Play time: 03:13 minutes. Recorded in Mago, Kenya, March 14, 2014.

Mukere Na Mmbere Mu Kimuga

Sarah Nyamera

Kwali ho nu mukere mulala yali na visukulu vavaga. Mukere mwene uyu yali yayanza kovoitsa maveere; yavika maveere gege mu kimuga. Ku lidiku lilala lwa yavika maveere gege mu kimuga naakitsia mmulimi ni yatsa ma avola mwisukulu mulala atsie kuruga. Lwa yastitsa kumashiga aruga ma amuvole leta ku kimuga cha maveere kulagili vuchima. Ma lwa yatsitsa aleta kimuga avolela guku weve, "guku, kali ovola maveere tsana gaveye mu?" Ma guku atanga kuvateva "vwaha anweye maveere?" ma vatanga kwiyambakana. Wu kutanga avola "yinze da," wa kavili agaya "inze da," wa kavaga avola "yinze da." Ma avola ku niva mwosi mugaya munyweye maveere dave, kindiki kitsi mmba yimu ndi kilavugula maveere kilanwa? Ma vana vavola "kumanyi da." ma lidiku lilala liavaho yavalangila mukutano yavavolela "kalunu ndi, inze ndola kuva munyi na visukulu vange nitali mungosela sana. Nimbika maveere gange mmba yimu nimboyitsa nyola muvuguyi munweye. na nimuteva si mwenya kombola dave. Kwani mmba mwene muno kuvetsa kuveye mu na vwaha na inze ndamanya tsa ligali kuvetsa muno na munyi." Ma avana yavo vatanga kwiyambakana vatanga kulila; ma guku wavo yavavola kali mulili kaluinu kuveye na munyi. Ma yavola mukana mulala uhenze mugoye kwenye kutsie hamatsi gavukanila. Na lwa kuduka ho kwenya kutsie kwimbila ho; kalunu paga ngumili mwivi amanya anwetsa maveere. Ma nivatsia ku mugera, mukana wu kutanga nagimila mugoye, natanga kwimba

Nimba ninweye ku maveere

Silanga lulala ninzia mwisoma

Oooh, mwisoma

Wakusomanga ni ihale

Mwene oyo navita, wakavili niyatsa.

Nimba ninweye ku maveere

Silanga lulala ninzia mwisoma

Oooh, mwisoma

Wakusomanga ni ihale

Wakavili navita. Wa kavaga lwa yatsa na avaa nu vuti; natanga kwimba garaha. Guku weve namuvolela "wimbi vudinyu."

Nimba ninweye ku maveere

Guku nalembana lwa kavaga namuvolela wimbi vudinyu umede isauti. Ma natanga kwimba igulu. Lwa yali niyimba tsa na mugoye gwa yali na agumiyi ni gutula mu makono gege nugugaduka nagwa mmatsi. Lwa yagwa mmatsi na guku navoola sio olola ndakagumila mwivi, mundu amanya anwetsa maveere mwene yakonyolekana." Lwa yali nagwiyi mmatsi mwene yimu nigaloleka genya vamung'usi vamutulitse mu vatsie yengo ma vatsie kwikalitsa ma kutula lwene yilwo ndio lwa yamanya akola magoso yamanya nasava vuveri ku guku weve guku na muvera ma nivatanga komenya maisha malahi ma nivava avana valahi ni vaviluka ni mima milahi. Lugano lufwere hene yaho.

A woman with gourd milk

We had one woman who had three grandchildren. This woman liked fermenting milk. She used to keep her milk in the gourd. When day she fermented the milk and she went to the farm and when she came back she asked one of her grandchildren to prepare baked maize flour. When she went to cook, after that she asked her to bring the gourd that had milk for them to drink. She came and said "grandmother do you think there is milk inside here?" their grandmother began asking them who drank the milk. They began to deny. Then she asked them "if you are all denying that you didn't drink the milk then what came and drank it?" the children said that they do not know. One day she called them for a meeting and she told them "today, I see you are my children but you are doing me wrong

Whenever I ferment my milk inside the house I find that you have taken and drank, and when I ask you do not want to tell me, which other people do we have here? I only know of you" the children refused and began crying. Their grandmother told them "even if you cry I am with you" she asked one of the girls to look for a rope that they will use where the water separates. And when they reach there they are going to sing there. "Today I have to catch a thief who normally drink my milk" they went to the river, the first girl caught the rope and she began to sing

If I have drank milk

I am jumping ones as I go to the school

Oooh, school

Where we are schooling is far

That one crossed, the second one came

If I have drank milk

I am jumping ones as I go to the school

Oooh, school

Where we are schooling is far

The second one passed. When the third one came she was shy. She began to mumble. The grandmother told her to sing loudly.

If I have drank milk

The grandmother began to complain and the third time she asked her to sing loudly. Then she began to sing loudly. When she was singing the rope that was in her arm broke and she fell in water. When she fell in water the grandmother said that she had caught the thief. The one who has been drinking her milk? She has been caught. When she fell in water they took her from water and they went with her home and sat for a meeting. She begged for forgiveness from the grandmother and she forgave her. Then they began to have a good life. They were good children, and they grew with good morals. The story has ended there.