹn,
4. Morning morning, rabbit when wake, he come out
4. Every morning, when the rabbit would crawl out of his hole,
ọ ghî dǒ vba vb' ìkpo 'kpàghà`hia salọ lẹ̀gà ùvùn ẹr̅ẹn.
from hole his, he will come meet that seed cassia all
drop round hole his.
he would find cassia seeds scattered around it.
5. Ọ ghî ghọ̀ghùa.
5. He will happy.
5. He would gladly
6. Ọ ghi rhọ̌ èhia là ùvùn ẹr̅ẹn.
6. He will pick all enter hole his.
6. pick all up and take them to his hole.
7. Ẹ̀d' ọkpa ghi re, ọ na wệ: "Òkpàghà na, ọ̀se 'sì wǎ nọ̀."
7. Day one when come, he then said: "Cassia this, friend
good really he is."
7. One day, he said to himself: "This cassia tree,must be a very thoughtful friend!
8. À rhe miẹn ighẹ ùvùn mwẹn re ne sẹ̀ vbeniàn, ọ̀ yè èvbà-
8. We though see that hole my far for him reach this, he
8. Even though I'm so far away from him, he sends me
re khan mwẹ̀n vbeniàn.
use food fill me like this.
so much food.
9. Ì ghà ghì wà b' òwa kẹe ghi vbo?"
9. I if build house near him (Q)?"
9. I wonder what he would do if I moved closer to him."
10. Ẹ̀r' ọ ghi na gèlè yǎ tun 'vùn ẹr̅ẹn k' ẹ̀zi okpàghà.
10. It is that he really go dig hole his at foot cassia
tree.
10. Finally he decided to go and dig his hole right at the foot of the tree.
11. Ẹ̀dẹ ghi gbe, ọ̀finotọ̀ na rhùlẹ̀ làdìàn vb' ùvùn ẹr̅ẹn.
11. Day when break, rabbit quickly run out from hole his.
11. The next morning he rushed out of his hole
12. Ọ̀ r̅o ighẹ n' ìr̅ẹ̀n na ghì dǒ si k' ẹ̀zi òkpàghà nâ, t'
12. He thinking that now that he come dig hole his at
12. to go and pick the cassia seeds he was sure would be waiting for him,
okpàghà khian wa y' èvbàr̅e khàn ir̅ẹn.
foot cassia tree, cassia tree will use food surfeit
him.
in a large quantity around his hole.
13. Ọ̀ ghi ladian, ọ̀ghi ghè èhe hia, èhe hia ye gbẹlẹ.
13. He when come out, he look everywhere, everywhere be
bare.
13. When he came out, he looked round, and to his amazement, everywhere was bare.
14. Ọ na wẹ ù gha ghe t' ir̅ẹn rherhe làdìàn gbe.
14. He then said maybe he quick come out too much.
14. Well, he said he may have come out too early.
15. Ọ na ghì wèrìègbe là ùvùn ẹr̅ẹn yǎ lovbiẹ.
15, He then again enter hole his go lie down.
15. So he went back into his hole.
16. Ọ̀ ghi vbe zẹ̀ kpẹe kherhe, ọ na vbè rhùlẹ̀ làdìàn vb'
16. It when stay small, he again run out from hole his,
16. After a while, he crawled out again to
ùvùn ẹr̅ẹn n' ọ do gh' ẹr̅e ghe degh' ikp' okpàghà
that he come see if seed cassia split round hole his
see if the cassia seeds had now dropped
sàlọ lẹ̀gà ùvùn ẹr̅ẹn nẹ̀n.
already.
around his hole.
17. Ọ̀ ghi yè vbè do vba, ès' esò i rọ.
17. He again come meet none there is.
17. He still found everywhere bare.
18. T' ob' ohànmwẹ̀n ghi dae.
18. Hand hunger begin hard him.
18. He was now becoming very hungry.
19. Ẹ̀r' ọ ghi na wệ, "T' i gha do werìègbe gha ri èh̀è n'
19. It is he then said:" I will go back to place that I
19. So he decided
i kere vben' òhànmwẹ̀n te gbè mwuàn."
come from, before hunger kill me.
to pack and
20. Ẹ̀r̅' ọ na gèlè wèrìègbe kùn kpà gha ri' uria n' ọ̀
20. It is he again really pack leave go distance that he
20. return to his former
ka ye.
first be.
hole.
21. Ọ̀ ghi sè 'vba, ìkp' okpàghà vun èhe hia.
21. He when reach there, seed cassia fill place all.
21. When he got there,
22. Ọ na ghì zẹ̀giẹgiẹ rhọ̀ ehia vùn uvun ẹr̅ẹn.
22. He then quickly pick all fill hole his.
22. he found cassia seeds everywhere.
23. Ọ̀ ghi r̅è nẹn, ẹ̀ko vun or̅ẹn, o na wê: "Èr' ir̅an gele
23. He after eat already, stomach fill him, he then said:
23. So he concluded that
khǎ igh' uria ò man osẹ "
"It is they really said that distance nourish
friendship."
it really is true that distance nourishes friendship2.
24. Èvba nî òkha nâ na yǎ de wù.
24. Place that story this go fall die .
24. That ends the story.
