Play time: 06:04 minutes. Recorded in Shiru, Kenya, March 19, 2014.

Vitendawili

Esther Mmbone

Esther Mmbone na nzitsa kuvoola vitendawili ni tsingano

Mbe ni inyumba yange yu muliango mulala: livuyu

Mbe ni mundu wange ni mutuma asala na atsia anonda: chiriri

Inzira yiyi ninze nziye yiyi kwagane: umusibi

Mbe ni inguvu yange nimbuyi yuma dave: lulimi

Edenesi mwilova: lwova

Mbeye ni mundu wange asingila kelenge kila: lwova

Musigari kumuliango: likafuri

Mbe ni gorofa yange iveye iguru kumusala nyala kuduka yo dave: malesi

Mbe ni mulimi gwange kali ninima madiku gavaga ni gomeli: lisu

Mbeye ni munwa gwange mutambi: imbalabala

Tsingano

Kwali ho na vakana vavili vatsia kotenya ni vanyola lilina li liaga ni vavoola:

Woiyi *2

Kulelo nangole ndi lelo

Woiyi *2

Kulelo nangole ndi lelo

Mukana yaliho, muyayi undi natsia kumuteva navoola amushiri lukali. Lwa yamushila hango henaho lwa yaduka vafwana umulu vata amatsi mu lidaramu. Ku mutende namuvolela "mwana wa mundu yivi ha utsi ki hango yaha." Navoola "muyayi uyu yakundeta." Navoola "amatsi ga vateye ku mashiga yago venya vakusinzili vadeke vakulie. Uvavoole ndi mama woli ni mula ndagona mutsili amatsi mmbiyonzo. Baba woli ni mula ndagona mutsili amatsi mmbiyonzo. Lwa vatsia mukidaho vadaha amatsi mmbiyonzo nigasunduka. Ivagunza yo tsisaa tsivaga vavola "aa aa, amatsi kudaha ni gasunduka." Lwa vatsa ni vanyoola umukana oyo yakokoma tsing'ombe mia moja atsiyi yavola amatsi "amatsi gange, yayuka gandi katsie ivudada na gandi katsie ivumama." Yambukitsa tsing'ombe. Tsing'ombe yitso tsiavohivwa mauwa natsia yiimbanga. Ni vatsanga ni vavola tsing'ombe tsiali hano tsitsiyi hayi na henaho vandu vamuvolela "mukali wu waleta ula utsi kokoma tsing'ombe tsana utsiyi. Ku nakwambuli hayi kwamulondela kumuhe tsa mukono. Lwa vahenza ingeleka vamulola yakambuka. Tsing'ombe yakusiaha yimba natsia. Vamuvolela "singila yaho ovolele amatsi gayuki kutsi tsa kokohe mokono." Yamanya navavola linda ngavolele. Navoola amamtsi "amatsi gange yayuka malala gatsie ivudada na gandi gatsie ivumama. Vaduka hagati navola amatsi gange yilitsa. Yilitsa vandu yavo vatsila mu amatsi nivakutsa. Na mukana oyo natsia wavo nu vuyanzi ni yimba. Avivuli lwa vahula mwoyo vavola "oyo afwana kuli mukana witu noho." Ni vatsa vamwagana ni vigalala ni yimba

Mukana winyu,

Nguyo

Mukana winyu

Nguyo*3

Ni tsing'ombe

Mukana winyu,

Nguyo

Mukana winyu

Nguyo*3

Ni tsing'ombe

Ivigalala, vandu vavugula msagati ni vasanagala na mundeve oyo vamanya vakutsa.

Lugano lwange luheli yaho.

Riddles

My name is Esther Mmbone and I am going to tell riddles and stories.

I have my house with one door: an egg

I have my person when I send him he prays as he follows me: A traditional violin

Go through here while I go through there and we meet: belt

I have my cloth when I wash it does not dry: tongue

Tennis on the ground: mushroom

I have my person who stands on one leg: mushroom

Policeman at the door: padlock

I have my flat house on the tree and I cannot reach there: clouds

I have my farm even if I dig for three days it still grows: hair

I have my long mouth: road

Stories

There were two girls who had gone to look for firewood and they found a pit and they said:

Woiyi *2

Now what will I do today

Woiyi *2

Now what will I do today

There was a girl who was there and another boy went to ask her to marry her. When they took her to that home they lit fire and kept water inside the drum. A neighbor asked her why she had come to that homestead. She said that the boy had brought her. She told her that the water that was being boiled was meant to cook her and then they eat her. When they went to the river to fetch water it spilled down.

They stayed there for three hours and they said "a aa we are fetching water as it spill down" when they came back they found that the girl had chased 100 cows to her home. The cows were tied with flowers and she went as she sang. They asked where the cows had gone and people told them that the girl that he had brought had chased the cows and gone with them. Now where will we find her and shake catch her hand. They saw her from a far distance going away with the cows as she sang.

They asked her to stop there and allow the water to fall down since it had stopped. She asked them to wait then she told them that she let the water to fall. She spoke to the water "my water fall down and go to the sister and the other one to the mother" when they reached at the middle she asked the water to meet again and the people who were following her drowned and died. And the girl went home in jubilation and when the parents heard the voice they said it sounds like their girl they came and opened the door for her and they let here in.

That is your girl,

She is the one

That is your girl,

She is the one*3

With cows

That is your girl,

She is the one

That is your girl,

She is the one*3

With cows

They celebrated and the ones that were following the girl died.

My story ends there.