Play time: 14:45 minutes. Recorded in Shiru, Kenya, April 3, 2014.

Kuhirana

Esther Mmbone

Ku lyita vananga Esther Mmbone na nzitsaa kumuvolela ku livula liali la kale.

Muyayi niyenyanga akuhile ku mukana mwatsitsanga atuma mukere atsia kuteva mwana mukana. Lwa atsitsa kuteva mwana mukana avivuli veve vavola genyeka kutange kutsa hango hanga muyayi. Ma vakere vatsitsa yo vavili ma vamoloma na vivuli vene. Lwa vamoloma na vivuli vene ma valola hango na vakalola hango vavolela mukana yavolelanga wache mbeleka nzie kulola ku mukana. Yatsitsanga ma alola mukana ma vahulitsana na vivuli. Ma vivuli vavola uyanzi mukana witu uyu, navo vavola yee, kumuyanzi. Ma vahulitsananga ma vandu vavugula mukana vamushila hanga muyayi. Ma mukana ava nu vuyanzi ma yikala hango hene hala ma vahulitsana na vivuli. Ma yavugililanga gavovola. Vivuli vamanya vavola sasa nololola mukana witu amenye hango yaho paga mukuhe tsing'ombe ma vavola tsing'ombe luhana lwa tsana dave paga atange konyola ku mwana mulala ku kumanye nu mwivuli ku nakushile tsing'ombe. Na muyayi yamanya namenya navanyola mwana wu kutanga. Vivuli vayanza na vavola sasa kutange kuruti mwana witu ku muyayi akuhe tsing'ombe. Vamanya varuta mukana wavo nu vuyanzi. Vamanya vamenya muyayi oyo yamanya nahana tsing'ombe. Vivuli vali nu vuyanzi ligali. Muyayi amakula ga kale galange ne heshima sana ligali.

Liletana

Liletana lia kalunu yava vivuli vavolenga avaana vavo liyanzana liavo kuli mukana wayenya avolane nu muyayi vavolananga. Mukana avola "a, muyayi uyu afwana mulkahi dave." Na vivuli vavola "a, yive mwene nomololi nu mulahi dave oleke." Ku muyayi uyu yatsanga yivisa magonyia. Lwa yivisa mu magonyia ma atsia akong'ondsa kwi lidilisia ma mukana atulila mwi lidilisia ma vatsia nu mjuyayi. Vwakachia asubui ma vivuli vatevana "vaya, mwana witu yali yimu atsiye hayi?" Ma vatevelitsa vanyola ngani muyayi wayasula ula yaitsa mu magonyia yaitsa yamulanga vatsia naye. Kutula yo yatulanga yo dave; yamanya yalombanga yo lukali lwilwe hango hene yaho. Yamenyaho ma valuha vavola ku kumutulitsa yo dave; alava hango hehe. Cha kutsia kuteva tsa ni mitugu. Ma vatsia na muyayi avola kweli niz ndavugula na nziyama. Cha mutsa tsa ni tsing'ombe. Ma mukana aluha yikala hango hehe ni milembe. Mukana yavugililanga yavugulanga ligembe ma atsia mu mulimi kulima. Mukana tsana yatula nu mwana weve niva yatsitsanga ni liva lia hango hene yaho. Vavugililanga mukana wavo kutsia ku muyayi niva sivayanzitswa anoho dave. Si vavugililanga mba navutswa sivalolanga vivuli vu muyayi mba. Vachiling'ananga vutswa ma vatsia halala ma vachiling'ana vutswa. Muyayi mu madiku ga kalunu mwene atsitsa galaha ku mukana ma amuyanza ma amuvolela naye amuvolela "inze nguyanzi." Lwa amoloma nza ndio mukana alonda ku tsa ni lidiku liene yilio; agaya ku dave, lia avoye yilyo alonda. Ma avolela mukana "kutsie, lekana na mang'ana ga vakere gave, yavo vamala gavo. Kunyi kwendelehe maisha gitu ga kalunu." Ma atsia liigali ava hango hene hala. Utevelitsa tsa umwana wange yatsia hayi yagota uhulila tsa yatsia avundu fulani ma mugenda tsa garaha ma munyola kweli mwana uyu aveye hango hene hala. Mukuba ku mumutulitse ho na muyayi agaya tsa "inze lwa ndamala kumuleta, ndamuleta ku kunyi kwendelehe na maisha gitu ga kalunu. Ginyu ga mwali mu gafwa." Mukana ni yatsitsanga lukali yamalanga mweli niva vatsitsanga kumuruta vavugulanga vakere mutsia navo mutsia kolola mwana wa yanyola. Mwatsitsanga mutsie nu vusie, maduma, mavere, voro, tsingoko, inyama, vihanwa vya mumanula akana kene kala nu vuyanzi lihali muno. Mwakaduka yo vamwingilitsanga nu lwimbu:

Ni lidiku liu vuyanzi, lia ndovola mwami yesu

Mwoyo gwitsuyi vuyanzi, lwa ndiovola mwami yesu

Lidiku

Linene, Liandivulwa nu muhonyi.

Ma vasala ma mwingila mu inyumba ma vasale kandi. Vasalanga mwa mmwikala ku vamuchelitse. Va kamuchelitsa ma mugunzi tsa kidogo ma valeta viukulia ku mesa. Mwa kalia mukana wa muheye viindu atsia kusiaya mwana inyuma yila ma yilanyie mwana ni yimbanga vihanwa via ushile mwana vila; tsinguvu na muyayi mwene kali na vasanji wovo mwene. Vakavavika kandi vatse ni vimba muhiru, ku kandi vamuchelitse vulahi ma kande vasale ku vatanga lileta viukulia kumesa.

Vandu va kale kuli vatsitsa mu vulwani

Vandu va kale vatsitsaa mu vulwani vatsitsa na matimu nu vutaa na magina. Vatsitsaa mu vulwani vwene vula ihale na vivuli vagimilatsa mwoyo vavola vana vitu na vatuli mu vulwani wa vatsitsaa yiyi kweli. Ni vavagaya vavola "aa aa, kunyi kutsitsaa tsa mu vulwani kulatula yo." Vatsitsanga valala vatulayo na vandi vahela yo ma vateva vana vitu vakatigara ha; navo vavola "aa, kunyi kumanyi ki wavanyagura vatsira da, kunyi lwavatanga tsa lilasana kwamanya kwiruka ku kumanyi wavamanya vatsira dave. Vamanya vagota kabisa na vivuli vamenya vavalola dave. Vavola "munyi mulombe tsa livugana hango yaho vana vinyu vamala kwitwa vakutsa wa kwatsitsa mu vulwani."

Nyenya kumuvolela kuli mukana yanyolanga umwana

Mukana yatsitsa lukali lwilwe ma ahelitsa mwana wu kutanga yalange nu vuyanzi. Yagulilanga ku tsinguvu ligali tsindahi ava nu vuyanzi ligali kali va hango vayanzitswa nu mwana wene ula. Kana yako kava nu vulamu. Kaduka kuli mihiga jivaga jinne ku nangwa nya avalika mwana undi. Va kalunu kali ama muhiga dave; amala tsa mieli jivaga unyola yakuhelitsa inda ya kavili. Ku mwana wiu kutanga ula yali wu vuyanzi kandi vivuli vayanzitswa ligali. Na kalunu niwaduka unyola mwana wa kavili mwana mwene uyu wala naye ni ligali nu vuyanzi kali vindu viu walelelamu siwagula mwana uyu kuli sa wagulila wu kutanga ula dave. Na linyola lia kalunu mwana anyola tsa mwana sa yindi kali akusuvuli na aveye ni mieli jivili ma mukana oyo agota yilana atsia kwenya kandi undi wa kavili. Ku vana va kalunu si vaveye ligali ni mima ku jia vivuli va kale dave kandi vahulila gu mwivulki avola dave. Vamuvolela avola tsa "aa, lekana na inze. Munyi mwamala ginyu ga kale, kunyi kuveye mu giotu ga kalunu, ulekane na inze ligali." Wamulindanga mu inzila indahi ligali na mwene siyenya dave.

Nzitsa kumuvolela ku lugano

Mukere yaliho ma nadeka maganda na yali na avaana. Lwa yadeka maganda gene gala, yamanya natanga kwimbila avaana:

Mukere yadeka maganda inyingu du

Yima mwana weve mukogoti

King'ang'a kitsa kimuvolela

Okoli magoso manene madamanu

Dadadadadaa

Lugano lwange luheli yaho.

Marriage

My name is Esther Mmbone and I am going to tell you about the lifestyle of the past. When a boy wanted to marry a girl, the boy used to send a woman to go and ask the the girl to marry him. When they went to ask for the girl the parents of the girl used to suggest visiting the home of the boy first. Two women used to go there then they speak with his parents. After speaking with the parents, they could walk around the homestead they used to tell then girl, then the boy used to ask his friend to take him to visit his woman. He could then go to visit the girl then they could agree with the parents. The parents could ask the boy to love their daughter. He could accept and say that they love her. They used to agree then the people could take the girl to the boy's home.

The girl used to be happy and she used to stay with her parents in law. Her parents used to say that if they want their daughter to stay in that homestead, they should give them cows, they used to say that they do not give cows immediately until the girl gives birth to a child that will prove that she is a parent hence will be given the cow. The boy and the girl used to stay together and after receiving the first child, the parents used to be very happy. They could come to congratulate their girl inorder to be given the cows. They were congratulating their girl with happiness. They used to stay then the boy give the cows as dowry. The parents were very happy. The boys of the past age had more respect.

Marriage

These days marriage, the parents are the ones who influence their sons on the type of women that they want. They say that "this girl is not a wife" and the parents say "yes when you look at her she is not good you should leave her" the boy used to go and hide himself in the banana plantation. After that he used to go and knock on the girl's window then the girl gets out through the window and she goes with the boy. In the morning the parents could ask "where has our child who was here gone?" then they ask and they find out that the boy whom they had refused is the one who came and took her and they went. She didn't leave the home instead she was building on her marriage in that homestead. She used to stay there then the parents agree not to remove her from there; she was to stay in her home. What they were to ask for was the cattle.

The boy used to go there and says that he has come and he accepts that he took her and what they should come for are the cows. The girl used to stay in her home with peace. The girl was willing to take the jembe and goes to dig the farm. The girl used to leave with her child if she was staying in that home. They used to allow there girl to get married to that boy whether they liked her or not. They were not seeing the parents of the boy. They used to keep quiet. These days a boy approaches the girl and tells her that he loves her and the girl says "I have loved you" when he speaks like that the girl follows her on that day and he won't refuse. What he has said is what he follows. He then tells the girl "Let us go, leave the women they have finished their work let us continue with our lives"

She used to go and stays in that home. The parents used to ask where the girl has gone, whether she is lost, they could walk to find her. They could then find her in the homestead where they were directed. They could try to get her back home but the boy used to refuse and say "I have already finished marrying her, you should leave us to continue with our life since you have finished yours" the girl used to stay their for a month and when the parents wanted to visit her, they could go there in a company of other women to congratulate her for the child that she has given birth to. They could go there with maize flour, maize, millet, chicken and presents to give to that child with a lot of happiness. When they got there they were welcomed with a song:

This is the day of happiness, when I chose the lord Jesus

The heart is full of happiness, when I chose the lord Jesus

Happy day

It is great, when I was born in the saviour

They could pary then they get inside the house and pray also. They could rejoice then after they sat they could now greet each other. After greetings they could stay for a while and food could be brought on the table. After eating the girl that was given presents could come with the child singing and they could give the child the presents that they brought. After keeping the presents they could sing again, then they greet them well and pray then they bring meals on the table.

How people used to go to war in the past

Long time ago people used to go to war with spears and stones. They used to go for war over a long distance, and the parents could ask themselves "will our children come back home safetly" whenever they asked them not to go to war they could say "no we usually go to war and come back" they used to go there, some could come home safe and others could perish and they could ask "where have our children remained?" and they could say "we do not know where they went when they started throwing stones we ran away we do not know where they went" they could get lost and their parents could not see them. They could ask their parents to prepare a service since their children died in the war.

I want to tell you how a girl used to give birth to a child

The girl used to go to her marriage and she could get the first child and she was very happy. She used to buy cloth for the child and he could be happy, even the people of the homestead were happy. The child could have health. They could take care of the child up to the age of four. These days they do not even finish even a year, they finish three months and they get pregnant again. The first child brought happiness and the parents were pleased. And when you got the second child you were very happy, you didn't buy the things that you were using to carry the child in.

These days a girl gives birth to a child, and she can throw the two month child to you. Then the girl get lost and she goes to look for another child.the children of these days do not have behaviours like those of long time ago, they do not follow what the parents are saying. When she is told something she asks them to leave her alone since they have finished their own and they are doing their own things they should leave her alone. They used to take good care of her, but she didn't want.

I am going to tell you a story

There was a woman who was cooked beans and she had children. When she cooked the beans, she began to sing for her children:

A woman cooked beans in a pot

She denied her elder child

The monster came and told her

You have done a big mistake

Dadadadadaa

My story has ended there.